Valero Texas Open First-Round Leader Tips: Take a chance on Chappell

Dave Tindall
29 March 2022
3:00 min read

Kevin Chappell can start fast

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With no DP World Tour event this week, Dave Tindall turns to the PGA Tour and has three picks to be First-Round leader at TPC San Antonio...

"Chappell actually ranked 1st for Putting Average at Corales which is far from the norm and I'll hope he carries the momentum into round one on Thursday."

Back Kevin Chappell each-way at 101.0100/1

Weather forecast for Thursday: After strong winds on Wednesday, winds are set to die down for Thursday's big tee-off. For the early wave they'll start at around 6mph and build towards 10mph while it'll be 10mph for the afternoon boys too. The temperature goes in a similar direction. It'll be a little chilly to start but reach 90 degrees by 4pm. No obvious advantage it seems.

Choose Chappell

Kevin Chappell is a big fan of TPC San Antonio having claimed his one and only PGA Tour win there in 2017.

It followed a second place on debut in 2011 and a fourth in 2016.

He's had a tough time of it in recent years but there are still some flashes and last time out he made the top 15 at the Corales Puntacana after closing with a 66.

Chappell actually ranked 1st for Putting Average at Corales which is far from the norm and I'll hope he carries the momentum into round one on Thursday.

Earlier this season, Chappell opened with a 63 at the Sony Open while you only have to go back 20 starts to find his last first-round lead on the PGA Tour.

There's enough there to make the 12.25pm starter an interesting bet at 100/1.

Kang can pull a surprise

Sung-Hoon Kang is massively inconsistent but that volatility can help first-round leader punters.

Last year in this event he started with a 66 to sit second after day one but then faded to tied 59th.

It's not an unfamiliar story.

At the Shriners in Las Vegas earlier this season, he opened with a 61 to post the first-round lead while three tournaments earlier a Thursday 64 at the Wyndham Championship put him second.

Other examples of low ones this season include a final-round 65 in Phoenix and a second-round 64 at the CJ Cup.

He went into last year's Texas Open on the back of three missed cuts but still managed to start with a 66.

So given that he's bombed out at halfway in his latest two events, perhaps he can pull another low one out of the bag.

It's worth chancing at 150/1. Kang tees off at 12.58pm.

Look to Laird

I want a morning starter and Martin Laird looks a decent proposition.

The Scot won this event in 2013 after finishing ninth the year before while in the last four editions he's posted 18-11-36-30.

In short, it's a course he gets on very well with.

It's true that his best rounds haven't come on day one but there's no reason why they can't and six of his last 10 openers on the PGA Tour have been in the 60s.

Laird missed the cut at the Valspar last time but walked off having signed for a 69 so don't be put off by a couple of recent flops.

Back the 08.47 starter at 80/1.