Aberg and Bhatia go home early
By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
It’s the week before the Masters, and most players who qualified are not playing in Texas except for players still trying to play into the first Major of the 2025 season. Brian Harman leads the field at (-12) after posting a pair of 66’s. He leads by four after cut day over Keith Mitchell. Harman’s lead is five over Sam Ryder and four others.
Kevin Robbins-PGA Tour.com
SAN ANTONIO — The cut stung like a Hill Country scorpion for some top players at the Valero Texas Open.
A handful of players will head to the Masters early, as world No. 5 Ludvig Åberg and defending champion Akshay Bhatia missed the cut on a warm but otherwise benign Friday in South Texas.
It was a different story for Tony Finau. After three straight bogeys, Finau aced the 199-yard 16th to move back inside the cut line, throwing his club and raising his hands in celebration. He ended with an even-par 72 and at 3-under, good by one stroke.
“It was really timely,” Finau said afterward. “That’s why I reacted the way I did, I needed something to go my way. I was leaking oil kind of coming in and really shoot(ing) myself in the foot on a chance to play the weekend, so it was a huge shot at the right moment.”
Bhatia shot rounds of 74-70 to miss the cut at even par by two strokes. The two-time PGA TOUR winner finished 20-under par at the Valero a year ago when he beat Denny McCarthy in a playoff after an opening 9-under 63.
Ludvig Åberg also left Texas early. The winner of The Genesis Invitational in February shot 71-73 to miss the weekend by two. He shared 14th place at the Valero last year.
Other notables missing the cut included Sam Burns (69-76), Matt Fitzpatrick (76-72), Max Homa (76-71) Tom Kim (77-71) and world No. 6 Hideki Matsuyama (73-72).
The par-72 Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio has been a tough chore historically for players, especially with typical springtime winds and firm turf. But plenty of softening rain has turned the course into a richer shade of green, and while the greens had plenty of pace, the seasonal winds were much lighter than a typical day in early April.
“The first year I played it, it blew like 40 miles an hour and it was really, really tough,” said Daniel Berger, who shot rounds of 70-68 to tie for fifth at 6-under. “But I actually play better on tough golf courses, so when I was trying to decide between Houston (last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open at wide and inviting Memorial Park) and here, it was pretty easy to circle this one on the schedule, knowing that it’s the test that it is.”
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Daniel Berger’s quality tee shot sets up birdie at Valero
Matt Wallace, who shot 7-under 70-67 (T3), agreed.
“I love how it makes you anxious on the tee,” said Wallace, who finished third in the 2021 Valero. “I love how it tightens you up. I love how you have to hit good shots.”
You know what they say about love. It’s in the eye of the beholder.
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