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Matt Jones has made the best start of six Australians trying to secure a place in the US Masters by winning the Texas Open.

Jones fired an opening round three-under 69 to sit in a tie for 17th, three shots behind the leader Kim Si-woo.

The 38-year-old's only Masters appearance came in 2014 and he missed the cut after rounds of 74 and 78.

Rod Pampling and Aaron Baddeley made steady starts to finish one under but Curtis Luck (73), John Senden (74) and Cameron David (74) struggled at TPC San Antonio.

Si-woo reeled off five birdies in six-holes en route to the first-round lead.

The South Korean carded six-under-par 66 for a one-stroke advantage over Mexican Abraham Ancer, Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas and Americans Chris Stroud and JT Poston.

Kim's place at next week's Masters is already assured but the four players behind him need to win on Sunday to punch the final ticket to the first major championship of the year.

Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, among only a handful of the big names using the Texas Open to tune-up for the Masters, both shot 68 on an unusually benign day in a typically windy location.

A strong week would also be a nice tonic for world number 61 Kim, who has struggled over the past month.

Starting his round at the 10th, he was plodding at even par after seven holes but birdied the next two with putts of five feet before slipping with a bogey at the first.

He responded magnificently with five birdies in the next six holes to grab the lead.

"If I'm reading (the greens) good I can putt well," he said.

WHO TO WATCH AT THE 2019 MASTERS

JASON DAY (AUS)

Age: 31

World ranking: 14

US PGA Tour wins: 12

Best in a major: Win (2015 PGA Championship)

Masters played: 8 (7 cuts made)

Best Masters: T2nd (2011)

Odds: $31

Why he can win: Day has an impressive six top-25s from eight Masters. Drives it long and has one of world golf's best short games.

Why he might not: Back issues. Day withdrew mid-round from the recent Palmer event and was in pain at the WGC-Match Play.

ADAM SCOTT (AUS)

Age: 38

World ranking: 29

US PGA Tour wins: 13

Best in a major: Win (2013 Masters)

Masters played: 17 (15 cuts made)

Best Masters: Win (2013)

Odds: $41

Why he can win: Improved form has Scott back in the world's top 30 and he's putting better. Has comfort level as a Masters winner.

Why he might not: Scott hasn't had a win worldwide in more than three years.

MARC LEISHMAN (AUS)

Age: 35

World ranking: 19

US PGA Tour wins: 4

Best in a major: T2nd (2015 British Open)

Masters played: 6 (3 cuts made).

Best Masters: T4th (2013)

Odds: $51

Why he can win: Leishman's driving it longer and straighter than ever, a big key to conquering Augusta.

Why he might not: Stress of breaking through for a maiden major title is even higher at the Masters.

CAMERON SMITH (AUS)

Age: 25

World ranking: 28

US PGA Tour wins: 1

Best in a major: T4th (2015 US Open)

Masters played: 2 (2 cuts made)

Best Masters: T5th (2018)

Odds: $81

Why he can win: He was an impressive fifth at Augusta last year including a Sunday 66.

Why he might not: Recent form. Smith's best finish in his past three PGA Tour starts is 56th.

RORY McILROY (NIR)

Age: 29

World ranking: 3

US PGA Tour wins: 15

Best in a major: 4 wins (2011 US Open; 2012, 2014 PGA Championship; 2014 British Open)

Masters played: 10 (9 cuts made)

Best Masters: 4th (2015)

Odds: $7.5 (favourite)

Why he can win: With a Players Championship win and top 10s in all seven starts this year, McIlroy is the hottest golfer in the field.

Why he might not: Pressure. McIlroy can become just the sixth golfer to complete a career grand slam with a Masters win.

DUSTIN JOHNSON (USA)

Age: 34

World ranking: 1

US PGA Tour wins: 20

Best in a major: Win (2016 US Open)

Masters played: 8 (7 cuts made)

Best Masters: T4th (2016)

Odds: $11

Why he can win: After some poor results, DJ seems to be figuring out Augusta and was sixth, fourth and 10th the past three years.

