One week ahead of The Masters, $9.8 million is on the table at TPC San Antonio. The Valero Texas Open has always been where bold players chase form and fence-sitters stay home. This year, from April 2 to 5, five of the best players in the world have chosen to sit it out. Two are taking time off due to recent injuries, one has just become a father, and others are simply resting up before Augusta.

1. Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has played in the Valero Texas Open three times, and each time he made it count. He missed the cut in 2022, which means he finished second in 2013 and third in 2024 at 11-under. This highlights that he either shows up sharp or not at all at TPC San Antonio.

Well, the reason he is sitting out 2026 is that he hurt his back, which messed up his whole Florida swing. Although he confirmed that Augusta will be his next start after pulling out of Bay Hill and finishing The PLAYERS at T46 at even par (74-71-72-71—288). He thought it was better to rest than to compete for another week.

McIlroy’s 2026 season has been a stop-and-start season, with the best result being a second-place finish at the Genesis. The back problem has kept him from doing as many reps as he should have been doing to build momentum toward defending his Masters title. This made his arrival at Augusta the most talked-about story of the week.

2. Scottie Scheffler

The world No. 1 only appeared at the Valero in 2019 on a sponsor’s exemption, where he finished tied for 20th at 9-under. However, he has consistently chosen the Houston Open as his preferred route into Masters Week and shows no indication that pattern will ever change.

He is absent in 2026 for personal reasons. Scheffler withdrew from the Houston Open on March 25 to be with his wife, Meredith, ahead of the birth of their second child. The decision had nothing to do with form, scheduling strategy, or the golf course.

His 2026 season has been a mixed bag so far. Scottie Scheffler did win the AmEx in 2026, but since then? Well, no wins. His top-10 streak snapped at the Genesis Invitational with a T12, after back-to-back strong weeks at the WM Phoenix Open (T3) and Pebble Beach (T4). So, skipping the Valero Texas Open might be a pattern, but this season it’s mainly due to the birth of his second baby.

3. Justin Thomas

Thomas will miss the Oaks course this season as he is managing recovery from a microdiscectomy he had in November 2025 to repair a herniated disc. The 32-year-old only returned to competition at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, his first start since surgery. Although Justin Thomas has recorded decent finishes of T8 at THE PLAYERS Championship and T30 at the Valspar Championship, he is still showing only modest signs of improvement.

Moreover, he also missed the Houston Open as part of the same cautious return plan. Everything this year has been built around arriving at Augusta healthy rather than arriving early and breaking down before the major begins.

4. Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay’s Valero Texas Open history is thin. After a five-year absence, he came back and finished T33 at 1-over, opening with a 71, bouncing to a 67, then fading badly with a 74 and a closing 77. The inconsistency across the four rounds was the defining story.

He is not playing here in 2026 as part of a deliberate pre-Masters strategy. With Augusta arriving the following week, Cantlay has decided that structured preparation beats another 72-hole grind at a venue where his recent results offer little encouragement.

His 2026 season has been a measured rebuild, highlighted by a T7 at the Valspar Championship. He has not won since the 2022 BMW Championship, but the Valspar result showed his ball-striking is moving in the right direction. Whether the closing form follows is the question Augusta will answer.

5. Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick’s Valero Texas Open record is short and uneven. A T10 in 2024 at 6-under, built on sharp around-the-green play, was followed by a missed cut in 2025 after rounds of 76-72. The course suits his precision game when it is working, but TPC San Antonio has exposed him when it is not.

He is skipping 2026 to rest after a demanding Florida swing. Fitzpatrick won the Valspar Championship less than 10 days ago, his third PGA Tour title, and came directly off a PLAYERS Championship runner-up the week before. Adding another full event before Augusta was never going to be part of the plan.

His 2026 season has been one of the best stretches of his career. Zero missed cuts in seven starts, a win, and a runner-up at a major-caliber field event. He goes to Augusta ranked sixth in the world and carrying the kind of form that makes him a realistic contender for the green jacket.