Popular golfer needs a win at Valero Texas Open to go to the Masters
For many golfers, the Valero Texas Open next weekend is another opportunity to rise in the official world golf ranking . But for Rickie Fowler, it's also a chance to finally punch his ticket to Augusta National in April.
The 34-year-old PGA veteran has yet to be invited to The Masters this season because he hasn't yet met one of the many qualifications required to be invited to the major event. (And trust us, the list of qualifications is both long and not exactly easy to meet.) His best bet -- and the most realistic qualification he can meet -- at this point is to get a boost into the top 50 on the world golf ranking, where he is currently ranked 59th.
The fabulously-dressed fan favorite narrowly missed the chance to get invited after last weekend after he fell short of winning his group at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play down in Austin, Texas -- although he did pull off an early upset against world No. 3 Jon Rahm to kick the event off.
Fowler is currently listed at 20-1 odds at BetMGM to win the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio this week, with Englishman and world-ranked No. 17 Tyrrell Hatton being the only golfer with shorter odds in the field (12-1). It may seem like a tall task for Fowler, given he hasn't won a PGA Tour event since the Phoenix Open in 2019. However, with three top-10 finishes on the 2022-23 season, this weekend's event could be what he needs to get back to Augusta.
The Valero Texas Open tees off on Thursday in San Antonio, Texas. Tee times have not yet been announced.
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