Why he might not: Mediocre wedge play. Although his long game and putting are elite, Augusta demands superior wedge shots.

TIGER WOODS (USA)

Age: 43

World ranking: 12

US PGA Tour wins: 80

Best in a major: 14 Wins (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 Masters; 2000, 2002, 2008 US Open; 2000, 2005, 2006 British Open; 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 US PGA Championship)

Masters played: 21 (20 cuts made)

Best Masters: Win (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005)

Odds: $12

Why he can win: Because he's Tiger Woods and a four-time Masters champion. Iron play has been superb and he went deep into the recent WGC-Match Play.

Why he might not: Putting. At 78th on the PGA Tour's strokes gained putting measurement, Woods has lacked the edge he once held on the greens.

JUSTIN ROSE (ENG)

Age: 38

World ranking: 2

US PGA Tour wins: 10

Best in a Major: Win (2013 US Open)

Masters Played: 13 (13 cuts made)

Best Masters: 2nd (2015, 2017)

Odds: $15

Why he can win: With a win and two other top-10s this year, he has been in excellent form. A supremely gifted ball striker

Why he might not: Rose has faltered down the stretch in his two best chances to win the Masters (2015, 2017).

JUSTIN THOMAS (USA)

Age: 25

World ranking: 5

US PGA Tour wins: 9

Best in a Major: Win (2017 US PGA Championship)

Masters Played: 3 (3 cuts made)

Best Masters: T17th (2018)

Odds: $19

Why he can win: There are few weaknesses in Thomas' game. Has a powerful driving game and sharp iron play, both important at Augusta.

Why he might not: Thomas has started slowly in his Masters career, with a best finish of 17th.

BROOKS KOEPKA (USA)

Age: 28

World ranking: 4

US PGA Tour wins: 5

Best in a major: 3 wins (2017 US Open; 2018 US Open and US PGA Championship)

Masters played: 3 (3 cuts made)

Best Masters: T11th (2017)

Odds: $23

Why he can win: A superstar from tee to green with enormous power. Three major wins have shown he's ice cool on the big stage.

Why he might not: Recent form. Has a missed cut and two ties for 56th in his past three PGA Tour events.

With quantity not an option, Australia can take heart from the quality of its bid for a second Masters green jacket.

That's the message from greats Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch as another small Australian contingent prepares to tee up in the year's first major championship at Augusta National next week.

With only Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and 2013 champion Adam Scott currently eligible, it will likely be the third time in the past six years Australia has fielded just four players in the Masters.

Only a US PGA Tour victory from one of six players at this week's Texas Open could boost the contingent to five.

Former world No.1 Norman believes Australia's decreasing representation is not reason to worry about the country's elite golf stocks.

"I wouldn't say it's concerning; maybe it is just a cyclical thing," the two-time British Open winner said.

"We're always going to be okay because we seem to produce a couple of great players every 15 years."

Baker-Finch, now a US-based golf commentator, believes this year's Aussie quartet has genuine title claims.

Day (14), Leishman (19), Smith (28) and Scott (29) are all among the world's top 30.

The last time Australia had as many on the eve of the Masters was 2007, when Scott (3), Geoff Ogilvy (8), Nick O'Hern (16), Robert Allenby (17), Stuart Appleby (19) and Aaron Baddeley (26) were top of their games.

"The four this year are a good chance to win the Masters and I expect them to be in contention on Sunday," said former British Open winner Baker-Finch.

"You look at the world-class short games of Jason and Cameron and you expect them to do well this year.

"Scotty has the comfort of already winning the Masters and experience; few know Augusta better than him.

"Leishman is in great form; he's the type of player who looks comfortable on a big stage like Augusta and you need that with all the noise and emotion at the Masters."

The only Australian winner on the US PGA Tour this season, Leishman has achieved three other top-four results while former world No.1 Day has two top fives and another top 10.

