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Texas Children's Houston Open · March 26–29, 2026 · Houston, TX
Tournament Preview
Can Min Woo Lee Defend at Memorial Park — and Who's Ready for Augusta?
The defending champion returns in scorching form. Scottie Scheffler is out. The Masters qualifying race is fully alive. Houston just got a lot more interesting.
$9.9M Total Purse
$1.782M Winner's Share
500 FedExCup Points
Par 70 Memorial Park
7,475 yds Course Length
135 Players
Memorial Park Golf Course · Houston · img1
Memorial Park Golf Course — the Tom Doak redesign that has become one of the PGA Tour's most unique venues. | Photo: PGA Tour
The Texas Children's Houston Open is the last tune-up before The Masters — and this year, with Scottie Scheffler absent and the Masters qualifying bubble in full effect, every shot at Memorial Park carries extra weight.
Min Woo Lee arrives at Houston as the defending champion, fresh off a record-setting -20 performance in 2025 that announced his arrival on the PGA Tour in the loudest possible way. He is also in the form of his life heading into the week — no missed cuts in six starts in 2026, a T2 at Pebble Beach, and a T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The blueprint for defending at Memorial Park starts with Lee.
But the storyline that hangs over everything else is Augusta. Scheffler's withdrawal — confirmed Monday after his wife entered labor with their second child — removes the world number one from a field that already lacked top-end depth. The winner of this week's event earns an automatic Masters invitation if not otherwise exempt, making Houston a genuine gateway to one of golf's biggest stages for those on the bubble. Six players ranked between 40th and 65th in the world are fighting for those final qualifying spots.
⚠️ Scheffler Withdraws: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler withdrew Monday as his wife prepares to give birth to their second child. His absence fundamentally changes the betting market and opens the door for second-tier contenders who would have faced long odds against the field's dominant force.
Course Profile
Memorial Park: A Bomber's Paradise Built for Augusta Tune-Ups
Par 70Par
7,475Yards
FewestBunkers on Tour
Tom DoakDesigner
2020Renovation
What Wins Here
✅ Raw distance off the tee — par 4s become wedge opportunities
✅ Delicate putting touch — multi-layered, tricky Bermuda greens
✅ Short-game creativity — steep runoff areas replace traditional bunkers
✅ Ball-striking precision under pressure — the greens punish anything offline
⚠️ No margin for bogeys — the winning score at Memorial Park has risen sharply since the Doak renovation
The Tom Doak redesign of Memorial Park, completed for the 2020 return of the Houston Open to the PGA Tour schedule, created something genuinely rare: a public-access golf course that legitimately tests the world's best players. At over 7,400 yards and a par 70, the layout demands elite ball speed and elite putting in equal measure. The fewest bunkers on tour — replaced instead by dramatic runoff areas and multi-layer greens — means the recovery game from around the greens is tested constantly. Miss the green in the wrong direction and you're chipping from unforgiving angles.
What makes Memorial Park a legitimate Masters warm-up is the premium it places on long, accurate iron play and a putting touch that can handle complex, fast surfaces. Those are the same skills that win at Augusta National. The players who thrive here and in Georgia two weeks later tend to share a profile: elite distance, world-class touch with the wedge, and a putter that never goes cold at the wrong moment.
Min Woo Lee · 2025 Champion · img2
Min Woo Lee after his record-setting -20 victory at the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open. He returns this week as the defending champion in the form of his life. | Photo: PGA Tour / Getty Images
Masters Qualifying
The Augusta Bubble: Who's Playing for More Than a Trophy
Thirty players already in the Houston field have qualified for The Masters. But for six players ranked between 40th and 65th in the world, this week is their last realistic shot at securing a place at Augusta National before the field closes. The winner of Houston — and the winner of next week's Valero Texas Open — earns an automatic Masters invitation if not otherwise exempt.
30
Already In Masters
6
On the Bubble
Apr 9
Masters Begins
Top 50
OWG After This Week
The players most directly in the Masters qualifying conversation heading into Houston include Jake Knapp (No. 42), Nicolai Højgaard (No. 47), Pierceson Coody (No. 51), Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 56), Rickie Fowler (No. 61), and Jordan Smith (No. 65). A strong finish this week — particularly for Hojgaard and Coody, both of whom have the ball-striking profile to contend at Memorial Park — could seal their Augusta invitations. A missed cut could end their chances entirely.
Masters Bubble · Watch List
Nicolai Hojgaard: The Sleeper with Real Contender DNA
At No. 47 in the world, Hojgaard sits right on the cusp of Masters qualification. His ball-striking profile fits Memorial Park perfectly — elite distance, high ball speed, and a scrambling game that performs best off short grass rather than deep rough. If he can get his putter warm this week, he's the kind of player who could win this tournament and punch his Augusta ticket at the same time. At current odds, he represents the best value in the field among the bubble players.
