Mark Hubbard’s series of birdies secures a one-stroke advantage at the Texas Open.
SAN ANTONIO — Mark Hubbard displayed confidence until the very end, navigating a creek at the par-5 18th and securing his sixth birdie over his last eight holes on Thursday, finishing with a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead in the storm-delayed opening round at the Valero Texas.
Hubbard emerged from a six-way tie for the lead that included Tony Finau, among many players eager for a victory to qualify for the Masters next week.
He was positioned in the middle of the leaderboard when he initiated his impressive finishing surge on the Oaks course at TPC San Antonio. He sank a 25-foot birdie putt, flanked by two birdies from 6 feet. He also made an up-and-down on the par-5 14th for his fourth consecutive birdie.
Additionally, he hit a precise shot to 6 feet for birdie on the par-3 16th. Just before play was halted, Hubbard struck a fairway metal from the rough over the winding creek in front of the green, landing about 30 yards short of the pin. He then pitched to 3 feet for his final birdie.
The round experienced a delay of approximately 90 minutes at the start due to hazardous weather in the vicinity, with 24 players needing to finish their rounds on Friday morning. This should not impact the schedule for the second round.
Finau is working to regain his form, having dropped to No. 107 in the world rankings. He is not eligible for the Masters for the first time since 2017, making this his last opportunity. He has shown flashes of strong play and remains optimistic for the upcoming days.
His start was not ideal, as he had to make a 7-foot par putt on No. 10, his opening hole, and chip to tap-in range on the 11th.
“And then I was kind of on my way after that,” Finau remarked, having made a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th hole that propelled him to a 66.
He was joined by Andrew Putnam, Steven Fisk, Davis Thompson, and Robert MacIntyre, who birdied his last two holes. MacIntyre is the only player in that group already qualified for the Masters.
A sizable group at 67 included players preparing for Augusta National, with some merely hoping for a tee time. Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg, and Maverick McNealy are in the Masters. Among those on the outside is Will Zalatoris, who has undergone three back surgeries as he attempts to regain his form.
All players enjoyed favorable conditions at TPC San Antonio with minimal wind, and morning rain that not only softened the course but also allowed officials to permit preferred lies.
Despite two late bogeys in his round of eight birdies, Zalatoris found significance in his performance.
“The reality is that I’m 10 months removed from basically having my back reconstructed,” Zalatoris stated. “If I’m complaining about just a little thing here and there, I’ll still take it. The patience game is obviously brutal because it’s even like a day like today, where I make eight birdies, and we’re still talking about it, but that’s been my last three years.”
Jordan Spieth is working on improving his finishing in rounds, having experienced a pair of closing double bogeys at The Players Championship and additional dropped shots at the Valspar Championship. On Thursday, he was close to a birdie-birdie finish until he missed a 7-foot birdie attempt on the 18th hole, followed by a missed 30-inch par putt.
The bogey resulted in a score of 71.
Austin Smotherman is having a memorable week after his 68. It began with the news of his wife giving birth to their third daughter, although he had to witness it remotely.
Smotherman had intended to catch a short flight home to Dallas if his wife went into labor. However, the timing was unexpected. His wife went into labor around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, and Grace Elizabeth was born two hours later.
“I was stuck here in the hotel watching on FaceTime,” Smotherman explained. “It happened so fast we couldn’t get back in time, driving or flying.”
There were no available flights, and making the four-hour drive to Dallas would have placed him around Waco when the baby was born. However, both mother and daughter are doing well, and she has family to assist.
His week took another positive turn when Smotherman hit a 6-iron on the 220-yard 13th hole for a hole-in-one, contributing to a solid round that left him two shots off the lead.