Day has featured heavily at Augusta in the past including a runner-up in 2011.

However a question mark lingers over Day's fitness. His back problems have flared during his past three events and it remains to be seen how he handles such a gruelling week.

Leishman has improved markedly in the PGA Tour's strokes-gained-off-the-tee statistic this season and knows the driver will be key to success at Augusta.

"Length and accuracy is so important at Augusta because you need to take advantage of the par 5s and short part 4s," Leishman said.

"If you're not driving it long and into the right spots on the fairways, you'll get left behind."

Smith and Scott each have two top-10 finishes this year, with Scott earning a runner-up to Justin Rose at Torrey Pines.

Smith will be able to draw on the warm memories from his closing 66 at Augusta National last year which left him as the top Australian, sharing fifth place.

Since last year's Masters, Scott has reunited with former swing coach Brad Malone - the guru he says played a large role his famous maiden major victory at Augusta in 2013.

"Brad knows my game so well and the right aspects to improve right before a major," Scott said.

"With how I'm playing this year, everything is trending in the right areas of my game and that's a nice feeling to head to Augusta with."

Australian youngster Julienne Soo's has struggled in the first round in the history-making Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Excited to be teeing up it the first women's tournament hosted by Augusta National - just a week out from the Masters - 21-year-old Oklahoma University star Soo battled to a nine-over 81 after covering her first nine in seven over.

World No.1 amateur Jennifer Kupcho, the NCAA champion, shot a bogey-free four-under 68, hitting every green in regulation, to share the lead with 16-year-old Zoe Campos.

They had a one-shot lead over Kaleigh Telfer of South Africa.

After another round at Champions Retreat, the top 30 from the 72-player field face a final round on Saturday at Augusta National, making them the first women to compete at the home of the Masters.

Soo's chances of making that final round appear slim from second-last in the field.

However all of the tournament's players get to play a practice round on Augusta National on Friday.

World No.3 Minjee Lee believes the course at this weeks $US3 million ANA Inspiration will suit her, as she attempts to end Australia's lengthy wait for another women's major golf champion.

It's been almost 13 years since Karrie Webb won the last of her seven major titles with her second victory in this event.

The 44-year-old is back in the field at Mission Hills Country Club in California once again but with little expectation around her these days on a limited LPGA schedule with only two previous starts this year.

It's 22-year-old Lee in the spotlight among the six Australians at a tournament where she had her best major result when third in 2017.

The Perth product has managed to scale the world rankings without becoming a prolific winner - she's in her fifth LPGA season and has won four tour titles.

But she's been in contention numerous times, including second placings in Thailand and Singapore in February, and feeling increasingly comfortable.

"I am more consistent with every part of my game," said Lee. "This is my fifth year on tour and I just know what I am doing a little better."

Lee believes her accuracy off the tee helps her on the ANA Inspiration's Dinah Shore Tournament Course, although she says it's even better for some of the longer hitters who can bomb past fairway bunkers.

"I am usually pretty strong in my ball striking and you need to be able to drive it well," she said.

The recent history of women's majors has nothing to suggest this can't be Lee's breakthrough week.

The five majors last year had five different winners from five different countries.

Countrywomen joining Lee and Webb in the field are Su Oh, Hannah Green, Sarah Jane Smith and Sarah Kemp.

Australian Women's Open champion Nelly Korda is probably the form player of the field, having been in the top-10 in eight of her last 10 starts, including two wins.

Australia's contingent for next week's Masters will be limited to just four unless Aaron Baddeley or one of his five countrymen can secure the last ticket to Augusta National by winning the Valero Texas Open.

With 17 players at the US PGA Tour event carrying exemptions, in-form Baddeley is among 127 hopefuls facing a last-chance saloon with the San Antonio tournament offering its winner the last spot at Augusta.

As it stands, Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott are the only Australians teeing off at the opening major of the year - just as they were 12 months ago.

But Baddeley hopes to pull a rabbit out of the hat at TPC San Antonio, with the event replacing the Houston Open as the Masters precursor.

