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

The Florida Swing is now behind us, which implies The Masters is rapidly approaching. Despite the fact that 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 Youngsters’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 similar to Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines, two of the extra well-known public programs within the nation.

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

That mentioned, Memorial Park is a bomber’s paradise. At 7,475 yards, that is the third-longest course on the PGA Tour to this point 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 sort of the distinction from Waialae, although. You may 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. Certain, some gamers will get swirly lies right here and there, nevertheless it’s a stark distinction from the hack-and-sack strategy 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 effectively 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 huge favorites, however they’re presently the 2 finest gamers on the planet too. And but, at this level, for the sport’s high gamers, it’s all about getting one final repetition in earlier than Augusta.

Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open Odds:

Listed below are the newest odds for gamers to win the Texas Youngsters’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

Photograph by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

Taking part in By way of’s Picks:

Jack Milko — Workers Author, Golf

It’s time for the chef to get the job carried out.

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 whole 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 effectively. 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 resulting from a wildly inaccurate day on Saturday, wherein 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 way totally different. Lee can spray the ball wherever he pleases and nonetheless discover a strategy to rating from virtually wherever. 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

Photograph by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

RJ Ochoa — Senior Producer, Running a blog the Boys

So far within the PGA Tour season, it seems like we’ve had outcomes from all around the subject.

Large names, small names, and everybody in between have received in some unspecified time in the future or one other, and with The Masters now inside hanging distance, issues must get correctly calibrated so we will determine all of it out.

In that spirit, I merely can’t 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 motive, and I’m going to go as chalk as you’ll be able to and decide Scottie to take it in his residence state.

FanDuel Odds: Scheffler to win at +330

Mark Schofield — Workers Author, NFL and Components 1

Memorial Park is, as our fearless chief indicated up high, 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 decide this week.

However there are different causes. In any case, he leads the Tour in whole 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 decide, however we’re in search of a win right here, pals.

FanDuel Odds: McIlroy to win at +650

Photograph by Richard Heathcote/Getty Photos

Jed Meshew — Workers Author, MMA Preventing

First off, let me simply say that I very almost delivered a winner final week in my debut with this effective 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 could be. After which JT fully collapsed with horrible choice 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 some of the 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 arms. And given how effectively these arms have been swinging the stick currently, I’m additionally lamely backing Northern Eire’s favourite son.

FanDuel Odds: McIlroy to win at +650