With the Florida Swing now complete and just two weeks remaining before the Masters, the PGA Tour heads to the Lone Star State and Memorial Park Golf Course for the Texas Children’s Houston Open. One of the premier municipal courses in the country, Memorial Park is a long par 70 measuring 7,475 yards, with roots dating back to 1912.
The layout is somewhat unique, featuring five par 3s and three par 5s. Despite its length, the course is relatively straightforward in terms of hazards, with just 21 bunkers and only four holes bringing water into play. The primary defense of the course lies in its unique green complexes, which feature significant undulation, short-grass runoffs and challenging false fronts. As course superintendent Parker Henry puts it, “Nothing is hidden—it’s all out in front of you. But these green complexes can be treacherous if players don’t hit their target.”
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Playing to an average of +0.30 strokes over par per round across its first five editions, Memorial Park has historically emphasized the importance of a well-rounded game. However, with the tournament shifting from its fall slot (2020–2022) to the spring over the last two seasons, changes in agronomy have allowed the course to play less challenging overall. What was once a wall-to-wall Bermudagrass setup has transitioned to overseeded conditions, most notably with Poa trivialis on the greens.
The most impactful change, though, has come in the rough—moving from a penal 2.5-inch Bermuda to a much more manageable 1.25-inch ryegrass overseed. As a result, what was previously one of the more demanding non-major tee-to-green tests on tour has softened. Players are now able to take a more aggressive approach out of the rough, without the same concern for flyers or unpredictable lies typically associated with Bermuda.
Both the data and the typical player field point to Memorial Park being one of the most pronounced courses for “bombers” on the PGA Tour. Whether looking at past winners like Min Woo Lee, Stephan Jaeger, Tony Finau and Carlos Ortiz, or contenders such as Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Thomas Detry and Alejandro Tosti, a common thread emerges—elite distance off the tee.
Headlining the 135-player field are seven of the top-30 ranked players in the world led by No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has played this event every year he’s been on Tour and has three T-2 finishes since 2020. Other notables include Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Harris English, Shane Lowry, Sam Burns and Ryan Gerard. Min Woo Lee also returns to defend his 2025 title.
$9,000+ range
Play: Jake Knapp, $9,500
Even with a missed cut at The Players Championship, Knapp still ranks second in this field in strokes gained in 2026, averaging 1.96 per round. Memorial Park sets up as an ideal fit, not only because of his length off the tee, but also his ability to spike with the putter. Over the past 12 months, he has recorded nine top-12 finishes and brings both the upside and course fit needed to contend deep into Sunday.
Play: Nicolai Hojgaard, $9,200
Hojgaard is another player that fits the “bomber/spike putter” profile and also combines it with strong recent form. Where he can separate from some of the other golfers in this upper tier is with his elite approach play. He’s seventh-best in the field, gaining 0.54 strokes per round and has gained at least two strokes with his irons in 22 percent of his rounds this year.
Fade: Sam Burns, $9,700
Burns is a difficult fade given his talent level relative to this field. However, his underlying metrics this season are concerning. He ranks 72nd in the field in strokes gained tee to green and has struggled significantly around the greens, losing 0.37 strokes per round. Even his typically reliable putter has been inconsistent, as he has lost strokes putting in four of his six starts this year, resulting in three missed cuts.
Read The Line’s Joe Idone and John Haslbauer make the case for Adam Scott at the Texas Children’s Houston Open:
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$8,000+ range
Play: Pierceson Coody, $8,000
After opening the year with five top-18 finishes, Coody has cooled off over his last three starts. Still, his week-to-week ceiling remains appealing, as he ranks as the 11th-best ball striker in this field and is one of the streakiest putters on tour. With projected ownership likely to dip, the Texas native profiles as an intriguing buy-low option this week.
Fade: Ben Griffin, $8,800
Though Griffin finally gained strokes off the tee last week at the Valspar Championship, that result comes with some context, as the course did not require much driver usage. He has now missed three consecutive cuts and has lost strokes on approach in each of his last five events. He also stands out as one of the few players priced above $8,000 who averages under 290 yards off the tee.
$7,000+ range
Play: Mackenzie Hughes, $7,100
While there are plenty of appealing bomber types in this range, Hughes stands out as a sneaky option this week. It is not just because of his elite course history at Memorial Park, where he has recorded four top-16 finishes and has gained the third-most strokes of anyone in this field. His underlying form is also trending in the right direction. His ball speed off the tee has climbed to a career-high north of 178 mph, his long iron play has improved significantly, and he continues to possess one of the strongest short games in the field.
$6,000+ range
Play: Kevin Yu, $6,700
After struggling for much of the early season, Yu showed signs of life last week with a T-30 finish at the Valspar Championship. He brings plenty of distance off the tee and ranks as one of the stronger mid- to long-iron players in this field. He has also demonstrated the ability to spike on longer layouts, highlighted by his lone tour victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2024.
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Ron Klos (@PGASplits101 on X) is a PGA Tour data analyst for Betsperts Golf.