The PGA Tour heads to Texas for a two-week stretch, beginning with the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park. With Scottie Scheffler withdrawing late due to family reasons, the door has opened for a wide range of contenders to make their mark. Defending champion Min Woo Lee returns to the site of his breakthrough victory, while a strong mix of established stars and rising players look to build momentum heading toward the Masters.
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PGA Tour Houston Open Betting Tips
Memorial Park Golf Course, Thursday 26 - Sunday 29 March
The Field
The Houston Open field is wide open, particularly with Scheffler’s withdrawal. Chris Gotterup headlines the field as one of the hottest players on Tour, already a two-time winner this season. Min Woo Lee returns to defend, while Koepka’s improving form adds further intrigue.
Several players in strong FedExCup positions are also in the mix, including Jake Knapp, Nico Echavarria and Ryan Gerard, all looking to continue their solid starts to 2026. Sahith Theegala adds a unique storyline, juggling commitments between the TGL championship and this week’s event, while Adam Scott and Shane Lowry bring veteran presence to the field.
The Aon Swing 5 race continues to build, with Chandler Blanchet among those pushing to secure a spot in the upcoming Signature Event. With so many players chasing opportunities and form lines converging, this shapes as one of the more unpredictable tournaments of the season.
The Course
Memorial Park Golf Course is one of the more distinctive stops on the PGA Tour. The par-70 layout stretches to nearly 7,500 yards and underwent a major redesign by Tom Doak in 2019, with input from Brooks Koepka. The renovation stripped back many traditional features, removing trees and bunkers to create a more strategic, links-style feel.
The course demands creativity and precision, particularly with approach play. Wide fairways can tempt players into aggressive lines, but positioning is crucial to access the right angles into greens. With fewer bunkers but more subtle challenges, Memorial Park places a premium on decision-making and execution.
Winning scores can vary depending on conditions, but birdies are available for those who take the right risks. With its blend of length, strategy and unpredictability, Memorial Park offers a compelling test—and one that should produce another tightly contested finish.
Top Picks
Brooks Koepka arrives in Houston trending in the right direction after a steady Florida Swing that saw him post finishes of T9, T13 and T18, with noticeable improvement on the greens. More importantly, this is a course he knows intimately, having served as a player consultant during the Tom Doak redesign. That familiarity is a huge edge on a layout that can feel uncomfortable for first-timers. Statistically, he’s been elite with his irons, ranking first on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, and if the putter stays warm, he’s a genuine threat to contend deep into Sunday.
Min-Woo Lee returns as defending champion after claiming his first PGA Tour title here last year, and there’s every reason to believe he can contend again. He took advantage of soft conditions in 2025 with an aggressive game plan, and while firmer conditions could make that approach riskier, his comfort level at Memorial Park is undeniable. Lee has already produced strong results in Signature Events this season, and his ability to generate birdies in bunches makes him dangerous on a course that still offers scoring opportunities if approached correctly.
Value Picks
Ryan Gerard shapes as a perfect fit for Memorial Park. His all-around profile suits the strategic demands of the course, and he showed that with a solo ninth finish on debut here last year. While his early-season form has cooled slightly, this feels like the type of layout where he can rediscover his rhythm. If he sharpens up with the irons, he has the tools to climb into contention.
Chandler Blanchet is quickly turning heads as one of the most exciting rookies on Tour. After opening the season with five missed cuts, he’s flipped the script in a big way with a runner-up finish in Puerto Rico followed by a solid T18 at the Valspar. Confidence is clearly building, and his recent form suggests he’s ready to take on stronger fields. In an event lacking a dominant favourite, Blanchet looms as a genuine smoky.
