Scottie Scheffler during the final round of the 2024 Players Championship. | Photo by Brian Spurlock/Getty Images
The PGA Tour shifts to the Lone Star State for the Texas Children’s Houston Open, where a Texan arrives as a heavy favorite.
The PGA Tour heads to Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas, where two of the top four players in the world will tee it up this week. Scottie Scheffler, who has won two events in his last two starts, is in the field, as is reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark.
Other notables include young stars Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala, while Tony Finau arrives at the Texas Children’s Houston Open as the defending champion.
Texas Children’s Houston Open Odds:
Here are the current odds for players to win, per DraftKings:
Scottie Scheffler +280
Wyndham Clark +1400
Will Zalatoris +2000
Tony Finau +2000
Sahith Theegala +2200
Jason Day +2800
Si Woo Kim +3500
Keith Mitchell +4000
Alex Noren +4000
Tom Hoge +4500
Stephan Jaegar +4500
Beau Hossler +4500
Aaron Rai +5000
DraftKings
Is Anyone of Value Besides Scheffler?
Very rarely do you see a golfer listed with odds as low as Scheffler’s this week. What does this mean? Essentially, oddsmakers have determined that it is Scheffler against the field.
If you decide to go with the number one player in the world, you will not receive a big payday, and understandably so. Scheffler has won his last two starts, one being a Signature Event and the other being The Players, routinely dubbed “the strongest field in golf.”
This week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open does not feature a strong field. It is by far the weakest event Scheffler has played in 2024, as many top players have opted to rest following the Florida Swing in preparation for Augusta National.
Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
The top of the trophy for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Still, there is some value to be had down the board.
Jason Day has had a solid season to date, recording three top 10s and missing only one cut at Torrey Pines.
So, too, has Sahith Theegala.
The former Pepperdine standout finished solo second at The Sentry and has three other top 10s to his name. He most recently tied for 9th at The Players after finishing in a tie for 6th the week before at Bay Hill.
Theegala is a sneaky play at +2200 to win, while we also find value in Day at +2800.
Texas Children’s Houston Open Long Shot Pick
Since missing his first two cuts of the season, Doug Ghim has had an excellent stretch of golf. Before last week, when he tied for 67th at the Valspar Championship due to a poor final round, Ghim recorded five straight top-20s, with his best finish coming at the Mexico Open, where he tied for 8th.
He also tied for 16th at The Players Championship, highlighted by his chip-in on the 17th hole. His par-breaker there emulated Tiger Woods’ “Better Than Most” birdie in 2001.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Doug Ghim hits a shot during the third round of the 2024 Players.
Plus, Ghim ranks 30th in strokes gained off the tee, and Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston prioritizes tee shots. He does not hit it long by PGA Tour standards, but he keeps the ball in play, ranking 12th on tour in driving accuracy.
Hence, we like Ghim at +7000. He is a long shot, sure, but tournaments like these often produce young first-time winners on the PGA Tour. Should Ghim go on to do so, he would also receive an invitation to The Masters.
Texas Children’s Houston Open Pick
Scottie Scheffler is simply playing in a league of his own.
Because of that, we feel obligated to take Scheffler once again in Houston. He will decimate Memorial Park from tee to green and rely on his new mallet putter to win his third straight start.
The value is not there, but Scheffler has played so well lately that not taking him would be a mistake. The only hesitancy here is Scheffler’s neck, which ailed him on Friday at TPC Sawgrass. Even then, he persevered against a much stronger field, fired one of the best rounds of his career on Sunday, and became the first player to repeat as Players champion.
With Scheffler’s strokes gained metrics tee to green drawing comparisons to peak Tiger Woods, the only question is, how do you not take him against this field?
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Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
