The third oldest event on the PGA Tour, the Valero Texas Open started life as the Texas Open in 1922. While it has always been played in San Antonio, the venue as well as the name have changed over the years. It was variously known as the Texas Open, San Antonio Texas Open, Texas Open Invitational, San Antonio Open Invitational. It was the HEB Texas Open from 1990 - 1993, the La Cantera Texas Open from 1995 - 1997, the Westin Texas Open from 1998 - 2000 and since 2002, the Valero Texas Open.
Valero is a Fortune 500 oil and gas company based in San Antonio. In spite of the rumors in my area, it is NOT owned by Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez. The name comes from Misión San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo.
The Texas Open has been held at a large number of venues over the years. It was played at Brackenridge Park Golf Course from 1922 to 1940, with a brief 1927-1928 switch to the Willow Springs Golf Course. It returned to that course from 1941 - 1949. Willow Springs Golf Club was the host from 1941 - 1949; and then either Brackenridge Park or the Ft. Sam Houston Golf Course until 1960. From 1961 - 1966, it was played at Oak Hills Country Club, before moving for the 1967 - 1970 seasons to Pecan Valley Golf Club. The years 1972 - 1976 found the tournament at Woodlake Golf Club. Oak Hills Country Club got the tournament back from 1977 to 1994. From 1995 - 2009, it was played at the Resort Course at La Cantera. Finally, in 2010, it began playing at the TPC at San Antonio.
The tournament is notable for several reasons. First, it was there in 2003 that Tommy Armour set a PGA Tour record low score of 254 for a 72 hole tournament. The Tour's first 60 was shot there in 1951 by Al Brosch. It's also the site of Texas native and PGA Tour legend Ben Crenshaw's first Tour victory.
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