Kim Si-woo will make his final preparations ahead of the Masters, the first major championship of the men's golf season, at the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open (total purse $9.8 million), which tees off April 2 (local time) at TPC San Antonio's Oaks Course (par 72) in San Antonio, Texas.
The tournament serves as a tune-up for players who have already secured their Masters berths to sharpen their game, while also offering a last chance for those without an invitation to punch their ticket. A victory guarantees a spot at the Masters.
Kim Si-woo, ranked 30th in the world, currently holds the highest ranking among Korean players. He has competed in eight tournaments this season, recording three top-10 finishes. However, his form has dipped since a tied-third finish at the Phoenix Open in early last month, making this event an opportunity to regain momentum.
Kim Si-woo failed to earn a Masters invitation last year, but returns to Augusta National for the first time in two years after finishing inside the world's top 50 at the end of last year. Im Sung-jae will rest and fine-tune his game during this tournament week before competing at the Masters the following week.
In addition to Kim Si-woo, Kim Joo-hyung, Lee Kyoung-hoon and Kim Seong-hyeon are on the entry list. Kim Joo-hyung, who has competed at the Masters for three consecutive years, must win this tournament to extend his streak to four straight appearances. Kim Joo-hyung's best PGA Tour result this season is a tied-18th finish at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago.
Several top-ranked players, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, will skip the event.
Among those competing, the notable stars are world No. 4 Tommy Fleetwood and No. 8 Collin Morikawa. The defending champion is Brian Harman.