Once again, a local talent hoisted the trophy at the 2015 Valero Texas Open in front of a full gallery at the JW Marriott TPC Resort.
Jimmy Walker, a Boerne native, took the top spot at the third oldest Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour tournament on record with a fourth-round 11-under 70. The four-stroke lead held off fellow Texan, Jordan Spieth, and his late round 7-under 70 run on the back nine.
“Jordan, wow, he kept firing right at me,” Walker said. “It was actually really fun and it really showed what he was made of, what I was made of. He was grinding all the way to the end, and so did I.”
The former Baylor bear iced the victory with an impressive 15-foot putt on No. 16 to finally put it out of reach for the rest of the field.
“It was all about controlling the golf ball, keeping it under the wind, riding the wind. You’re just trying to find the correct shot to hit to the holes, in the fairway, shaping the ball was huge,” Walker said.
The 93rd version of South Texas’ PGA event marked another opportunity for fans of all ages to get a look at more than 100 pro golfers all going for a $6.2 million purse. Yet the tournament’s impact goes beyond the golf course.
Title sponsors such as Valero, USAA, Ford, Humana, and Under Armour to name a few have raised more than $90 million since 2002 for worthy local and regional charities.
PGA legend Greg Norman and architect Peter Dye designed the JW Marriott TPC Resort—the current home of the four-day tournament. It features an adjoining 700-acre natural preserve and 23 acres of practice facilities.
For good measure, Norman even collaborated with tour pro Sergio Garcia in the design of the AT&T Oaks course to add contemporary features to challenge amateurs and professionals alike.
With the close of another successful Valero Texas Open, preparations are already underway for next year’s brush with the stars of the fairway.
*Featured/top image: Boerne native Jimmy Walker aims for the green on the way to winning the 2015 Valero Texas Open at the JW Marriott TPC San Antonio. Photo by Kristian Jaime.
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