By TERRY LYONS, Editor: Digital Sports Desk
HOUSTON – The Texas Children’s Houston Open is being played in the spring for the third consecutive season after a four-year stint in the Fall from 2019-2022. The tournament is being hosted at Memorial Park Golf Course for the sixth consecutive time after the course underwent a renovation in 2019 led by the Astros Golf Foundation to prepare it for PGA TOUR competition.
This week’s field includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, headlined by No. 10 Chris Gotterup. Thirty players in this week’s field are qualified for the Masters Tournament. The Top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking through the Texas Children’s Houston Open will qualify for the Masters Tournament if not already exempt.
The winners of the next two PGA TOUR events will also qualify for the Masters, if not otherwise exempt. Next week is the Valero Texas Open.
Players in the field between Nos. 40-65 in the OWGR who have not qualified for the Masters: Jake Knapp (No. 42), Nicolai Højgaard (No. 47), Pierceson Coody (No. 51), Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 56), Rickie Fowler (No. 61) and Jordan Smith (No. 65).
Should he go on to qualify, Plano, Texas native Pierceson Coody, grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, would become the first grandson of a Masters champion to compete in the major tournament. After finishing the 2025 calendar year No. 96 in the world, Coody opened the 2026 season with four consecutive Top-20 finishes, highlighted by back-to-back Top-10s at the Farmers Insurance Open (T2) and WM Phoenix Open (T10).
Tournament Fact Sheet
THIS WEEK on the PGA Tour: Texas Children’s Houston Open
COURSE: Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas
TOURNAMENT SITE: (link)
TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW: (link)
HOUSTON OPEN PAST RESULTS: (link)
ARCHITECT: John Bredemus
YARDS/PAR: 7,475 yards/Par 70
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,900,000/$1,782,000
DEFENDING Champion: Min Woo Lee
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500