The Starter: Round 1, Valero Texas Open

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The first round of the Valero Texas Open is set to begin. Here's a look at Thursday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time Players   1:50 p.m. ET No. 1 Ernie Els, John Rollins, Vijay Singh Els is the favorite this week, but keep an eye on Singh, who is feeling better after dealing with back issues this year. 8:50 a.m. ET, No. 10 Cameron Beckman, Bo Van Pelt, Sergio Garcia Garcia is trying to play through injury this year as he looks for his first top-10 in a stroke-play event since last fall. 1:50 p.m. ET, No. 10 Justin Leonard, Steve Flesch, Charley Hoffman Leonard always plays well in Texas, but Hoffman's length gives him an edge at the 7,500-yard TPC San Antonio.

MORE ROUND 1: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Steve Hanlon, head instructor at TPC San Antonio, analyzes the playing conditions this week:

This week I will be able to bring you unique insight into this event, as I have been asked to caddie. This will be an exciting opportunity for me as I have never done it before, and secondly for the "inside the ropes" perspective, which I hope to share with you.

Thursday's forecast

Isolated t-storms Temp: 92 high/67 low Chance of a t-storm. Winds around 9 mph.

For a vast majority of the field this week, this is the first time they have seen the course. The TPC San Antonio plays very long and the greens are big and extremely undulated. All players throughout the round Wednesday hit tee shots all on the holes and a number of approach shots trying to figure out the right places on the greens to have the shot played received the best.

But what I found to be most interesting was the amount of time each player spent striking numerous pitches and chips from every imaginable position around the green. Each player spent an inordinate amount of time in the yardage book charting every inch of the putting green with a surgeon's precision. Charting slope, run-offs, pacing front to back measurements and putting from every position where they figured pin location could possibly be.

This brings me to a great point. At the TOUR Academies a huge part of our curriculum involves the short game. Watching the best players in the world yesterday got me thinking a bit. How many of us have ever taken the time to do just what they have done at our own course? Chart the greens; know every slope, and the safe spots to miss the errant shot for all of the various pin locations on each green. The fastest way to lower our handicaps is through the short game as better than 50 percent of our shots will happen from inside 100 yards.

Listening to the players yesterday the key to success this week at the Valero is going to be greenside efficiency. The course is long the wind is blowing and we are going to miss greens, that being said it will be all short game this week. Let's watch and learn how the best in the word do it and bring that with us back to our home course and shave a shot or two off our own scores.

The Film Room

PGA TOUR Today The PGA TOUR continues the Texas Swing with this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship. Casey Black previews the field. Watch it Interview: Hunter Mahan Hunter Mahan talks about how TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas has matured and is in perfect condition. Watch it Interview: Rory Sabbatini Defending champion Rory Sabbatini on how he can visualize the course well, and that the legacy of Byron Nelson makes it an honor for him to play. Watch it

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