For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Valero Texas Open where players have their last chance to clinch a spot at next week’s Masters.

1. Eligibility, FedEx Cup changes for 2024

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Starting next year, there will be 16 designated events, including the four major championships, The Players Championship, three FedExCup playoff events and eight other tournaments that have not yet been announced. To qualify for those eight other events, players must finish inside the top 50 on the previous season’s points list.”

• “The top 10 players from the current season’s points list will also be eligible for the designated events, as will the top 5 players from each “swing” between designated events. Officials plan to “minimize isolated weeks” between full-field events and designated events, like this year’s Honda Classic, which was wedged between the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and use those “swings” to create avenues for players to play their way into the bigger tournaments via mini points lists.”

• “Current year tournament winners and any player inside the top 30 in the world ranking, provided they are a Tour member, will also qualify for the designated events, which will have fields of 70 to 80 players and feature no cut. There will also be four sponsor exemptions who also must be members.”

2. Tour event coming to Tiger’s course

Greg Gottfried for Golf Digest…”The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday morning that the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship will be moved from Mayakoba to El Cardonal Course located at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.”

• “The Tiger Woods-designed course will be replacing the Greg Norman-designed course after the latter hosted the LIV Golf season opener back in February. Opened in 2014, El Cardonal is the first golf course designed by 82-time PGA Tour winner Woods and TGR Design, and it’ll play host to one of two Mexican events this calendar season along with the Mexico Open at Vidanta.”

3. Tour says LIV backers are “ducking” suit

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”On Monday night the tour sought a motion for alternative service to the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia—which serves as the financial backer of LIV Golf—along with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Last month a U.S. District Court judge ruled the tour could add PIF and Al-Rumayyan as defendants in the tour’s countersuit.”

• “In Monday’s filings the tour states it has properly served PIF and Al-Rumayyan with its amended counterclaims in multiple ways, including serving PIF at its headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Arabic translations in according with the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The tour also argues that these fillings have been widely reported on across the world. “And PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan have never argued that they do not have notice of the tour’s amended counterclaims—nor could they with a straight face,” the tour’s attorneys write.”

4. How the Valero Texas Open found its place

Max Schreiber for Golf Channel…”In the 2010s, the event flip-flopped on the calendar from a few weeks before or after the Masters. As a result, issues with the strength of field persisted, as many players took time off during that portion of the schedule to either prepare for or rest after the first major of the year.”

• “But after Valero re-upped its title sponsorship with a 10-year deal in 2017, the Tour found the event a niche on the schedule — the week before the Masters, offering the last remaining spot in the major’s field. If a player isn’t already exempt, a win at TPC San Antonio will send them to Augusta. Corey Conners in 2019 and J.J. Spaun in ‘22 did just that. A few big names, including Rickie Fowler, are hoping the same will happen to them in ‘23.”

• “The Valero Texas Open was not played in 2020 because of COVID, but like many times before, the event overcame uncertain times and bounced back bigger and better than ever in ‘21, raising a record $16 million for charity.”

• “That year, the event added another indelible moment to its illustrious history. Jordan Spieth ended a 1,351-day winless drought and added his name to a prestigious list of Texans to win their home state’s open.”

5. Written in the stars for Jordan?

6. Return to LIV

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Andy Ogletree has been named in the Crushers GC team for this week’s LIV Golf Orlando event after regular team member Anirban Lahiri withdrew from the Orange County National tournament for personal reasons.”

• “That will mark the first LIV Golf appearance for the American since his one and only start in the circuit’s first-ever tournament at London’s Centurion Club last June. Back then, the 2019 US Amateur champion finished rock bottom of the individual standings at 24-over for the tournament.”

7. Augusta’s biggest meltdowns

Jeff Ritter for SI…”The Masters is filled with a rich history of golf greatness—and many blunders.”

• “The history book documents both sides of the ledger, the good and the bad, and a look back at the highest scores on each hole includes a few doozies.”

• “The highest score recorded on a single hole at the Masters is a 13, which has happened three times: Tommy Nakajima on the 13th hole in 1978, Tom Weiskopf on the 12th hole in 1980 and Sergio Garcia on the 15th hole in 2018.”

8. Faldo to come out of retirement for 2023 Masters

James Corrigan for The Telegraph…”Less than a year after crying live on air when hanging up his microphone on US TV, Sir Nick Faldo has been coaxed back into the booth by Sky Sports to commentate on next week’s Masters for his home audience.”

• “With the BBC still to sign a contract to screen highlights from the season’s first major, the capture of Faldo is a huge coup for Sky. It is understood that Faldo, who has retired to a ranch in Montana, will also perform the same duties for the subscription service at the Open at Hoylake in July.”

• “This will be the first time the six-time major winner will be working solely for Sky, although the 65-year-old did appear occasionally as a studio guest when he was contracted to CBS.”

9. Photos from the Valero Texas Open

• Check out all of our galleries here!