Excerpt:
Min Woo Lee defends his title this week at the 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open, where clubs will be swung starting March 26th at Memorial Park Golf Course. With Scottie Scheffler as the top favorite and a strong field, the tournament in Houston promises one thrilling round after another.
The 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open is just around the corner, folks! It's time for action again at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas. Starting March 26th, the pros will be swinging their clubs, and the entire golf world is eagerly awaiting a tournament that promises pure excitement. Min Woo Lee, our reigning champion from 2025, is set to defend his first PGA Tour victory – no easy feat with this field!
At the top of the entry list and with the bookmakers, Scottie Scheffler naturally reigns supreme. The World No. 1 is the absolute top favorite with +300 odds, having already won the American Express in 2026, and is now chasing his second victory of the season. Anyone who has seen him live on this course knows: he's on fire! Scheffler holds the course record with a 62, which he posted in 2021 and 2025, and not without reason. But Min Woo Lee, who then outplayed Gary Woodland and Scheffler, is also considered a very strong contender despite the challenge of the tough course.
Numbers, Facts, and the Challenging Course
Memorial Park Golf Course, a par-70 course stretching a proud 7,475 yards (approx. 6,835 meters), is certainly no walk in the park. Precise iron play is required here on the segmented greens. A hefty $9.9 million is in the pot, with the winner taking home a cool $1,782,000 and an additional 500 crucial FedExCup points. Returning to the PGA Tour in 2020 and renovated by Tom Doak, the course also features three par-5 holes and an atmospheric 15th hole that gets the fans roaring.
Familiar Faces and Dark Horses
Besides the top stars, we'll also see familiar faces like Stephan Jaeger (2024 winner) and Tony Finau (2022 champion) teeing off. Finau, by the way, also holds a course record round of 62, just like Gary Woodland and Valimaki in 2025. Brooks Koepka, who finished a strong 5th in 2020 and even contributed to the redesign, is back in the mix, as is Rickie Fowler, who recently impressed at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T9). And for those looking for a longshot: Wyndham Clark, who secured a T5 in 2025, is definitely worth considering with +5400 odds.
The tension is building, as the first tee time is set for March 26th at 7:10 AM CT (2:10 PM CET). Monday's qualifiers at Westwood Golf Club have completed the field with the final two spots – let the games begin!
