Power Rankings: Texas Children's Houston Open

Welcome back, old friend.

After four years positioned in the fall, the Texas Children’s Houston Open returns to its familiar slot in the spring where it will remain through at least 2028. It was contested in late March, April or early May almost every year for nearly six decades.

This year’s edition aligns with another special time in Houston. For that not-so-insignificant detail, how Memorial Park Golf Course will set up and more, continue reading below.

Oh, to be a sports fan in Houston. It really is the holiest of weeks for the faithful.

As the Texas Children’s will be played in favorable conditions for an outdoor sport, the Houston Astros launch their 2024 season also on Thursday with a four-game series against the New York Yankees. Countless locals will be attending both events and there will be many stories from those who attend both on the same day. After all, Friday’s and Saturday’s games at Minute Maid Park are at night and the stadium is about only five miles east of Memorial Park.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the Astros Golf Foundation is hosting the PGA TOUR. The partnership contributed to the tournament’s relocation to Memorial Park in 2020 and, just like the tournament’s springtime homecoming, Memorial Park wasn’t new to its role. It had hosted 14 stagings through 1963, but its latest run has occurred in the wake of Tom Doak’s restoration.

Just like last week’s stop at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course, Memorial Park also showcases five par 3s, but it has only three par 5s, so the overall par is 70. With a new green at the par-4 17th hole this year, the penultimate test is 23 yards longer, so yardage for the entire walk is up to 7,435 yards.

Bermudagrass greens are overseeded and prepared to measure a customary 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. However, the only layer of rough has been trimmed in half to just 1¼ inches.

Scoring in each of the first three editions at Memorial Park was well over par – the most recent field in November of 2022 averaged 70.556 – so it stands to reason that the lighter rough will yield a lower clip even though it’s also overseeded nearest fairways. Connecting for par breakers on larger, undulating putting surfaces has been a serious challenge and the par 5s are no joke. This lays the foundation a longer hitter with crisp irons upon arrival to prevail.

While the weather will cooperate in the form of a dry sky throughout, southerly winds promise to punish by Friday and linger into the weekend when daytime highs will climb into the 80s.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts, Medicals, Reshuffle, Qualifiers

* Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.