Patrick Rodgers heads into the ultimate spherical of the 2023 Texas Open on Sunday with the solo lead at 12 below. In the hunt for the primary victory of his profession in his 235th begin, the previous Stanford standout is aiming to interrupt via on the most crucial of instances as not solely a big payday and future taking part in privileges stay on the road but in addition the ultimate invitation into the 2023 Masters subsequent week at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
Ought to Rodgers convert his fourth 54-hole lead right into a victory, the 30-year-old would make the journey to Augusta for the primary time in his profession. The identical can’t be stated of his closest pursuer as Canadian Corey Conners sits at 11 below and has made his hay at the Masters lately. The world No. 40 seems to be primed to seize his second Texas Open victory and roll into the 12 months’s first main championship with all of the momentum on the earth. Conners has claimed three straight top-10 finishes at Augusta Nationwide, and is without doubt one of the few potential candidates to don the inexperienced jacket to tee it up this week in Texas.
Matt Kuchar, Sam Stevens and Chris Kirk spherical out these inside 4 strokes of Rodgers with eyes on slipping on the cowboy boots Sunday night at TPC San Antonio.
The chief
1. Patrick Rodgers (-12)
Rodgers closed his third spherical with a bogey on the accessibly par-5 18th and can make dinner style that rather more bitter. Trimming his result in only one, this error may have a trickle-down impact on his play tomorrow. He’s 0-for-3 in his profession in changing 54-hole leads and has claimed three runner-up finishes as effectively. With confirmed winners reminiscent of Conners, Kuchar and Kirk respiratory down his neck, Rodgers should exit and earn his first PGA Tour victory.
Different contenders
2. Corey Conners (-11)
3. Matt Kuchar (-9)
T4. Sam Stevens, Chris Kirk (-8)
T6. Byeong Hun An, Sam Ryder, Padraig Harrington, Lee Hodges, Augusto Nunez, Harry Higgs (-7)
T12. Hideki Matsuyama, Dylan Wu, Andrew Putnam, S.H. Kim, Nick Taylor, Nico Echavarria (-6)
Conners will play an element on this match, and presumably the identical subsequent week, however let’s as a substitute concentrate on the 2021 Masters champion. Matsuyama withdrew from his final match on the WGC-Dell Match Play and at this very occasion as a season in the past within the lead-up to his title protection. The person from Japan finally completed T14 on the 2022 Masters and makes you surprise what his prospects could possibly be for subsequent week.
One week he finishes inside the highest 5 on the Gamers Championship — the stoutest area of the 12 months — and the subsequent he tweaks his neck. He seems wholesome via 54 holes of the Texas Open and ranks fifth in strokes gained tee to inexperienced — an encouraging signal for his Masters probabilities.
Can Paddy flip again the clocks?
The 2021 European Ryder Cup captain will head into the ultimate spherical simply 5 strokes off the tempo of Rodgers. Harrington has carried out admirably on the Champions Tour however seems to be to make his mark on the PGA Tour one final time — which the 51-year-old is not too far eliminated. Simply two years in the past, Harrington contended on the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and completed T4. This outcome earned him an invite into the 2022 Masters — his first since 2015 — and maybe this 12 months, a win in San Antonio can punch the three-time main champion’s ticket to Augusta Nationwide but once more.
“It was a pleasant rating right this moment, good again 9, took my probabilities,” stated Harrington. “I am not fairly certain if there was some simple pins and a few powerful pins. So looks like the scoring is not that good, so I am fairly proud of it. I definitely misplaced just a few pictures yesterday that lower, in all probability misplaced two or three pictures. I appeared up on the leaderboard after 11 holes yesterday and noticed I used to be in, like, twelfth spot however solely three pictures off the lower and I froze for a great 5 holes. Yeah, so type of regretting these now … Perhaps a low one tomorrow will get us within the hunt.”
Rick Gehman is joined by Greg DuCharme to debate transferring day on the 2023 Valero Texas Open. Can Patrick Rodgers lastly get his first PGA Tour victory and punch his ticket to Augusta Nationwide? Observe & hearken to The First Lower on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Fowler will fall quick
The resurgence has been enjoyable to observe, however Rickie Fowler will likely be an omission from the Masters. Sitting at 2 below and in a tie for forty third, Fowler will want a minor miracle to assert victory and the ultimate invitation to Augusta Nationwide. Nonetheless, there’s lots to be pleased with for the five-time winner on the PGA Tour as he continues to indicate strides from tee to inexperienced the place he ranks fifteenth this week.
2023 Texas Open up to date odds, picks
Odds by way of Caesars Sportsbook
- Corey Conners: 19/10
- Patrick Rodgers: 2-1
- Matt Kuchar: 25/4
- Chris Kirk: 12-1
- Sam Stevens: 22-1
Rodgers, Conners and Kuchar all rank inside the highest 4 in strokes gained tee to inexperienced this week, so it’s no shock to see them atop the leaderboard. With all else equal, this may increasingly result in the ultimate 18 holes coming all the way down to which participant performs the very best on the greens. This being the case, Kuchar must be the choice as he’s worlds extra dependable with the putter than Rodgers and Conners. The 44-year-old completed runner-up at this occasion final season and is primed to actual revenge and punch his ticket to Augusta Nationwide within the course of.