"That would be gold," Baddeley told AAP.

"That Masters spot definitely adds incentive to try and win.

"It focuses you in the lead up. But once you've teed off Thursday, you try not to think about it until Sunday if you're in contention.

"You don't want to get ahead of yourself."

The last Australian to win the week before the Masters was Matt Jones in 2014, who memorably came from six shots behind, then chipped-in from off the green to claim victory in a sudden-death play-off.

Baddeley, 38, has had chances to win three of his past four PGA Tour starts, including a tie for seventh last week and being tied for second at the Puerto Rico Open.

"My confidence is pretty high," he said.

"I'm striking the ball the best I have in ages, but I'm also getting rewarded on the scorecard with really nice chipping and putting."

Baddeley is joined in San Antonio by compatriots Jones, Curtis Luck, Rod Pampling, John Senden and Cameron Davis.

Davis has flown his Sydney-based coach Khan Pullen to Texas, hoping the Golf NSW high performance manager can help him turn around a run of mediocre results for PGA Tour rookie.

"I haven't been swinging it great lately," Davis said.

"I've been forcing the results a bit, going at pins too often when I'm not necessarily playing well enough."

Davis is well placed at 11th among the secondary Web.com Tour graduates - a pool of players whose results determine the amount of PGA Tour starts they receive.

The Web.com Tour graduates are re-ranked after the Texas Open.

Kevin Kisner started his professional golf career on the American mini tours with a loan from his father.

On Sunday, the veteran American won the elite World Golf Championships-Match Play in Texas to take his US PGA Tour career earnings to $18.7 million ($A26.3m).

Kisner defeated countryman Matt Kuchar 3 and 2 in the final at Austin Country Club for a $1.74m ($A2.5) pay cheque - the biggest of his career.

But with a brigade of powerful youngsters who "hit it 350 (yards) and make putts", Kisner says he is not about to splurge the earnings from his third PGA Tour victory.

"I'm the cheapest guy in the world," joked Kisner, who was smashed 7 and 6 by Bubba Watson in last year's final.

"I'll hoard that money like crazy.

"Because I don't know when it's going to run out and I don't know how long I'm going to be able to make 10-foot (putts)."

Aside from being all square to Kuchar for just one hole on Sunday, Kisner led the final from start to finish in what was the seventh match he played at the round-robin tournament.

The 35-year-old Kisner said winning a WGC event with 64 of the top 66 players on the world rankings was particularly satisfying for how hard he has fought through varying levels of ultra-competitive American golf tours.

After progressing from mini tours to the second-tier, Kisner cracked the PGA Tour in 2011 but was often relegated a level when he failed to retain his card several times.

Kisner is now in the top 85 on the PGA Tour's career money list and it all started with a $16,000 ($A22,500) investment from his old man.

"And I never asked him for another dollar," Kisner said proudly.

"The coolest part of my career is I had to make putts when it mattered.

"When you've got to make a putt to clear money for the week just to fill your car up for the drive back home, it makes you a stronger person.

"Money has driven me my whole life."

Kisner lives in Aiken, South Carolina - just 30 minutes from Augusta, Georgia - and will be a somewhat crowd favourite at the Masters starting April 11.

Also lining his pockets from the rich WGC in Texas was Kuchar, who bagged $1.095m ($A1.5m) for second place - which is comparative to a winner's prize at most PGA Tour events.

In the third-place consolation match, Italy's Francesco Molinari secured a $712,000 ($A1m) payday when he downed Denmark's Lucas Bjerregaard, 4 and 2.

Bjerregard, who secured $574,000 ($A807,000) for fourth place, had knocked Tiger Woods out in the quarter-finals.

Marc Leishman was the last Australian standing having bowed out in the round of 16, while countrymen Jason Day and Cameron Smith failed to advance from the group stage.

