Scottie Scheffler is the red-hot favorite
The World No. 1 is chasing a third win in a row
Matt Cooper tipped the winner and two runners-up in his last column
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Player | Odds |
---|---|
Scottie Scheffler | +275 BET HERE |
Wyndham Clark | +1200 BET HERE |
Will Zalatoris | +1800 BET HERE |
Sahith Theegala | +2000 BET HERE |
Tony Finau | +2200 BET HERE |
Jason Day | +2500 BET HERE |
Si Woo Kim | +3000 BET HERE |
Alex Noren | +3300 BET HERE |
Keith Mitchell | +4000 BET HERE |
Tom Hoge | +4500 BET HERE |
Jason Day each-way at +2500 with FanDuel Sportsbook
Billy Horschel each-way at +5500 with bet365
Mackenzie Hughes top 20 at +225 with BetMGM
For more betting opportunities, check our list of the best Golf betting sites and apps.
Before Christmas Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods.
And then, in recent weeks, since winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and THE PLAYERS Championship in back-to-back weeks (successfully defending the latter in the process), the World No. 1 has started to be compared to golf’s greatest of all time.
Scheffler has, for example, now won nine times in his last 51 starts. Equally relevant, to the books at least, is the fact that he has placed a further 19 times in those 51 tournaments.
The books are running scared of him, they do not want bettors backing him each-way, and he starts this week priced +275 which is reminiscent of, you guessed it, Tiger.
What is so impressive about Scheffler is how grounded he is.
Consider what he said recently about the lofty comparisons between himself and Woods.
“We’re playing at Riviera this year,” he said. “And, after I hit my tee ball, this guy yells out ‘Congrats on being No. 1 Scottie. 11 more years to go.’”
Scheffler understood: He’s playing outstanding golf and to be as good as Woods he needs to continue it for a long, long, long, long time.
Will he take the honors this week? Let’s take a look.
Year | Champion and Winning Score | Runner-up and Score |
---|---|---|
2022 | Tony Finau (U.S.A.) -16 | Tyson Alexander (U.S.A.) -12 |
2021 | Jason Kokrak (U.S.A.) -10 | Scottie Scheffler (U.S.A.) -8 Kevin Tway (U.S.A.) -8 |
2020 | Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) -13 | Dustin Johnson (U.S.A.) -11 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) -11 |
It is a par 70 that plays to 7,412 yards
There is an unusual set-up of five par-3s, three par-5s, and just 21 bunkers
It favored long-hitters in the first three PGA Tour visits
This year the rough is shorter with ryegrass rather than Bermuda
In theory, this will further suit the big-hitters
The three winners here all had hot putters
Texas golf always makes demands on control of the ball in the wind
The World No. 1 was born in New York but has spent most of his life in Texas and considers it home. He has a win and three runners-up finishes in the state, and knows the course too. He carded a 65 on debut in 2020, was second in 2021, and ninth in 2022. There’s no reason why he won’t contend but the need for a hot putter is a negative despite his improvements.
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If it weren’t for Scheffler the world might be making a lot of fuss about Clark at the moment because the reigning U.S. Open champion won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and finished second to Scheffler at both Bay Hill and Sawgrass. He has no top-10 finish in Texas, but in his last two visits to Memorial Park was top-10 all week ahead of poor finishes.
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Like Scheffler, Zalatoris hails from outside Texas but has made it his home. He’s yet to enjoy Scheffler’s success there, however, and has no top-10 finish in a PGA Tour stroke play event. He’s making his Memorial Park debut and, while the length might suit him, the need to hole a lot of putts might not. He tends to favor a tougher challenge.
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There is a lot to like about the Aussie Jason Day this week.
Let’s start with his form in Texas: He’s won there three times and all on different tracks.
Course form? He was second all week in 2020 ahead of finishing seventh and was 16th in 2022.
Recent form? He logged top-10s at Pebble Beach and Riviera and top-40s in his last two starts at Bay Hill and Sawgrass.
Moreover, this week should suit him a little better.
He hits the ball a long way, he’s an exceptional lag putter (the greens are large) and Texan breezes don’t bother him.
Back him with FanDuel Sportsbook offering +2500 for the win and +450 for a top five.
Billy Horschel has been quietly sneaking into form in recent weeks.
He carded middle rounds of 67-66 at Scottsdale, was ninth at PGA National, and 12th at Sawgrass last time out.
He’s making his debut at Memorial Park but he is a big fan of golf in the Lone Star State.
He won both the 2017 Byron Nelson Championship and the 2021 WGC Dell Match Play and has another four top-four finishes from 27 starts.
He’s a great each-way price at +5500 with bet365 paying five places.
Since he established himself on the PGA Tour Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes has become a fine performer in Texas.
In fact, six of his last nine starts have reaped top 20s and his record at Memorial Park is especially good.
He was seventh on debut, 29th in 2021, and 16th last year.
He’s also in good form, landing top 30s at Bay Hill and Sawgrass against much stronger fields than this week and he was third last Sunday at Innisbrook.
Take him to land another top 20 at +225 with BetMGM.
Tournament: Houston Open
Location: Memorial Park GC, Houston, Texas
Date: Thursday, March 28 - Sunday, March 31
How to Watch: Thursday & Friday 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday 1-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC). And all four days on Sky Sports.
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