Houston Open odds, picks: Scheffler, McIlroy are large favorites

The Florida Swing is now behind us, which suggests The Masters is shortly approaching. Though each golfer, fan, and pundit alike have Georgia on their minds, the PGA Tour takes a two-week journey to Texas earlier than descending upon Augusta Nationwide.

First up is the Texas Kids’s Houston Open at Memorial Park, a municipal course renovated by Tom Doak with Brooks Koepka’s session in 2019. Memorial Park welcomes roughly 60,000 guests per yr, making it considerably corresponding to Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines, two of the extra well-known public programs within the nation.

However in contrast to the Black and Torrey Pines South, Memorial Park doesn’t characteristic thick tough and punishing lies in case you miss the golf green. As an alternative, this course’s protection is across the greens, inserting a premium on iron play and lacking in the suitable spots. Quick sport can be paramount, and as golf statistician Justin Ray famous earlier this week, those that have completed among the many prime 10 at Memorial Park have gained 19.5% of their strokes from across the greens. To offer additional context, Ray famous that solely the U.S. Open has had the next share on this regard since 2020, when the PGA Tour returned to Memorial Park for the primary time in practically 60 years. Lengthy story brief: it’s all concerning the brief sport this week.

That stated, Memorial Park is a bomber’s paradise. At 7,475 yards, that is the third-longest course on the PGA Tour up to now this season. It’s additionally a par-70, which makes it play even longer. The tour has fielded just one different occasion on a par-70 to date, doing so at Waialae Nation Membership for the Sony Open in Hawaii — a course that measures solely 7,044 yards.

Memorial Park is kind of the distinction from Waialae, although. You possibly can miss massive off the tee and nonetheless have an opportunity at par or higher. The tough at Memorial Park is a perennial ryegrass overseed that measures 1.25” lengthy. Positive, some gamers will get swirly lies right here and there, nevertheless it’s a stark distinction from the hack-and-sack method at different lengthy tracks like Torrey or Bethpage.

Climate is anticipated this week, as rain will soften the golf course on Thursday and Friday. That makes the course play longer but in addition makes the fairways wider. Greens are extra receptive too.

Gamers who can drive it nicely off the tee and people with nifty brief video games ought to contend this week. That helps clarify why Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy arrive as large favorites, however they’re presently the 2 finest gamers on this planet too. And but, at this level, for the sport’s prime gamers, it’s all about getting one final repetition in earlier than Augusta.

Texas Kids’s Houston Open Odds:

Listed here are the most recent odds for gamers to win the Texas Kids’s Houston Open, courtesy of FanDuel:

Scottie Scheffler +350

Rory McIlroy +650

Aaron Rai +2800

Wyndham Clark +3300

J.J. Spaun +3500

Davis Thompson +3500

Jason Day +3500

Tony Finau +3500

Michael Kim +3500

Min Woo Lee +3500

Sungjae Im +4000

Si Woo Kim +4500

Stephan Jaeger +4500

Taylor Pendrith +4500

Jacob Bridgeman +4500

Maverick McNealy +5000

Sahith Theegala +5000

Ben Griffin +5500

Thomas Detry +6000

Max Greyserman +6000

Taylor Moore +6000

Alex Smalley +6000

Keith Mitchell +6500

Kurt Kitayama +7000

Joe Highsmith +7000

Mackenzie Hughes +8000

Kevin Yu +8000

Jake Knapp +8000

Harris English +9000

Andrew Novak +9000

Harry Corridor +9000

Nick Taylor +9000

Seamus Energy +9000

Samuel Stevens +10000

Rasmus Højgaard +10000

Nicolai Højgaard +10000

Patrick Rodgers +10000

Rickie Fowler +10000

Picture by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

Enjoying By means of’s Picks:

Jack Milko — Employees Author, Golf

It’s time for the chef to get the job finished.

I’m taking Min Woo Lee to emerge victorious at Memorial Park this week, as he’ll rely closely on his nifty brief sport and distance off the tee. The younger Australian ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained across the inexperienced and third in complete driving distance, an ideal mixture for this golf course.

His placing metrics are strong, too. Lee is fifteenth in strokes gained on the greens and ninth on tour in changing putts from inside 10 toes. The putter has been scorching currently, as nicely. At The Gamers, the place he held a share of the 36-hole lead with Akshay Bhatia, Lee ranked third in strokes gained placing. He did come undone at TPC Sawgrass attributable to a wildly inaccurate day on Saturday, through which he missed seven fairways and shot a 6-over 78. However gusty winds definitely performed a job in his demise on a course that requires precision off the tee.

This week’s course is far completely different. Lee can spray the ball wherever he pleases and nonetheless discover a technique to rating from virtually anyplace. Driving accuracy has lengthy been his Achilles heel, however Lee is not going to have to fret about that at Memorial Park.

FanDuel Odds: Lee to win at +4000

Picture by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

RJ Ochoa — Senior Producer, Running a blog the Boys

Thus far within the PGA Tour season, it looks like we’ve got had outcomes from all around the subject.

Large names, small names, and everybody in between have received sooner or later or one other, and with The Masters now inside putting distance, issues must get correctly calibrated so we will determine all of it out.

In that spirit, I merely can not envision a world the place Scottie Scheffler is winless heading into his title protection at Augusta. The bottom-hanging fruit is the sweetest for a cause, and I’m going to go as chalk as you’ll be able to and choose Scottie to take it in his dwelling state.

FanDuel Odds: Scheffler to win at +330

Mark Schofield — Employees Author, NFL and Components 1

Memorial Park is, as our fearless chief indicated up prime, a “bomber’s paradise.”

Rory McIlroy is fifth on the PGA Tour proper now in driving distance (averaging 315 yards off the tee) and first on the Tour in strokes gained off the tee (.905). That alone makes him a strong choose this week.

However there are different causes. In spite of everything, he leads the Tour in complete strokes gained (2.289) and in scoring common. He arrives in Houston after ending within the Prime 25 in all 4 of his occasions this yr, together with a pair of wins.

It’s a fully chalky choose, however we’re on the lookout for a win right here, pals.

FanDuel Odds: McIlroy to win at +650

Picture by Richard Heathcote/Getty Photographs

Jed Meshew — Employees Author, MMA Combating

First off, let me simply say that I very practically delivered a winner final week in my debut with this high-quality group. I used to be even hitting up Jack on Sunday when Justin Thomas was up two photographs with three holes to play, asking for particulars about the place and when my coronation can be. After which JT utterly collapsed with horrible resolution making and Viktor Hovland flexing his clutch gene. Alas, what virtually was.

Anyway, I’m sorely tempted to again Sahith Theegala this weekend after having one of the crucial relatable moments on tour final week, however — and I do know that is lame — the good cash is on Rory this weekend, for all the explanations Mark outlined. Memorial Park is longer than a giraffe’s necktie, which performs properly into McIlroy’s palms. And given how nicely these palms have been swinging the stick currently, I’m additionally lamely backing Northern Eire’s favourite son.

FanDuel Odds: McIlroy to win at +650