The final PGA Tour event before the Masters begins Thursday with the Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
While this week serves as a tune-up while players prepare for the Masters, there are more ways to bet on the tournament than just who will emerge victorious on Sunday. For more instant gratification, we turn to the First Round Leader market to find value on who will sit atop the leaderboard when play comes to an end on Thursday.
Here are my favorite 2026 Texas Open first-round leader picks and bets for Thursday.
2026 Texas Open: First Round Leader Picks, Bets
Russell Henley +3500 (Caesars)
Russell Henley enters this week in excellent form, finishing inside the top-20 in 13 of his past 14 tournaments. A major factor in that success has been his putting.
Across those 14 events, Henley gained true strokes, putting in 11 of them.
Putting is arguably the most important factor at TPC San Antonio. Last year, each of the top four finishers ranked inside the top-17 in the field in strokes gained: putting.
No other strokes-gained category showed a similar trend.
It is therefore not surprising that Henley finished T4 here in 2024, his most recent appearance at this venue.
Ludvig Aberg +2900 (DraftKings)
Another golfer worth targeting in Thursday’s opening round is Ludvig Aberg. Like Henley, Aberg brings strong putting ability to TPC San Antonio, ranking in the 86th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting.
Success on the greens is often supported by strong long-iron play. Last season, 19.1% of approach shots came from the 175-200-yard range, the highest distribution of any 25-yard grouping at this course.
Entering this week, Aberg ranks sixth on the PGA Tour in birdie-or-better percentage from that distance. He also enters the tournament in strong form, with back-to-back top-five finishes.
When is the Texas Open?
The 2026 Texas Open tees off on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
- What: 2026 Texas Open
- When: April 2-5, 2026
- Where: TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas
- Par: 72
- Length: 7,438
- Purse: $9.8 million
Where to Watch the Texas Open?
2026 Texas Open TV Schedule
Round 1: Thursday, April 2
- Live stream: ESPN+ (8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET)
- TV coverage: Golf Channel (4 to 7 p.m. ET)
Round 2: Friday, April 3
- Live stream: ESPN+ (8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET)
- TV coverage: Golf Channel (4 to 7 p.m. ET)
Round 3: Saturday, April 4
- Live stream: ESPN+ (10:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET)
- TV coverage: Golf Channel (1 to 2:30 p.m. ET); NBC (2:30 to 6 p.m. ET)
Round 4: Sunday, April 5
- Live stream: ESPN+ (10:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET)
- TV coverage: Golf Channel (1 to 2:30 p.m. ET); NBC (2:30 to 6 p.m. ET)
