Houston, Texas, is the site for this week’s upcoming PGA Tour event. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returns as a short +350 betting favorite to win the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open. Behind Scheffler is defending champion, Min Woo Lee, at +1500 odds, followed by Chris Gotterup (+2000), Jake Knapp (+2200), and Brooks Koepka at +2700 odds.
Hosted at Memorial Park Golf Course, this Tom Doak-renovated design is a par 70 running 7,475 yards on overseeded Bermudagrass surfaces. Rough is short at less than 1.5 inches, while there will be fewer water hazards to deal with compared to the Florida stretch. Greens measure 7,000 square feet on average, with undulations that further complicate its 12-foot Stimpmeter pace.
My 2026 Valspar Championship Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets settled 1-1-1. Akshay Bhatia’s withdrawal from the Valspar Championship voided our 72 Hole Matchbet against Matt Fitzpatrick, which wound up being a good result, considering Fitzpatrick’s outright win at Copperhead on Sunday. Our loss was on Ryo Hisatsune to card a Top 20 finish, as he slid out of contention with two late bogeys. Jacob Bridgeman’s 69 on Sunday was enough to get to T14, cashing his Top 20 finish wager at +125 odds.
Let’s get prepared for the Lone Star State and place three of my favorite bets on the 2026 Houston Open. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free bets and PGA Tour analysis throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
Texas Children’s Houston Open (2026): Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Let’s tee off with one of the best young bombers on the PGA Tour, Michael Thorbjornsen. The 24-year-old has a pair of top 20 finishes in 2026.
Most importantly, Thorbjornsen is second in total driving, sporting top 25 marks in driving distance and accuracy. He’s also 27th in proximity, 20th on 200+ yard approach shots, and 40th scrambling.
In his debut at Memorial Park last year, Thorbjornsen carded a T39 finish. This included going -5-under-par in Round 2, before cooling off over the weekend.
Let’s bet on Thorbjornsen to climb high enough on the leaderboard this week to secure his third top 20 finish of the season at a healthy +170 odds.
Pick: Michael Thorbjornsen (+170)
Top 20 Finishing Position
There’s a theme I’m sticking with in this week’s tournament. Prioritize power hitters, especially at a course that rewards golfers who can get quality production out of their driver.
Chris Gotterup is among the best bombers in this field. It’s why he’s priced as the third overall betting favorite at +2000 odds, looking for his third outright win in 2026.
The 26-year-old New Jersey native has two additional top 20 finishes alongside his pair of victories this season. In two trips to the Houston Open, Gotterup has gone T57-T18. We’re hoping for the latter result this week.
Gotterup ranks 18th in total strokes gained, including 23rd in SG: Off-the-Tee and 27th in SG: Approach. He’s sixth in driving distance, averaging nearly 320 yards per attempt, so Gotterup will have an advantage dealing with shorter rough.
Putting continues to be a weakness. Despite the flat stick inconsistency, I will back G0tterup to place a Top 20 finish at plus odds in his third outing at Memorial Park.
Pick: Chris Gotterup (+135)
Top 20 Finishing Position
This may be a recency bias pick due to Gary Woodland’s T14 finish at the Valspar Championship on Sunday. He’s a bomber off-the-tee and has plenty of experience navigating PGA Tour courses.
Thursday marks Woodland’s ninth time competing at the Houston Open. He’s placed T9-T21-T2 in his past three trips to Memorial Park, which is definitely encouraging considering his latest form at Innisbrook.
In 2026, Woodland only has the Valspar Championship’s T14 finish to boast on his resumé. Yet, he’s a four-time winner and a major champion, leaning on his off-the-tee skillset to contend.
Woodland sits fourth in SG: Off-the-Tee. He leads the PGA Tour in driving distance at 325.1 yards per attempt, while also 62nd in proximity and 44th on 200+ yard approach shots.
Short game is where it gets sketchy, which is why Woodland sits at +380 for a Top 20 finish this week. Errant lies aren’t going to be punished as hard as we saw in Florida, which bodes well for Woodland to yield a productive scorecard.
Bet on Woodland to snag a second consecutive Top 20 finish this week at Memorial Park, available at a generous value at +380 odds.
Pick: Gary Woodland (+380)
