BlogTexas Children’s Houston Open Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

So it’s year five of the Cadence Bank Houston Open being played at Memorial Park. When its original sponsor, Shell Oil, left in 2017, it left this event near death. The event needed help finding a new sponsor and looked bleak. But Houston Astros owner Jim Crane came in with financial backing, with one stipulation. The event would return to its roots and to Memorial Park, a course located just outside downtown Houston. The course was the site of the second Houston Open in 1947, and then between 1951 and 1963, it started to fall into disrepair. With the help of the Astros Golf Foundation, they revamped the course at a cost of 34 million dollars. The course was upgraded, and the club ensured it was PGA Tour ready to play. The course added yardage, and for the Houston Open, it is playing at 7,412 yards to a par of 70.

Four years ago, the course held the Houston Open for the first time and was well-received. Players seem to like the course and have told others that the field seems to improve each year it’s played.  With the Valero Texas Open next week and the Masters the week after, players have a choice on what course best suits them to prep for the Masters.  We can see that this course is a favorite of Scottie Scheffer, and Rory McIlroy will play it for the first time as this will be the first time he has played the event since 2014.

Things you need to know about the Houston Open

This will be the 77th edition of the Houston Open. This is the fifth year of the Texas Children’s Houston Open with new leadership. They have a new sponsorship, and those running the event have roots with the Houston Astros baseball team. The significant change is playing at its new home, Memorial Park, a public course in downtown Houston ready for fans. The event started in 1946, and the following year, Memorial Park was the tournament’s home for 14 events, mostly between 1951 and 1963. When the tournament left, the public course fell into disrepair.

After two years of renovations by architect Tom Doak and player consultant Brooks Koepka, the course opened in 2020 to great fanfare, not only from the fans but also from many of the players, who liked what they saw. In prior years, the tournament was held at the Golf Club of Houston, then across the street at the Members Course at Redstone between 2003 and 2005. Before that, the TPC at the Woodlands had been the site between 1985 and 2002. Courses used before 1985 include the West course at the Woodlands, River Oaks C.C., Memorial Park G.C., Pine Forest C.C., Brae Burn C.C., Sharpstown C.C., Champions G.C., Westwood G.C., and Quail Valley G.C.  The first Houston Open was played in 1946 and was called the Tournament of Champions. Byron Nelson beat Ben Hogan that year by two strokes at River Oaks.

Course information:

• Memorial Park Golf Course
• Houston, Texas
• 7,475 yards     Par 35-35–70

Memorial Park was always the sentimental home of this event. I went to about a dozen Houston Opens between 1990 and 2003; those who ran the tournament always wished to return one day to Memorial Park. But at that time, the course was in terrible shape and beaten up, as it was nothing but a cheap place for 18 holes. When the Astros Golf Foundation took over the operations of the Houston Open, they spent $34 million to redesign Memorial Park and build an education and golf center for the course. Architect Tom Doak redid the course, and his mission was to make it enjoyable for recreational golfers and tough enough for PGA Tour players. One unusual characteristic of the course is that there are only 17 bunkers on the par-70 course. What makes it challenging is accuracy, which is a must with the thick, rough, tight grass slopes and contours. The weather will make the course challenging; when the wind blows, especially a north or northeast wind, it will make things very tough. The course was opened for play in November of 2019, and the Bermuda grass has come in, and the course will be in good shape.

But look for low scores, as there are several drivable par-4s and two reachable par-5s. The greens are big, 7,000 square feet, and they are flat, like most municipal courses. In looking at the weather for the week, it will be close to perfect, with each day being in the mid-70s on Thursday and Friday, going up to 85 for Saturday and Sunday.  Possible Thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday, with great conditions, no rain over the weekend, and very low humidity.  The bad news for the players is that the wind will be up, 18 mph on Thursday, going down a bit to 15mph over the last three days.

• The big surprise is how tough the course has played. In 2021, Carlos Ortiz shot just 13 under. Of the 68 players that made the cut, only 39 were under par, which means the course played hard. The reason is the weekend, they had wind gusts of up to 25 mph. After the first two days, the scoring average for the course was 71.82, and even with the winds, the average was 70.28 in the third round and 68.74 in the final rounds.
• In 2022, much of the same as the course still played hard. Winner Jason Kokrak was just 10 under par, and of the 67 players that made the cut, only 28 were under par.
• In 2023, Tony Finau played great and won with a 16-under-par total. Of the 68 who made the cut, 38 were under par for the week.
• Last year, Stephan Jaeger shot 66-67 over the weekend to claim a one-shot win over defending champion Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler, Thomas Detry, Taylor Moore, and Alejandro Tosti. Scoring improved this year, as 56 players were under par for the week.