Aaron Baddeley has continued his strong 2019 form but couldn't produce a tournament-winning final round at the PGA's Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Baddeley carded a 71 on Sunday to finish in a tie for seventh, four shots behind winner Graeme McDowell who finished at 18-under for the tournament.

It's Baddeley's third top-10 finish of the 2019 season.

Northern Irishman McDowell secured a one-stroke victory, edging out American Chris Stroud and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes at Puntacana Resort.

"This is big for the people who stood by me the last few years because it's been a rough few years," McDowell told Golf Channel.

He reached as high as fourth in the world back in 2011, but arrived in the Dominican Republic ranked a lowly 257th.

McDowell shot a closing 69 to finish at 18-under-par 270 for his fourth victory on the PGA Tour, and his first since 2015.

He was already exempt for June's US Open at Pebble Beach, where he enjoyed the biggest moment of his career by winning the 2010 championship.

One of McDowell's big goals this year is to get into the British Open at Royal Portrush in his homeland.

Baddeley, who was near the top of the leaderboard throughout the event, adds this performance to his impressive start to the season.

The 38-year-old Australian finished in a tie for second at the Puerto Rico Open in February and in a tie for fourth at the Safeway Open in October.

Aaron Baddeley is within reach of a fifth career US PGA Tour title as he capitalises once again on the absence of golf's big guns.

The 38-year-old Australian is tied third, two shots behind leader Graeme McDowell going into the final round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Chasing his first win since 2016, Baddeley shot a four-under-par 68 third round to get to 13 under and set up a final-day title tilt while the tour's leading players are away at the WGC-Match Play in Texas.

Although he is ranked world No.207, Baddeley has enjoyed some good form at times this season, including a tie for second in Puerto Rico last month when the world's best were at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

However, Northern Ireland's McDowell looms as a huge final day hurdle for Baddeley after one-putting the first 15 greens on Saturday to shoot a second consecutive 64 .

The 39-year-old 2010 US Open champion leads by one shot from American Chris Stroud (64) while Baddeley is tied third with South Korea's Sungjae Im (69) and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (66).

McDowell is also winless since 2016 but is feeling good on the Paspalum greens this week.

"Something small's kind of clicked, something I used to do really well years ago," said McDowell.

"I became not so good at it and I've tried, I've been practising.

"Just before I take the putter head away, just a little bit of an outbreath to relax," McDowell said.

"It's something I used to do very well way back when and it's amazing how you instinctively get good at things and then you stop being good at things as well.

"It's helping me relax and it's helping me just stand there and hit nice putts."

Five days out from the year's first women's major championship Minjee Lee has failed to capitalise on ideal conditions as others surged at the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic.

The Australian star marked time with an even-par 72 third round to remain in a share of 15th, seven shots behind seven-times major champion Inbee Park, who led at 14 under after a 67 at Carlsbad, California.

Seeking her 20th LPGA victory, the South Korean Park curled in an 18-foot putt at the last to be one shot clear of Japan's Nasa Hataoka, who charged to a 64, with Thailand's Thidapa Suwannapura (70) a further shot back.

South Korean Mi Jung Hur produced a course-record 62 to be tied fourth at 11-under, making seven straight birdies on the back nine.

World No.3 Lee had a shocking start of double bogey, bogey, bogey but fought back with five birdies before another bogey at the last halted her momentum.

Lee will want a strong final day on Sunday before trying to win her maiden major title at the ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage in California from Thursday.

Leader Park is is seeking her first victory in more than a year.

"Just the feel on the greens is really good this week and I really want to keep that going tomorrow," Park said.

"Hopefully, I can hit a lot of fairways and greens."

The 20-year-old Hataoka won two LPGA Tour titles last season.

"I started out playing really well, attacking the pins, and had a lot of par saves as well, good par saves," Hataoka said through a translator."

Azahara Munoz (68), Gaby Lopez (68) and Mariajo Uribe (69) were 10 under.

Lydia Ko, the 2016 winner, had a 67 to top the group at nine under, and Jin Young Ko (67) and Stacy Lewis (69) were eight under.