Houston, We've Got a Problem
The next stop on the Brooks Koepka-less Professional Golf tour is the prestigious Texas Children’s Open. Teeing up at the historic Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, this event attracts Scottie Scheffler, because he is from Texas, and a couple of other guys who have yet to sell their souls to the LIV gods. The event provides an opportunity to gain valuable FedEx Cup points, but also gives a few fringe tour golfers one more opportunity at sneaking into the field at Augusta.
Known for its challenging course layout, the course does offer players a thrilling experience, dealing with distance and Texas winds. Most importantly, this tourney raises funds for the Children’s hospital, and is thus, all about the kids. For that reason alone, I will be tuning in Thursday-Sunday to see if Scottie Scheff can lap the field yet again.
The Favorite
Memorial Park Golf Course underwent a major renovation to enhance its layout and facilities, making it an even more attractive destination for golf enthusiasts. The course's classic design and strategic layout provide a true test of skill for players, with its tree-lined fairways and undulating greens adding to the challenge.
The harder the course, the better it is for the best player in the world. The question going into this week is whether Scottie will play to win, or play to sharpen up his game for the first major of the year. There’s a world where all he does is work on shots he knows he’ll need in the bag for Augusta. That said, he can show up anywhere and win effortlessly. It would be absolutely preposterous to take someone against an entire field at +270, numbers we have not seen since Tiger Woods in his prime. Sure he might win again, but at those odds, it would be wise to look further down the board to find your winner.
Hometown Knowledge
When picking Texas golf tournaments, it’s crucial to pick guys who grew up playing Texas golf. The winds, and course layouts give a huge advantage to the players who are accustomed to that style. A big name to keep an eye on is Will Zalatoris, who appears back to full strength. Willy Z stripes the ball and will understand how to navigate this track. This is also the type of low stakes event that his balky putter will not act up as much. With his ball striking, he is always a threat if he can roll the rock somewhat decently. +1800 is just enough juice to bite on a player this good, in a less complete field.
Horns Up?
Sticking with the Texan theme, the third and final sprinkle of the week is on another Longhorn, Beau Hossler. While I am personally not a fan of the gent, he knows how to play golf in his home state. He consistently appears on leaderboards, even if he is moping around your TV screen on a Saturday afternoon. I might not back him to win, but a top 5 at +1000 seems like a fair price to me. I’ll take the HOSS to compete this weekend.
Enjoy the golf, and let’s get through this home stretch to the Masters!