Some of the keys to playing well at Memorial Park is this. First, hitting greens is essential. Another key is long hitters have to be careful since the rough was one of the most demanding of the year. The course ranked 2nd in rough proximity in both 2021 and 2022; in 2023, it was 4th, while last year, it was 18th.  So what does that mean?  If you drive it off the fairway, it is nearly impossible to get it on the green. So, players who hit it in the high grass will have a tough time. That may be why some of the tour’s longest hitters aren’t playing this week. So it’s essential to keep it in the fairway.

• Players needed help to make birdies and eagles on the course.
• In 2021, it ranked 17th with a total number of birdies made (1,221).
• In 2022, it ranked 15th with 1,071 birdies made.
• In 2023, it ranked 23rd with 1,191 birdies. So, it proved challenging, as the course was 6th in Par Breakers in 2021, 4th in 2022, and 8th last year.
• Last year, it ranked 26th with 1,431 birdies. So, it proved to be challenging, as the course was 6th in Par Breakers in 2021, 4th in 2022, 8th in 2023, and T-6th last year.
• But as we have said, those who putt well always do well on this course, so look for the best putters to shine.
• Of any non-major course, Memorial Park scored many honors as the hardest newcomer to the PGA Tour, so look for a special breed of player to win, one who excels in all areas of the game.
• The course has been well received in the four years, getting good buzz for players to come to Houston to play a great course.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at Memorial Park:

This is based on Memorial Park’s most important stats, data from the 2024 Houston Open, and data from all the players in the field, with stats from this year. We take their rank for each stat and then add the four categories.

About half of the courses used by the PGA Tour during the year are open to the general public. The famous ones, like Pebble Beach, are resort courses that anyone can play, but the price tag of $675 is costly. The same is true with courses like TPC Sawgrass, home to the Players Championship, which is $750 during peak months in the winter and spring. Even places like the Plantation Course at Kapalua, which held the Sentry Championship, cost $279. There are about 25 courses on the PGA Tour that anyone could play, but only two “municipal” courses on the PGA Tour, Memorial Park and Torrey Pines. What makes them different is that they are run by a local government that is open to all and has two different price marks, one for local residents and a price for non-residents.
Memorial Park is the cheapest course that holds a PGA Tour event. For locals, the course is $30 Monday through Thursday, $38 Friday through Sunday, and holidays. It’s $120 and $140 for non-residents, which is a bargain. With this price range, 60,000 played the course each year.

The Memorial Park was first opened in 1912 as a nine-holer with sand greens and was built near a hospital for the use of convalescent soldiers. In 1935, the city hired architect John Bredemus to redo the course, and many thought the course was a true gem when it opened in 1936. The course was used in 1947, the second year of the Houston Open, and South African Bobby Locke won. In 1951, it became the regular venue of the Houston Open, and it remained so through 1963. It was won by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Cary Middlecoff, and Jack Burke, Jr. Because of its location in Downtown Houston, the tournament moved away after 1963, and the course fell in disrepair over the coming decades. For years, many knew of the potential of Memorial Park, but the city had no money to renovate it.

However, local Houstonian James Crane, who made it big in freight and then petroleum before buying the Houston Astros in 2011, was a scratch golfer who fell in love with Memorial Park. For decades, Shell Oil sponsored the Houston Open, and when they discontinued their sponsorship in 2018, no sponsor was found, and it looked like the tournament would end. But, Crane stepped up and took over ownership of the event. At the same time, Crane stepped up to do a significant renovation to Memorial Park. He spent $34 million renovating Memorial Park and upgrading the course to PGA Tour standards. He also built a short course on the property for the First Tee, expanded the driving range into a public version of Topgolf, and built a new clubhouse. In January 2019, they hired architect Tom Doak to do the renovation. In less than a year, he took out a lot of trees to give those playing it views of the Houston skyline and changed how the course played and looked. He redid all 18 greens, giving them unique contours, strategic bunkering, and runoffs, giving them a different and tough new challenge so that players could use the putter more from off the green. Doak did something different as he reduced the number of bunkers on the course from 54 to 20, thus reducing maintenance and making it easier for the average player. But he made the 20 bunkers very challenging and essential. Doak also emphasized the final five holes, making them exciting and difficult, with water coming into play on holes 15, 16, and 17. The players received the changes well when they returned to play the 2021 Houston Open at Memorial.

