Before we head to Augusta National for the Masters, the PGA TOUR is hosting back-to-back events in Texas — starting with this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open. For the sixth time in a row, this event will be played at Memorial Park (Par 70, 7,475 Yards, Poa Trivialis Greens) in Space City.
Min Woo Lee (-20) won last year’s Houston Open by one shot, the lowest winning number since Memorial Park became the host. This week’s field comprises 133 golfers, and there will be a top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Memorial Park is a long parkland course with thin rough, big greens, only 24 bunkers, and water in play on just four holes. With the rough not penalizing and few hazards to worry about off the tee, the course favors long hitters. Lee finished fifth in driving distance last season, and three of the last five winners of the event have finished in the event’s top-16 for the stat.
Being in great form with your irons and putter, as always, is crucial. Four of the last five victors at Memorial Park have finished in the tournament’s top 15 in both SG APP and SGP. Memorial Park is a non-traditional par-70 course featuring 10 par fours, five par threes, and three par fives. Scoring on the par fours is paramount, but having an efficient week on the par threes is also important. Two of the last four winners at this venue have led their fields in par-three efficiency.
Let’s dive into three of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Texas Children’s Houston Open, which all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $750K Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Top DraftKings PGA TOUR DFS Bargain Plays for the Valspar Championship
Jordan Smith ($7,400) — Smith has never teed it up at Memorial Park before, but the Englishman’s game suits this long venue. Smith ranks seventh in total driving and 23rd in driving distance this season. The 33-year-old has only missed two cuts in his last 13 starts worldwide, and he has carded a top-25 finish in three of his last four starts. Just last week at the Valspar Championship, Smith finished third for his best PGA TOUR finish to date.
Smith gained strokes in every major category at the Copperhead Course and closed the event with a 5-under 66. Facing a weaker field at Memorial Park, another high finish is possible for Smith.
Lee Hodges ($7,000) — Hodges is just too cheap this week. The 30-year-old has made two of three cuts at Memorial Park, including a T11 last season. He closed with a 5-under 65. Hodges returns to Houston this week, fresh off a T18 at the Valspar Championship.
The veteran gained strokes in every major category except around the greens, and he finished the event with back-to-back 2-under 69s at the Copperhead Course. This marked Hodges’ 10th made cut in his last 13 starts, producing three top-20 finishes during this stretch.
William Mouw ($6,900) — Mouw will be back in action this week after withdrawing from the Valspar Championship for an undisclosed reason during the second round of the event. Not knowing exactly what happened isn’t ideal, but that factor should keep Mouw’s ownership very low, and he is an awesome gamble for GPPs at this cheap salary. Mouw finished T47 in his first attempt at Memorial Park last season, and he is coming off two strong outings in Florida.
Mouw finished T6 at the Cognizant Classic and then T24 at THE PLAYERS Championship. The 25-year-old shot under par in six of those eight rounds. At both these events, he gained strokes off the tee, on approach, and with his putter. Mouw ranks fourth in total driving this season, and he is less than a year removed from his breakthrough win at the ISCO Championship last July. If healthy, Mouw will bring top-25 upside this week.
