Houston Open Betting Guide (PGA)
Brian Gay, a 200/1 pre-tournament betting outright, took down the Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course. The 48-year-old posted a T3 at the event last year and it’s a friendly reminder that no matter the current form of a certain golfer, they can always pop at courses they have had prior success at. Gay fired rounds of 70-68-67-64 to finish at 15-under-par and takedown Wyndham Clark in a playoff. It was Gay’s fifth career PGA Tour win after 26 years on Tour.
We are now officially just over a week away from the Masters! The PGA Tour will first make a stop in Texas for the Houston Open. The tournament has run from 2003 to 2019, but this year brings a change of venue. Normally played at the Golf Club of Houston, the event will now move to Memorial Park Golf Course. This will also be the first time the tournament has a sponsor (Vivant) and we can expect a much stronger field because of it.
World number one, Dustin Johnson has made a full recovery from COVID-19 and will headline the field. Brooks Koepka also returns from injury to tee it up one week before Augusta. Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton, Hideki Matsuyama, and Viktor Hovland are some other big names making the trip. Lanto Griffin is back in the field to defend his title after some strong recent play.
Here are the past five winners of the event:
- 2019 Lanton Griffin (-14)
- 2018 Ian Poulter (-19)
- 2017 Russell Henley (-20)
- 2016 Jim Herman (-15)
- 2015 J.B. Holmes (-16)
Course Preview
Memorial Park Golf Course is located in the heart of Houston, Texas. It is a municipal course that is open to the public year-round. Brooks Koepka helped with the re-design of the course to help it become playable for the game’s best this week. The course will measure at 7,432 yards and play as a Par 72. Golfers will see undulating Bermuda greens that measure at a large, 7,000 square feet in average.
Despite the renovation to accommodate this event, we can still expect plenty of eagles and birdies. The course features five Par 5s and five Par 3s. There is also a drivable Par 4 on the 13th hole. Players can expect generous landing areas off the tee with few hazards. It has the makings for a “bomb and gauge†type course for the longest of drivers.
Key Stats
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-tee
- Par 5 Scoring
- Opportunities Gained
- Performance on Bermuda Greens
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
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Best Bets to Win
Tony Finau (+1900)
It appears a win is very close for the 31-year-old. Four straight top-10s, including a fifth at the BMW Championship and an 8th at the U.S. Open, Finau is trending nicely. When sorting by easy, Bermuda courses, Finau ranks second in strokes gained: off-the-tee, second in DraftKings points, and fifth in ball-striking over the last 36 rounds. He also ranks first in Par 5 scoring and eighth in birdies-or-better gained in the same time frame.
Scottie Scheffler (+2100)
Scheffler is a former Texas Longhorn who will feel very comfortable in Houston this week. The 24-year-old already had seven top-10 finishes last year that included two third-place showings. He still hasn’t found the winner’s circle in the PGA, but Memorial Park Golf Course is a great setup for him. He is very long and accurate off the tee, ranking second in the field in strokes gained: off-the-tee in the last 36 rounds. Expect plenty of birdie chances this week.
Best Top-10 Bets
Corey Conners (+550)
The Canadian has two top-20s in his last three outings, including a T8 at the Zozo Championship his last time out. He has always been an excellent ball-striker, and lately, his putting is coming around. Conners putts his best on Bermuda grass and his first win came in Texas at the Valero Open.
Cameron Davis (+600)
Davis has the perfect blend of driving distance and short game to go well at Memorial Park Golf Course. He has made seven straight cuts and has high finishes of sixth at the Sanderson Farms Championship and 15th at the Wyndham Championship. Over the last 36 rounds, he ranks second in the field in DraftKings points and fourth in Par 5 scoring.
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Nic Turner is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.