The course has been played four times and has shown some bite.
In 2021, it played to a par of 70 and 7,412 yards, with an average score of 71.03, and it ranked 8th hardest on the PGA Tour.
In 2022, it played easier to a 70,80 average and was the 9th most challenging course on the PGA Tour.
In 2023, it played a bit easier to a 70,56 average and was the 11th hardest course on the PGA Tour.
Last year, Memorial Park played to a 70.25 average and was the 12th hardest course on the PGA Tour.

In looking at the stats, the one item that sticks out is that all its champions proved to be average drivers off the tee, in getting the ball in the fairway, and the ability to hit a lot of greens. A bit of an oddity: winners Carlos Ortiz and Jason Kokrak are now members of LIV Golf and won’t be around this week. The only Memorial Park champions to play this week are Tony Finau and Steve Jaeger. The first three Texas Children’s Houston Open were played in November, and last year, it was moved to March with Jaeger winning by a shot over defending champion Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler, Thomas Detry, Taylor Moore and Alejandro Tostil.
In 2023, Tomy Finau won by four shots over Tyson Alexander.
In 2022, Jason Kokrak beat Scottie Scheffler and Kevin Tway by two shots.
In 2021, Carlos Ortiz won by two shots over Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama.

Despite all four being average putters in their careers, they shined during the week of the Houston Open, which became the reason why they all won.

So, in looking at who the course favors, the first thing that hits us is how well the top players do in putting. Looking at the four events played at Memorial Park, of the 45 players that finished in the top ten, 18 finished in the top ten in putts per round.
In putting average, Memorial Park ranked 6th last year of all the courses on the PGA Tour,
10th in 2023,
T-10th again in 2022,
and T-15th in 2021.

When Stephan Jaeger won last year, he was 9th in Putting average, 2nd in One-Putt average, T-3rd in 3-putt average, and T-19th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 63 of 69 putts inside ten feet. For the week, Jaeger ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained in Putting, picking up 1.599 strokes for the four rounds.

When Tony Finau won in 2023, he was 2nd in Putting average, T-12th in One-Putt average, T-14th in 3-putt average, and T-23rd in Putting Inside ten feet, making 60 of 66 putts inside ten feet. For the week, Finau ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained in Putting, picking up 7.931 strokes for the four rounds.

When Jason Kokrak won in 2021, he was 1st in Putting average, T-6th in One-Putt average, T-15th in 3-putt average, and T-18th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 61 of 67 putts inside ten feet. For the week, Kokrak ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained in Putting, picking up 8.682 strokes for the four rounds.

In 2021, when Carlos Ortiz won, he was T-36th in putting average, T-12th in One-Putt average, T-34th in 3-putt average, and 7th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 61 of 65 putts inside ten feet. For the week, Ortiz ranked 5th in Strokes Gained Putting, picking up 6.117 strokes for the four rounds. So, the secret to picking a winner this week is to choose a very good putter.

Our second category is Proximity to the hole. Because Memorial is a public course, the greens are 7,000 square feet, and even though the players averaged 12th last year,
15th in 2023,
T-16th in 2022,
and 18th in 2021 in greens in regulation.
But getting the ball close to the hole is tougher.
Last year, Memorial Park ranked 6th in Proximity to the Hole (average 41 feet 2 inches from hole),
while winner Stephan Jaeger was T-65th, he averaged 42 feet, 4 inches from the hole).
In 2023, Memorial Park ranked 9th in Proximity to the Hole (average 40 feet 4 inches from hole),
while winner Finau was T9th (he averaged 36 feet, 4 inches from the hole).
In 2022, Memorial Park ranked 5th in Proximity to the Hole (average 40 feet 2 inches from hole),
while winner Kokrak was T-21st (he averaged 38 feet, 2 inches from the hole).
In 2021, Memorial Park was 10th in Proximity to the Hole (he averaged 39 feet, 0 inches from the hole),
while winner Ortiz was T-22nd (he averaged 36 feet, 11 inches from the hole).

