Just ask Sam Ryder, who somehow posted a masterful 9-under 63 during the first round of the Valero Texas Open. His terrific score came one day after he withdrew from the Wednesday Pro-Am, as he felt soreness in his upper back and neck.

But that just means the stakes are high for most of the 135 players on hand, as a PGA Tour victory grants them an invitation to Augusta National. Akshay Bhatia did just that last year, and he'll be back to defend his title.

Mike McClure locked in his Players one and done picks and PGA Tour golf predictions for the Valero Texas Open 2025 at TPC San Antonio

Since the Mexico Open at Vidanta World, NBC and Golf Channel delivered six consecutive weeks of viewership gains compared to last year. Five of the six final rounds had a peak audience of over three million viewers,

Today is the first round of the 2025 Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour. Here's how to watch, including time, channel, TV schedule and streaming info.

Ludvig Åberg, fourth on the money list with $4,956,223, is the highest-ranked player in the tournament, followed by No. 6 Hideki Matsuyama ($4,464,913) and No. 9 Corey Conners ($3,452,581).

The 2025 Valero Texas Open takes place this week at TPC San Antonio, the final tournament before the Masters. Some of the game’s top players are teeing it up in San Antonio as they prepare for Augusta, including Ludvig Aberg (+1200) and Tommy Fleetwood (+1400).

The PGA Tour kicks off the first round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on Thursday, and you can catch all the action this week live with ESPN+.