SAN ANTONIO — Mark Hubbard surged late on the Oaks course at TPC San Antonio, birdieing six of his final eight holes and finishing with a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead in the rain-delayed opening round of the Valero Texas Open.
Hubbard separated himself from a crowded leaderboard that at one point included six players tied near the top, including Tony Finau. His closing stretch featured a mix of long putts, precise approaches and one aggressive gamble over water on the par-5 18th.
After sitting around the middle of the pack for much of the day, Hubbard rattled off a string of birdies late. He rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt between two close-range conversions, got up-and-down at the par-5 14th to extend the run, and stuck his approach to about 6 feet on the par-3 16th.
On the 18th, facing the creek that guards the green, Hubbard elected to hit a fairway metal from the rough. The shot carried the water and left him roughly 30 yards short of the flag; he pitched to about 3 feet and tapped in for his final birdie just before play was halted for darkness.
Play had been pushed back about 90 minutes at the start of the day because of dangerous weather in the area. Twenty-four players were unable to finish their rounds and will have to complete them Friday morning, although tournament officials said the delay should not disrupt the timing of the second round.
Tony Finau carded a 66 and is chasing a return to form with the Masters next week looming. Finau, who has dropped to No. 107 in the world rankings and currently sits outside Masters qualification, steadied himself after a nervy start — needing a 7-foot par putt on his opening hole of the day and a delicate chip on the next — then holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th.
Joining Finau at 66 were Andrew Putnam, Steven Fisk, Davis Thompson and Robert MacIntyre, the latter of whom already has a spot in the Masters field. A larger group at 67 included several players preparing for Augusta National, such as Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg and Maverick McNealy.
Will Zalatoris, working his way back after multiple back surgeries, posted a round with eight birdies but also two late bogeys. He reflected on the slog of recovery, noting the patience required as he rebuilds his game after major surgery about 10 months ago.
Jordan Spieth continued to try to fix late-round lapses that have cost him recently. He nearly closed with birdie-birdie, but missed a 7-foot try at 18 and then missed a short par putt, finishing with a 71 after the closing bogey.
The morning’s light rain softened the course and helped keep wind at bay, prompting officials to allow preferred lies. Those more benign conditions produced birdie opportunities for many players and kept scoring tight at the top.
Austin Smotherman combined a memorable personal milestone with a strong round, shooting 68 two days after his wife delivered their third daughter, Grace Elizabeth. Smotherman followed that happy news with a dramatic 6-iron hole-in-one from about 220 yards on the par-3 13th, leaving him two shots off the lead.
Overall, the opening round left the leaderboard compact and set up an intriguing second day at TPC San Antonio as many players jockey for position heading toward the Masters week.