Our third category examines how difficult it is to make birdies and eagles and how Par Breakers are integral to Memorial Park’s ruggedness.
Last year, only 1,431 birdies were made at Memorial Park (Ranked 26th), and 29 eagles were made (ranked 7th). The course ranked T-6th in Par Breakers, with 17.91% of the holes being played under par. In looking at those ahead of Memorial Park, courses that held three of the four majors were ahead, showing how hard Memorial Park is to break par.
Winner Stephan Jaeger made 19 birdies (T-6th) and no eagles, ranking T-18tj in Par Breakers. He played 26.39% of the holes under par.

In 2023, only 1,191 birdies were made at Memorial Park (ranking 23rd), and 27 eagles were made (ranking T-23rd). The course ranked 8th in Par Breakers, with 17.17% of the holes being played under par. In looking at those ahead of Memorial Park, courses that held three of the four majors were ahead, showing how hard Memorial Park is to break par.
Winner Tony Finau made 22 birdies (the best in the field) and no eagles, placing him first in Par Breakers. He played 30.56% of the holes under par.

In 2022, 1,071 birdies were made at Memorial Park (Ranked 15th), and 11 eagles were made (ranked 2nd). As for Par Breaker, the course ranked 4th hardest at 15.26%. This is a remarkable stat when you look at 2022, and the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Scottish Open courses had the least offense on the PGA Tour.
Winner Kokrak made 24 birdies (the best in the field) and no eagles. He was first in Par Breakers, playing 33.33% of the holes under par.

In 2021, only 1,221 birdies were made at Memorial Park (ranked 17th), and 13 eagles were made (ranked 4th). The course was 6th in Par Breakers with a 17.27%. Four of the courses that held majors were the ones that played harder.
Winner Ortiz made 18 birdies (T-6th) and no eagles. He was T-7th in Par Breakers, playing 25.00% of his holes under par. This shows how hard it is to make birdies and eagles at Memorial Park.
So, we will be looking for players who are highly offensive and make a lot of eagles and birdies.

Our last category is one we rarely use: par 5 scoring averages. Memorial Park has just three par 5s, and they have been ranked the hardest on the PGA Tour to score on.
Last year, the scoring average of the par 5s was 4.64, making them the 14th hardest on tour. This continues the trend of players scoring lower on Par 5s.
In 2023, the scoring average of the par 5s was 4.74, and it was the 10th hardest on tour. Now, last year was the first time the par 5s played easier.
In 2022, Memorial Park’s par 5s averaged 4.86, which was the second-hardest on the PGA Tour.
In 2021, Memorial Park was T-1st along Torrey Pines in the U.S. Open, again showing how hard they were.
Now, in most events, the winners play the par 5s in double-digit numbers. But that hasn’t happened to those who have won at Memorial Park.
Last year, Stephan Jaeger played the par 5s in 8 under, which was T-10th. (Alex Noren played par 5s the best at 12 under and finished T-11th)
In 2023, Tony Finau played the par 5s in 6 under, which was T-6th. (Tyson Alexander played par 5s the best at 8 under and finished 2nd).
In 2022 and ’21, winners Kokrak and Ortiz were 8 under on the par 5s for the week, showing how instrumental it was in their victories.

*Strokes Gained Putting: So who saves the most strokes on the greens

*Proximity to Hole: The average length of a shot going into the green leaves a player

*Par Breakers: A combination of eagles and birdies made during the week to see who has the most.

*Par 5 leaders: A look at who plays the par 5s the best for the week.

138 of the 155 Players from this year’s field with stats from 2025.

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

DraftKings tips

We have compiled a database covering 47 events, beginning at the start of the 2024 season and ending with the 2025 Valspar. The database includes the number of points a player won during each event and its cost. From the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned, the players’ average points earned per event, and the average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 60 playing in at least eight events:

DraftKings Picks

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Scottie Scheffler – $12,700
• Rory McIlroy – $11,700
• J.J. Spaun – $9,900
• Aaron Rai – $9,800
• Min Woo Lee – $9,600
• Davis Thompson – $9,400
• SungJae Im – $9,300
• Tony Finau – $9,200
• Wyndham Clark – $9,100
• Jason Day – $9,000

This is a tough tournament to gauge for many different reasons. First, it’s different from those events that players historically attend. But now that the buzz on Memorial Park is so good, more players are making this a regular stop for them; Scottie Scheffler is a perfect example of that since he will be playing in his sixth straight.

