The final PGA Tour event before The Masters takes place this week as the players head to Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas. With Augusta looming, this event often serves as a key preparation test, particularly for those looking to sharpen their ball-striking and scoring ahead of the first major of the year.
We look at the tournament from a betting perspective below.
The Course
Memorial Park is a par 70 measuring 7,475 yards (6,835 metres) and is one of the more unique layouts on the PGA Tour schedule.
Originally redesigned by Tom Doak with input from Brooks Koepka, the course has a modern, strategic feel. While it is long on paper, it plays as a second-shot golf course, placing a premium on approach play rather than just driving distance.
Fairways are relatively wide compared to typical Tour setups, but the challenge comes from:
- penal run-off areas around greens
- tightly mown collection areas
- large, subtly contoured putting surfaces
The greens are fast (typically around 12 on the stimpmeter) and positioning is key, with players needing to find the correct sections to give themselves realistic birdie chances.
There is minimal water in play, but that is offset by strategic bunkering and difficult green complexes. The course is generally considered scoreable, particularly in calm conditions, with winning totals often pushing towards -15 to -20.
Memorial Park tends to favour:
- elite approach players
- strong par-4 scoring
- players who can take advantage of scoring opportunities without making big mistakes
Betting (Texas Children’s Houston Open)- Click here to bet
Min Woo Lee 15.00
Chris Gotterup 19.00
Jake Knapp 21.00
Brooks Koepka 26.00
Nicolai Højgaard 26.00
Michael Thorbjornsen 29.00
(Prices subject to change)
Previous winners
2025 Min Woo Lee (Australia) -20 1 stroke
2024 Stephan Jager (Germany) -12 1 stroke
2023 No tournament
2022 Tony Finau (United States) -16 4 strokes
2021 Jason Kokrak (United States) -10 2 strokes
Selections:
Jake Knapp at 21.00
Jake Knapp was in remarkable form going into the Players Championship but after two poor rounds he ended up missing the cut. However, In his four starts before that he had finished 8th or better in every tournament. He managed to finish 6th at the Genesis, 8th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and Phoenix Open and 5th at the Farmers Insurance Open. Apart from his stumble at the Players Championship, Knapp has been in really good form and I think we will see a bounce back from him this weekend.
Suggested bet: Jake Knapp each way at 21.00.
Stephan Jaeger at 61.00
Jaeger is our long shot this weekend but there is a reason we have chosen him. Firstly, he has a very impressive record at the Houston Open, finishing 11th, 1st and 9th in his last three starts at the tournament. Secondly he managed to pick up a solid 7th place finish at last week’s Valspar Championship, finishing only four shots off the lead. This puts him in the perfect position, momentum as well as experience and at 61.00 I think this is a solid long shot.
Suggested bet: Stephan Jaeger each way at 61.00.
Marco Penge at 29.00
Marco Penge earned his PGA Tour card after a brilliant season on the DP World Tour last season. He got off to a tough start this year with a few missed cuts but last week we finally got to see some of the form he was producing last year. He managed to finish 4th at the Valspar Championship, just three shots off the lead after shooting even par in the final round. As we saw last year, once Penge gets some momentum, he becomes a force to be reckoned with and with his length at a course like Memorial Park, I think we will see another solid week from him.
Click here for betting on all the Texas Children’s Houston Open markets
