SAN ANTONIO — The 2026 Valero Texas Open commenced at TPC San Antonio on Thursday, March 30. As the final stop of the PGA tour before the Masters Tournament, the Texas Open serves as a preliminary challenge for nine out of the top-20 players in the world. Notable Texas Open participants include Tommy Fleetwood, Brian Harman, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler.
Over 130 players compete at TPC San Antonio during the 72-hole event, with a cut-off for the top-65 after clearing 36 holes. Last year, Harman took first place in the tournament’s third round and maintained the top spot en route to the 2026 Texas Open title. This year’s tournament winner will obtain a $9.8 million purse with a $1,764,000 winner’s share, including 500 FedExCup points.
This year’s opening two rounds have illuminated the top contenders gunning for first place. Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre, the No. 11 golfer in the world, has steadily held first place on the leaderboard during the tournament’s initial three rounds. During the second round, MacIntyre shot an 8-under 64 to take a four-shot lead, establishing a 36-hole record at TPC San Antonio with a 130 score. He currently holds a 15-under-par total.
Although MacIntyre currently sits atop the leaderboard, Texas Tech University graduate Ludvig Åberg has quietly sneaked up to second place with a 10-under-par total. During Åberg’s Texas Tech golf career, he was an All-Star. He achieved three major 2023 national player of the year awards, including the Augusta Haskins, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus. Åberg is a two-time Ben Hogan Award winner, which is considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in college golf.
He’s the Swedish underdog, as he tied third in the previous PGA tour stop at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Åberg’s shining moment this weekend came during the second round, where he notched a consecutive 5-under for the first 67 holes. This is only the start of Åberg’s success, and it starts here at VTO.
Currently, Åberg has two PGA Tour wins and is ranked second for the PGA Tour status for proximity to the hole. Åberg’s decorated resume, paired with his hot start to the tournament, makes him a heavy favorite to win the Texas Open.
Although round three was suspended for a short period of time due to weather, no one should suspect Åberg’s climb to the top spot will slow down anytime soon.
Åberg told PGA Tours that he knows he’s doing well and is feeling good in the competition.
“For me, golf is about putting yourself in situations where you can win tournaments,” Åberg stated. “I feel like I haven’t really done that very well the last 12 months or so, but [I’m] starting to see it now, which has been really nice. So, I’m looking forward to one more shot at it this week.”
The Texas Open’s final round is scheduled for April 5 at TPC San Antonio, and many golf fans have flooded the grass fields so far, eager to see who will reign victorious. The answer is clear: This year is Åberg’s turn to take home the purse.