Then you have the weather. Historically, winds play havoc with scoring. This week, look for the winds to play havoc. Be careful when picking players who will play late on Thursday and early Friday; they will get the best weather with the winds.

However, the most critical problem with this event is that historical data may not help because the elements change yearly, and players only participate occasionally. It’s essential to see which players produce a lot of offense every time they play. As you can see in the chart above, our top two players give a lot of offense, but after that, the pickings get slim.

So, let’s look at our top players. First off, Scottie Scheffler at $12,700 is going to be a tough choice.  Yes, that price is not a typo; $12,700 is a lot for one player, but as we have seen, he makes a lot of points. But buyer beware, he has struggled of late.  Last year, he just about guaranteed earning 100 points a week, but that was last year.  On the West Coast swing, he was down to 90 points an event and has gone down further, earning just 66 points at the Palmer and 64.5 at the Players.  On the other end of the spectrum, he has played well the last three years at this event, finishing T-2nd in 2022, T-9th in 2023, and T-2nd last year.  So it will be a toss-up with Rory McIlroy at $11,700.  Rory has played much better in 2025 than Scottie, but he will be playing Memorial Park for the first time.  His advantage is hitting it long and straight, so I think he will be good this week, and I am giving the nod to Rory.  After that, I will pick not many guys at this price point.  J.J. Spaun at $9,900 is way overpriced, thanks to finishing runner-up at the Cognizant and Players.  Sorry, he just hasn’t mastered Memorial Park, so he is a no for me.  Aaron Rai is priced at $9,800 because he was T-7th at Houston the last two years.  Last year in Houston, his T-7th earned him just 81.5 DraftKings points, so for the price, he will not help you.  Min Woo Lee at $9,600 is a no for me. He hasn’t played in Houston and hasn’t had a top-ten since Rocket Mortgage nine months ago.  Davis Thompson at $9,400 is overpriced for a player who has averaged just 69.6 points per event since 2024.  Don’t get suckered in with his T-10th at the Players, in his events before missed the cut at the Palmer and Cognizant.  SungJae Im at $9,300 played great early, but since finishing T-4th at the Farmers, it’s been a bit of a stinker with only one top 25 finish in six starts.  His record is not great at Memorial Park, so he is an easy no.  Tony Finau at $9,200 is a tough choice.  Hasn’t played great in 2025 except for his T-5th at the Genesis; he has been struggling with his game.  On the other side of the card, he won in 2023 and was runner-up last year, so he knows how to play well at Memorial Park.  Wyndham Clark at $9,100 is a no for me. He hasn’t played well since the Tour Championship and hasn’t played well at Memorial Park.  Jason Day at $9,000 is a toss-up; he accumulates many DraftKing points and has played consistently in 2025.  Still, his price is a bit too high for me.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Si Woo Kim at $8,900 is pretty consistent; he rarely misses the cut, and you know he will earn around 70 points.  So it’s a toss-up; his price is just a bit high.  Jacob Bridgeman at $8,400 is worth a look, yes been up and down in 2025, but did play well at Cognizant and Valspar.  He was T-21st last year at the Houston Open, earning 88.5 points.  Maverick McNealy is $8,300 and cheap enough to take a gamble on him.  Played okay since winning the RSM last year but has missed the cut at the Palmer and Players.  Still think he is worth the risk.  Sahith Theegala at $8,000 is worth the gamble. The price is right, and he is ready to bust out. Jake Knapp at $7,700, has played well in 2025, and his putting is perfect for Memorial Park. Mackenzie Hughes at $7,500 is a very good bet. He plays well at Memorial Park and hasn’t been higher than T-26th in his four visits.  Nick Taylor at $7,500 is a good buy. Record at Memorial isn’t the best, but he makes a lot of cuts and averages just around 70 points per 2025 event.

Are there any Bargains out there?

I like Sam Stevens at $7,300. He has been consistent and makes a lot of cuts so that he will earn you points.  The game is perfect for Memorial Park; he could be the sleeper this week.  Lee Hodges at $7,300 is always a good choice with all of the cuts he makes.  Also, he averaged 80 points per event in 2024.  Sam Ryder at $7,300, is another player making a lot of cuts and earning between 65 and 80 points per event.  Ryan Gerard at $7,200 is that hidden gem. He has played consistently in 2025 and will make the cut and earn 70 points.