PGA Tour star withdraws from Valero Texas Open after securing last-minute Masters spot

Nicolai Højgaard has withdrawn from this week’s Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio, with no official reason given by tournament organisers.

However, the timing of the Danish star’s WD strongly suggests it is linked to his successful push to qualify for The Masters. 

Højgaard secured his place at Augusta National after finishing runner-up to Gary Woodland at the Texas Children’s Houston Open on Sunday. 

Heading into that event ranked 47th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Højgaard needed a strong performance to guarantee entry into the season’s first major. 

His impressive second-place finish at Memorial Park — his fourth runner-up result on the PGA Tour — earned him just over $1 million and lifted him to 36th in the world, comfortably inside the all-important top 50 cutoff.

It is widely believed Højgaard added the Texas Open to his schedule as a contingency plan, with victory at TPC San Antonio representing the final route into The Masters for players yet to qualify. 

With his status now secured, the 25-year-old has chosen to skip another week in Texas and instead turn his attention to Augusta, where he has featured in each of the past two editions. 

The three-time DP World Tour winner recorded a tied-16th finish at The Masters in 2024 before missing the cut in 2025.

Having already posted four top-six finishes worldwide in 2026, Højgaard will head to Georgia in strong form and look to make a deeper impression this time around.

Joel Dahman has replaced Hojgaard in the Texas Open field. 

Woodland has also decided to WD from the event after his emotional victory on Sunday. He's been replaced in the field by Jackson Suber. 

Pierceson Coody, who had to withdraw ahead of the second round of the Houston Open due to a back injury, has also been forced to miss out on the Texas Open.

Coody was 51st in the world prior to last week's event but his WD saw him fall to 52nd and it means he misses out on The Masters. 

The American has been replaced in the field by Taylor Moore. 

Germany's Matt Schmid has also withdrawn from the tournament, and he's been replaced by Sam Ryder. 

The top 50 in the world following Monday's cutoff all received invitations to Augusta, with several players benefiting from strong performances in Houston. 

Woodland’s Houston Open victory not only marked a remarkable return to form following brain surgery in late 2023, but also secured his first PGA Tour title since the 2019 US Open.

Elsewhere, Daniel Berger, Jake Knapp and Matt McCarty all climbed into the top 50 to book their places at The Masters.

The Texas Open — the final event before The Masters — may have lost Højgaard early but the field still remains strong. 

Three of the world’s top 10 — Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Russell Henley — headline the tournament.

They are joined by a host of notable names including Ludvig Åberg, Robert MacIntyre and home favourite Jordan Spieth, who is targeting a second Texas Open title having won the event in 2021.

GolfMagic is backing two players towards the front of the market this week — check out our latest picks as we aim to land a third winner in the last four weeks on the PGA Tour.

Brian Harman is the defending champion. 

The 2026 Valero Texas Open carries a total purse of $9.8m and the winner will receive a cheque for $1,764,000.