2020 Houston Open: Betting odds, preview and course notes

With just one week until The Masters, some of golf’s biggest names head to the Houston Open in an effort to fine-tune their form before the rescheduled major.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson will make his return to the PGA Tour for the first time since September’s U.S. Open. The +700 favorite in Houston tested positive for COVID-19 in October and was forced to withdraw from the CJ Cup and the Zozo Championship.

His only prep for The Masters will come on the par-70, 7,432-yard Memorial Park Golf Course, which lasted hosted the Houston Open (then the Houston Classic) in 1963. Originally structured as a par 72, the PGA Tour updated the scorecard to change the Par-5 first and 14h holes both to Par 4s.

The Tom Doak design was part of a recent $34 million renovation funded by the Astros Golf Foundation. Brooks Koepka, a +1800 contender this weekend, was the project’s player consultant. Among the changes to the updated design, Koepka recommended a more fan-friendly layout, varied length on the Par 3s, and a significant reduction in the number of bunkers.

Memorial Park features three Par 5s and five par 3s, which range from 155 yards to 237 yards. Water comes into play on four holes, while the 54 bunkers that once inhabited the course have been cut down to 19.

Johnson’s powerful driver could help him excel on the lengthy par 5s, but he’ll need more from his putter on the undulating, Bermuda greens in order to win in Houston.

Tony Finau comes in fresh off the Zozo

If there is any concern over Johnson’s form after his COVID-19 diagnosis, Tony Finau made it clear that time away from golf doesn’t spell disaster.

Finau, a +1800 contender, also contracted the coronavirus in October and sat out the Shriners Open and CJ Cup. Since his eighth-place finish at the U.S. Open, Finau saw his first action back on Tour at the star-studded Zozo Championship in late October, where he shot 17 under to finish 11th.

Like Johnson, Finau’s putter hasn’t been exceptional, but he showed improvement at the Zozo, ranking 16th in strokes gained putting.

The Utah native also ranks seventh in strokes gained tee to green and ninth in strokes gained on approach.

Tyrrell Hatton rides solid form to Houston

In addition to the star power of DJ, Finau, and Koepka, some of the other major players competing in Houston include Jason Day (+3500), Jordan Spieth (+5500), and Phil Mickelson (+8000). However, the only other golfer aside from Johnson ranked in the Top 10 in the world is Tyrrell Hatton, a +1600 pick to finish first at the event.

The Englishman has been on fire since August, landing 16th at the BMW Championship, seventh at the Tour Championship, third in the CJ Cup, and 28th at the Zozo. His only missed cut this fall was at the U.S. Open, where Bryson DeChambeau was the sole player to finish under par at Winged Foot.

Hatton is currently ranked seventh on Tour in par 3 scoring and 34th in strokes gained approaching the green. His last Tour win also occurred on a Bermuda course, where he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, just before the COVID-19 shutdown.

Like last week's Bermuda Championship, the Houston Open will welcome a limited number of fans (up to 2,000) per day on site. The winner of the 132-player field will receive a $1.26 million share of the $7 million purse.

You can watch the Houston Open Thursday through Sunday on the Golf Channel or stream on PGA Tour Live.

Wager on the PGA Tour, including this weekend's Houston Open, at BetAmerica