We preview the Vivint Houston Open taking place at the Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
US PGA Tour
Vivint Houston Open
Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course, Houston, Texas, USA
5th- 8th November
Brian Gay showed a lot of bottle in last week’s Bermuda Championship, brushing off some tight putting towards the end of that round. It was his first title since 2013 and bears testament to his never-say-die attitude. This week’s Masters appetizer is set to be a completely different affair, with a far stronger field descending on Memorial Park. This event dates back to 1946 and has recently been the lead-up event for the Masters. Furthermore, this will be the first post-lockdown with fans. This could be interesting, particularly in the post-election milieu. I always wonder just how wise it is to tee up a week before an emotionally charged event like the Masters. Memorial Park will be glad for the opportunity: this will be the first PGA Tour event hosted here since 1963!
Located three miles west of downtown Houston, Memorial Park staged this event 14 times in its earliest incarnations. The switch to Memorial Park seems to be a consequence of the change in sponsors this year. Interestingly enough, this venue opened in 1912 as a military course. This course underwent a full redesign this year, leaving a slight sense of mystery going into this event. This is a long, flat, tree-lined parkland course that should play very easy for these pros. There is minimal bunkering to protect the large Bermuda greens. The rough is also expected to be fairly inconsequential. Water is in play on five of the holes on the back nine.
World Number One Dustin Johnson decides to tee it up this week following his protracted Covid hiatus. He came within a whisker of losing his top ranking when Jon Rahm almost hurdled him at Sherwood Oaks. Four-time Major Champion Brooks Koepka will clearly be looking for some positivity ahead of Augusta. Molinari will be teeing it up for only the 2nd time post-lockdown: who can forget how he choked at last year’s Masters? Tyrell Hatton has been in sensational form of late while the likes of Day and Garcia will be tinkering with their game ahead of next week. Adam Scott returns after his own Covid diagnosis, clearly in preparation for his beloved Masters.
Past Winners
2019: Lanto Griffin (-14)
2018: Ian Poulter (-19) *playoff
2017: Russell Henley (-20)
2016: Jim Herman (-15)
2015: J.B Holmes (-16) *playoff
To Win Outright:
Dustin Johnson 7/1 | Tyrell Hatton 14/1 | Hideki Matsuyama 18/1 | Brooks Koepka 20/1 | Tony Finau 20/1
Value Bets
Denny McCarthy: To Win 66/1 | To Place 14/1
McCarthy tied for 4th in Bermuda last week, picking up his 2nd top 10 finish in three weeks. He also tied for 6th at the Sanderson Farms. He has three top 10 finishes since mid-August, missing just five cuts in 21 events in 2020. Though played on a different golf course, he did manage a top 10 in this event last year. It was one of three top 10’s during last year’s fall series (he clearly plays well at this time of year). He is one of the best putters on tour, averaging 0.91 Strokes Gained: Putting through ten rounds this season.
J.T Poston: To Win 80/1 | To Place 17/1
J.T Poston has been inconsistent since the start of the new season, with a 3rd place finish at Sanderson Farms the highlight. The return to Bermuda grass this week should suit this magnificent putter: his sole PGA title came on the Bermuda of the Wyndham Championship. Poston is a brilliant putter who also ranks 15th in Par 5 scoring. That should make him the ideal dark-horse in what should boil down to a low-scoring putting contest.
The Man to Beat: Doc Redman-To Win 45/1 | To Place 19/2
I’ve opted to avoid all the heavy hitters this week, who usually use this event to tinker with their game ahead of Augusta. The first victory for this 22-year-old prodigy doesn’t seem too far off. He led last week’s fairly mental Bermuda Championship after 54 holes. But a slight wobble meant he had to content himself with a tie for 4th. In his last six events he also has two ties for 3rd: at the Safeway Open and Wyndham Championship.
Written by Damien Kayat.
