Dream Duel Could Highlight Texas Open

By David R. Holland, Contributor

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- A dream duel is coming into focus for this year's Valero Texas Open.

Two sizzling Texans -- Rich Beem and Justin Leonard -- will be taking the $3.5 million total purse in their sights for the historic tournament scheduled for Sept. 26-29 at the La Cantera Resort Course.

Leonard has won two straight Texas Open titles and Beem, who plays out of El Paso Country Club, has registered two PGA Tour wins in the past month -- The International and the PGA Championship, his first major victory.

Leonard, who faltered with a 77 in the final round of the PGA, was a first-hand witness to Beem's $990,000 win at Hazeltine National last month, playing in the last group on Sunday.

At the Texas Open a year ago Beem finished 66th, but Leonard's win means this year he will be trying to match Arnold Palmer's record of three consecutive Texas Open titles in 1960-62.

Others on the Texas Open commitment list so far include Charles Howell III, Chris Riley, Bob Estes, Tom Kite, J.J. Henry, Loren Roberts, Spike McRoy and Peter Lonard (tied for 17th at the PGA Championship), plus two-time champs Duffy Waldorf and Jay Haas.

The Texas Open has been around 79 years making it the fourth longest running golf competition in the U.S.

Individual tickets may be purchased at Diamond Shamrock Corner Stores and Stop N Go locations in San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi, or by calling TicketMaster at 877-280-7145, visiting a participating TicketMaster outlet, or going to www.ticketmaster.com.

Golf Magazine's Top 100 You Can Play List

Golf Magazine's just released 2002 Top 100 You Can Play List was not exactly a ringing endorsement for golf in the Lone Star state.

September 3, 2002