Masters Bubble · Watch List
Rickie Fowler: Augusta or Bust
Fowler at No. 61 is dangerously close to the cut-off line. He needs a strong week here — or at Valero next week — to secure his Masters invitation. Memorial Park's premium on touch and wedge play suits Fowler's game, but his inconsistency off the tee could be costly on a course that rewards big hitters. A top-10 finish would likely be enough. Anything less and Fowler could be watching Augusta from his couch for the first time in years.
Field Analysis
The Contenders: Who Wins at Memorial Park
Key Contender · img3
With Scheffler out, the field lacks a clear dominant favorite. Instead, what Houston 2026 offers is a deep cluster of legitimate contenders all separated by thin margins. This is the kind of week where course fit and current form matter far more than world ranking — and the players who hit it long, putt it well, and manage the tricky runoff areas around the greens will emerge.
Tier 1 · Favorites
Min Woo Lee
Defending Champion · Australia · World No. ~15
+650
The defending champion arrives in the best form of his career. Lee has not missed a cut in six starts in 2026, posting a T2 at Pebble Beach and a T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. His 2025 Houston performance — a record-setting -20, four shots better than the previous tournament record — was a masterclass in the blend of power and delicacy that Memorial Park demands. Lee knows every inch of this golf course. He knows what the winning score looks like. He knows what it takes to close. At +650, he remains the most logical pick in the field.
Chris Gotterup
USA · World No. 10 · Big Hitter
+800
Gotterup was overheard on an NFL Films mic during The Players essentially announcing his excitement for getting to Houston: "I can't wait to get to Houston where I can hit it everywhere." That's not bravado — it's a player who understands exactly how his game aligns with this golf course. At World No. 10, Gotterup is the highest-ranked player in a field without Scheffler. His elite distance numbers make every long par-4 at Memorial Park a potential birdie opportunity. If he can get his putter working consistently, he has the ceiling to win wire-to-wire.
Tier 2 · Strong Contenders
Stephan Jaeger
2024 Champion · Germany · Course Specialist
+1200
The 2024 champion at Houston knows this course deeply. Jaeger's methodical, mistake-free style of play — elite fairways hit, precise iron play, consistent short-game — is the blueprint for grinding out a low score at Memorial Park over four rounds. He may not be the longest hitter in the field, but Jaeger maximizes every yard he has and rarely beats himself. Past champions at this venue tend to perform above their seed, and Jaeger at +1200 offers excellent value.
Tony Finau
2022–23 Champion · USA · Two-Time Winner Here
+1400
Nobody in the field has won at Houston more recently than Finau, who claimed back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. His power profile — one of the longer hitters on tour — combined with a putting game that has genuinely improved in recent seasons makes him a dangerous pick at any price. Finau's history here is unmatched among active players. When the game is right, he can post the kind of low scores that win at Memorial Park.
Tier 3 · Value Picks
Nicolai Hojgaard
Denmark · Masters Bubble · Bomber Profile
+2000
Hojgaard's power game — capable of 190 mph ball speed — gives him a massive advantage on Memorial Park's long par-4s. He has the ability to simply overpower this golf course in a way that few players can. His scrambling numbers are also excellent when chipping off short grass rather than deep rough, which is exactly what the Memorial Park surrounds provide. With his Masters qualification on the line and a course profile that suits him perfectly, Hojgaard is the best value play in the field this week.
Brooks Koepka
USA · 4× Major Champion · Long Shot
+2800
Koepka is a major champion who is always dangerous in the final round of any event when the pressure rises. Memorial Park suits his power game, and a fully dialed-in Koepka — with the putter warm — has the ceiling to post a number that wins this tournament. The concern is consistency: his 2026 campaign has been uneven, and he'll need four rounds of focused golf rather than the bursts of brilliance he is capable of. A full-week lock-in from Koepka is rare, but when it happens, the result is usually a trophy.
TFR Picks
Our Win Pick & Best Value for the Week
🏆 Win Pick
Min Woo Lee
+650 (est.)
The defending champion. The tournament record holder. Zero missed cuts in 2026. And a golf course where he knows exactly where every pin is and exactly what score wins. Backing him to go back-to-back.
💡 Value Pick
Nicolai Hojgaard
+2000 (est.)
The best course-fit value in the field. Elite ball speed, Memorial Park bomber profile, Masters qualification motivation. At 20-1, the return-per-risk is compelling. He can win this outright.
Memorial Park — Course Detail · img4
Memorial Park's multi-tiered greens and dramatic runoff areas make it one of the most unique and challenging venues on the PGA Tour schedule. | Photo: PGA Tour
"I can't wait to get to Houston where I can hit it everywhere."
— Chris Gotterup, caught on mic during The Players Championship, March 2026The 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open tees off Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas. It is the last PGA Tour event before The Masters — and with Scottie Scheffler absent, a Masters qualification bubble fully alive, and Min Woo Lee defending one of the most dominant performances in recent Houston Open history, the storylines are stacked. The winner earns $1.782 million, 500 FedExCup points, and — if not already qualified — a trip to Augusta National on April 9. Three rounds will tell us everything we need to know about who is ready for Augusta. Thursday morning, it begins.
The Fitting Room · www.thefittingroomgolf.com · @THEFITTINGROOMGOLF
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