Damien Kayat previews the 2021 Houston Open taking place at the Memorial Park Golf Course.
2021/2022 US PGA Tour
Houston Open
Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas
11th-14th November
The US PGA Tour returns to US soil after a three-week international stint. This is actually an event that officially dates back all the way to 1946, when Byron Nelson bested Ben Hogan in a legendary inaugural showdown. It hasn’t really maintained that epic status as the years have progressed. This event became the traditional pre-Masters tune-up event from 2007. But it was moved forward into the fall schedule in 2019 (obviously linked to the migration of the PGA Championship). The field reflects the time of year to a large degree. The tour is essentially in snooze mode at present as many of the elite players recharge ahead of next year’s schedule. Having said that, there are still some big names present this week.
This parkland course was originally designed by John Bredemus (though it was recently reworked by Tom Doak in collaboration with Brooks Koepka). Considering Koepka’s involvement, it should come as no surprise that length will be favoured this week. This par 70 measures a mighty 7,432 yards. That includes three par 3’s that measure over 200 yards. The course actually played quite tough last year, with only three players finishing in double-digits under-par. Koepka and Doak’s decision to eliminate many of the fairway bunkers led to dramatic runoff areas around the greens. Thus, scrambling skills could prove crucial with these steep runoff areas. Also, look for bombers in relatively decent current form.
Sam Burns is a logical favourite this week. His exceptional 2021 campaign has gone quietly under the radar. He has already won twice this year and also lost in a three-man playoff at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He is followed closely by the ultra-consistent Scottie Scheffler. There are actually quite a few high-quality players in attendance this week. Tony Finau and Cameron Smith will resume their FedEx Cup Playoffs battle while Sungjae Im is a recent winner on tour. Brooks Koepka and Tyrell Hatton certainly attract the eye further down the market. Patrick Reed is still trying to re-establish himself on tour following his late-season bout of bilateral pneumonia. This should be yet another compelling week of US PGA Tour Golf.
Past Winners
2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)
2019: Lanto Griffin (-14)
2018: Ian Poulter (-19)
2017: Russell Henley (-20)
2016: Jim Herman (-15)
To Win Outright:
Sam Burns 14/1 | Scottie Scheffler 18/1 | Sungjae Im 20/1 | Cameron Smith 20/1 | Matthew Wolff 22/1
Value Bets
Erik Van Rooyen- To Win 60/1 | To Place 13/1
Erik Van Rooyen looks like wonderful value this week at 60/1. The 31-year-old South African came on really strong towards the end of last season. He won his maiden title at the Barracuda Championship before a pretty special showing during the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He enjoyed finishes of 7-5-22 during those elite Playoff events. He has made two of three cuts this season and could be great value this week. He is a premium ball-striker who tends to score well on difficult courses.
Gary Woodland- To Win 80/1 | To Place 17/1
Gary Woodland is a first-timer at this course who has shown some pretty decent form in Texas. Earlier this year he finished in a tie for 6th at the Texas Open (he followed that up with a T14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge). He also finished inside the top 10 at Colonial last year. Woodland seems to be getting back to something resembling his best form after a series of injuries. He finished in a tie for 9th at the CJ Cup just a few weeks back. He also has two other top 11 finishes in his previous five starts. The former US Open champion looks primed for a comeback.
The Man to Beat- Talor Gooch- To Win 25/1 | To Place 11/2
Talor Gooch is really enjoying an excellent start to the 2021/2022 campaign. He has registered four consecutive top 20 finishes. That included top 5 finishes at both the Fortinet Championship and the CJ Cup. He has gained on the field in approach shots in eleven of his last twelve events. Add to that the fact that Gooch finished inside the top 10 here last year and you have a potential recipe for success this week.
