Valero Texas Open Extended Through 2028
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2017-10-05
The Valero Texas Open Is The Oldest TOUR Event To Be Held In The Same City Since Inception. (Photo/PGA TOUR)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, and SAN ANTONIO, Texas (PGA TOUR) — PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and Joe Gorder, the Chairman, President and CEO of Valero Energy Corporation, announced a 10-year extension of Valero’s sponsorship of the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. The new deal, which will commence in 2019 and run through 2028, positions the Valero Texas Open as part of the spring sequence of events that will precede the Masters Tournament, beginning with the week of April 1-7, 2019.
The 2022 Valero Texas Open will mark the 100th anniversary of the event’s inception. It was first held in 1922, making it the third-oldest PGA TOUR co-sponsored tournament, trailing only the BMW Championship (1899) and RBC Canadian Open (1904). The Valero Texas Open also is the oldest TOUR event to be held in the same city since inception.
The joint announcement, which also included PGA TOUR-star and San Antonio-area native, Jimmy Walker, was made during a luncheon at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, site of the Valero Texas Open since 2010. The tournament is held at the adjacent TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course.
“Not only is the Valero Texas Open one of the oldest and most storied tournaments on the PGA TOUR, but since Valero became title sponsor in 2002, the tournament consistently has been one of the leaders in charitable giving,” Monahan said. “Thanks to Valero and the Valero Energy Foundation, this tournament continues to make a tremendous impact through philanthropic efforts that primarily focus on helping children. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Valero and its wonderful legacy of giving back.”
During Valero’s 16 years as title sponsor, more than $122 million has been raised for charity, with a tournament-record $11 million generated in 2017. This total includes money raised through the tournament, Birdies for Charity and the Valero Benefit for Children – a golf event coordinated by the Valero Energy Foundation and held the day after the tournament on 11 San Antonio-area golf courses, drawing approximately 2,500 participants each year.
“Valero is excited to renew its partnership with the PGA TOUR through the next decade while securing a desired spot among the events leading up to the Masters Tournament,” expressed Gorder. “The tournament has provided a wonderful platform to rally San Antonio, and Texas as a whole, around a common goal of giving back. We look forward to growing that effort in the years ahead with the continued support of our community.”
“Having grown up in the greater-San Antonio area, and now raising my family in Boerne, the Valero Texas Open holds a special place in my heart,” Walker, winner of the 2015 Valero Texas Open, said. “Hosting a PGA TOUR event is a really big deal. There are only 49 tournaments on the schedule, so to have one of those stops in San Antonio, in my backyard, is pretty special. As a past champion, I really appreciate what Valero has done to elevate the stature of the tournament and continue its legacy throughout San Antonio and beyond.”
The 87th playing of the Valero Texas Open was held in April, when Kevin Chappell claimed his first PGA TOUR victory. Over the past 95 years the tournament was not held eight times for various reasons, including five times in six years during the 1930s and once, in 1943, due to World War II.
TPC San Antonio is the eighth San Antonio facility to serve as the host site. The par-72, 7,522-yard layout was designed by World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, with Sergio Garcia serving as a player consultant.