Lone star rises

    

     Today marks the opening round for one of the longest running and historically rich tournaments on the PGA Tour.  Why yes, I AM talking about the Valero Texas Open.  Long a fixture on the post major championship tour schedule and a member of the initial iteration of the PGA Tour Fall(ing down the money list) Series, the tournament has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence due to a change of both venue and schedule.

     Played nearly continuously in San Antonio since 1922 (with breaks for the great depression, World War Two and the 1968 PGA Championship),  the Valero Texas Open boasts  a list of winners that includes 15 major champions and reads like a who's who of professional golf from the 1920's to the present.  Starting with the 2009 tournament, the Valero Texas Open was moved from the Fall Series to its present April date.  This move, allowing the tournament participants to escape the scorching south Texas late summer weather, a significant increase in the purse and a move to the new TPC of San Antonio have allowed the tournament to attract more quality players to the field.  Recent champions include former Masters Champion Zach Johnson and this year's Master's runner-up Adam Scott, who defends his 2010 title this week.

     The European Tour stops in Kuala Lumpur this week for the Maybank Malaysian Open, where the field includes new Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, world number one Martin Kaymer and Masters 54 hole leader Rory McIlroy.  McIlroy, whose final round collapse resulted in an outpouring of sympathy and praise for the 21 year old Northern Irelander, endured a 22 hour odyssey the day after the Masters concluded.  Flying in a chartered jet with Schwartzel, McIlroy gained further admiration from golf fans world wide by tweeting a pic of himself and the green jacketed champion arm in arm and smiling on the plane.  Upon arrival in Malaysia, both golfers found that their luggage, clubs included, had been misplaced.  The clubs were found in time for McIlroy to post a three under score of 69 in the opening round of the tournament.