The Houston Open hasn’t been played since 2022 although it didn’t actually drop off the schedule.
The Texas tour stop had slotted in as a Fall Series event so appeared early on the wraparound calendar of that 2022/23 season.
And while not quite back in its pre-Masters slot - a position it held from 2007 to 2018 - Augusta will very much be on minds for those who tee it up this week given that the year’s opening major tees off on April 11.
The field includes Masters favourite Scottie Scheffler as he tries to make it a hat-trick of wins following victories in Florida at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship.
Scheffler is a general 11/4 to do so and he won’t be short of support on the ground given that he makes Texas his home.
This event has been played at Memorial Park for the last three years and Scheffler has finished 32nd, 2nd and ninth, shooting a joint-course record 62 when runner-up in 2021.
The 7,435-yard par 70 features overseeded Bermuda greens, is fairly generous off the tee but will feel some protection from the familiar Texas winds according to the forecast.
Tony Finau shot 16-under to win by four in 2022 while the other two champions carded 10-under (Jason Kokrak) and 13-under (Carlos Ortiz).
The last five players to win/finish runner-up here were all American.
Angles to consider
1/ Strokes Gained: Putting
The three winners at Memorial Park all ranked in the top five for SG: Putting. Finau was 2nd, Kokrak 3rd and Ortiz 5th. A total of 18 players have finished tied fifth or better in the last three years here and 12 ranked in the top 10 for SGP and a further five in the top 25.
2/ Texas form
Form in the Lone Star State is a good pointer. Finau had finished fourth in his previous Texas start while Kokrak had actually won his last event there even though that was over five months earlier. Ortiz? He was fourth in the same event (on a different course) a year earlier so the last three winners had all logged a top four in one of their two previous Texas starts.
3/ Par 3s
There are five of them at Memorial Park and scoring strongly is key. Kokrak played them in three strokes better than anyone when winning while Finau also ranked 1st for Par 3 Scoring when hoisting the trophy.
Selections
The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected.
Will Zalatoris
Willy Z is in great form after finishing runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He ranked 22nd and 15th for SG: Putting in those two events. A quarter-finalist in the 2022 World Match Play in Austin, the American was also fifth in the Korn Ferry’s TPC San Antonio Championship at the start of 2020 so has some good form in Texas. Par 3s? Yes, he’s got that boxed off too, ranking 2nd (2.91) this season.
Kurt Kitayama
Kitayama showed up well in Texas last year by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Match Play and adding 29th at Colonial. He’s third this season for Par 3 Scoring and ranked 10th for Putting Average when placing 19th in The Players Championship last time. Also eighth in Phoenix, this course should suit the big-hitting American.
Alex Noren
Fourth here in the last edition of this event, that fine performance highlights a solid record in Texas which shows six finishes of 29th or better in his last seven visits. The Swede has good current form too after ninth at the Cognizant Classic and 19th at Sawgrass. He’s gained strokes on the greens in his last three events and he’s also to be found in the top 25 for Par 3 Scoring this season.
Tips 0-3; -6.00pts
1.25pts e.w. Will Zalatoris at 20/1 (William Hill 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 74th
0.75pts e.w. Kurt Kitayama at 50/1 (General 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 36th
1pt e.w. Alex Noren at 33/1 (Hills, Skybet, Betfair, Paddy Power 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 11th
