The Houston Open is a regular feature on the annual golfing calendar. That said, the line-up for this year’s renewal isn’t stellar (compared to past editions) but what you can always guarantee in the US, is a fiercely contested event.
Houston Open: The Tournament
The Houston Open was traditionally the curtain-raiser for the US Masters. However, after 2018, it was moved to late in the Autumn, and here it has stayed ever since. Previously under the sponsorship of Shell, it then carried the name of Hewlett Packard, now Cadence. Played at several courses in and around the city of Houston, the current venue, Memorial Park, was first used in 2020. Not exactly an A-List tournament, in terms of stature and scheduling, but given the high regard of the state (Texas), and the number of players it boasts on tour, the event is generally well-attended.
Want some more great priced tips? The Longshots Report is your guide to high-priced golfers that can earn us profits in some of the less popular markets without winning the tournament. Check it out here.
Prizemoney $8.4m ($1.35m to the winner)
Field 132
Highest ranked players
Scheffler (2)
Burns (12)
Finau (15)
Matsuyama (19)
Straka (27)
Henley (33).
2021 result
-10 Jason Kokrak ($56)
-8 Scottie Scheffler ($19)
-8 Kevi Tway ($351)
-7 Kramer Hickok ($301)
-6 Joel Dahmen ($126)
-6 Martin Trainer ($1501)
Other recent winners
Carlos Ortiz (2020)
Lanto Griffin (2019)
Ian Poulter (2018)
Russell Henley (2017)
Jim Herman (2016).
Houston Open: The Course
We’re at the Memorial Park Golf Course in the city of Houston. Opened in 1912, the course was most recently re-designed by Tom Doak, with the help of Brooks Koepka. These changes lengthened some holes, shortened others, but also widened some fairways, and removed several trees. The 18-holes now play as a par 70, laid out over 7,412 yards. Judged on last year’s scoring, the players will face a fair test where good play will be rewarded.
72-Hole Record 266: Vijay Singh (2002)
18-Hole Record 63: Hideki Matsuyama & Talor Gooch(2020)
Houston Open: The Weather
A mainly dry week with a daily precipitation forecast of 10%-70%-20%-10% over the course of the tournament. Temperatures will be in the mid-70s, with cloud cover throughout. Wind speeds will range between 12-14mph over the four days.
The Bets
These are each-way outright bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.
Scottie Scheffler $6.50 with TopSport
Scheffler falls into the saver category this week, but I find it hard not to think that the multi-winning, Major-winning, 26-year-old won’t have something to say about who wins in Texas this week. Scheffler was a runner-up here 12 months ago, and was a fast-finishing 3rd in Mexico last week – closing with a flawless 62. A former University of Texas graduate, who now lives in Dallas, Scheffler will be fired up to end a lean spell (by his standards) and this week’s field, once you scratch the surface, has little depth. If he plays well, Scheffler will be right there come Sunday.
Jason Day $19 with TopSport
Day has been threatening of late, and after he was scuppered last week by a poor first round at El Camaleon, I’m going to give the Aussie the benefit of the doubt after rounds of 64-67-68 pushed him up to 21st place. On the back of Top 20’s in the CJ Cup and Shriners Open, Day is clearly swinging the club well, and a Top 10 at Memorial Park in 2020 only goes to prove the case. If he can keep up the momentum, and just brush up a tad on the greens, then Day is another who should go well this week.
Davis Riley $26 with TopSport
25-year-old Riley is one of the newer recruits to the main PGA Tour of whom great things are expected. Twice a winner on the Korn Ferry Tour, Riley has gone on to post a number of solid efforts at the higher grade. Early year Top 10’s in the Charles Schwab and Byron Nelson haven’t seen the Mississippi pro kick-on as expected, but Riley has tended to be one good round off getting in the frame. He played some solid stuff in Mexico to notch a 21st place, and this week’s course in Houston should see him improve on last year’s, still encouraging, 29th place. A decent each-way bet for me.
Si Woo Kim $46 with TopSport
Si Woo Kim did us a favour when we last backed him, placing at the Shriners Open. The 27-year-old is one of a number of high-class South Koreans playing in the US, and as a previous winner on the PGA Tour (including the prestigious Players Championship) he’s proven at this level. A mixed bag of rounds since that effort in Las Vegas, finishing down the field in the Zozo Championship and CJ Cup, but I fancy he can regain the thread this week in more suitable surroundings.
Sepp Straka $67 with TopSport
The Austrian is a streaky performer, but the 29-year-old from Vienna can claim a win on the PGA Tour (Honda Classic) along with no less than 18 Top 10 finishes in his short time on the main US circuit. That win came in February, and since then Straka has twice finished runner-up, most recently last month in the Sanderson Farms. For good measure, Straka also placed 5th here on debut in 2020. In a field where behind the from half dozen, the quality drops quite markedly, a recent tournament winner and podium-finisher must be of interest. More so at 66/1+.
The Golf Insider is a GUN. Look at these winners, all since the start of 2020... Sebastian Garcia-Rodriguez $126, Roger Sloan $126, Mark Hubbard $126, Tom Hoge $101, Pablo Larrazabal $91, Jeff Winther $91, Nino Bertasio $81, Sam Burns $67, Jhonattan Vegas $67, Lucas Herbert $67, Haotong Li $67, Joaquin Niemann $58, Brian Stuard $51, Ted Potter Jr $51, Russell Henley $51, Victor Perez $51, Harold Varner $51, JT Poston $51, John Catlin $46, Pablo Larrazabal $46, Max Homa $41, Talor Gooch $41.
Top Blokes
Ready for action
Best of the Best
Great for roughies
True. Real Bookies
