The Houston Open has been played the week before the Masters since 2007, and it is the last chance for a player to get a win to qualify for Augusta. It is played at the Golf Club of Houston and last year’s tournament was won by Russell Henley, who won for the first time in three years and went to Augusta as a result. Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
Event Details
Event: Houston Open
Category: PGA Tour
Date: March 29th – April 1st, 2018
Location: Golf Club of Houston, Houston, Texas
Past Five Winners
2017: Russell Henley -20
2016: Jim Herman -15
2015: J.B. Holmes -16
2014: Matt Jones -15
2013: D.A. Points -16
Rickie Fowler +1000
Fowler has been up and down this season as he finished T-14 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, but prior to that, he missed the cut at the Honda Classic and T-37 at the WGC-Mexico Championship. He skipped the WGC-Match Play event, and Fowler needs something to go right heading into Augusta. Fowler finished T-3 here last year, four strokes behind Henley, and he finished T-10 here in 2016. Fowler has been undone by hus putter this year, ranking 127th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Jordan Spieth +1100
Spieth went 2-1-0 at the WGC-Match Play, losing to Patrick Reed for a chance to go to the knockout stages. However, it was an encouraging performance from Spieth, who is currently 172nd in Strokes Gained: Putting. He is also 133rd in driving accuracy, but good iron play usually gives him a chance at a birdie. Spieth missed the cut here last year, but he was T-13 here in 2016 and T-2 in 2015. He grew up in Dallas and went to school in Austin, and Spieth would love to give the fans in his state something to cheer about.
Henrik Stenson +2000
After missing the cut at the Valspar Championship, Stenson finished solo fourth at Bay Hill, although he went into the final round with the lead. He had a pair of top-tens on the European Tour before heading to the United States, and Stenson looks like his old self after struggling for most of the second half of 2017. He is a great driver of the ball, especially with his three-wood off the tee, and his iron play is good. Like most players, however, Stenson’s success is tied to his putter. He missed the cut here last year, but Stenson finished solo second in Houston in 2016.
Luke List +3000
List lost all three of his matches at the WGC-Match Play event (he hung tough against Justin Thomas despite breaking his putter and having to putt with a wedge), but he had three top-tens in a row in stroke play prior to that. List is a monster driver of the ball, although he isn’t very accurate with it. He ranks 117th in Strokes Gained: Putting, but strangely he can be good on Sunday with the flatstick (55th in fourth-round putting). If he is close to the top of the leaderboard, he could have a chance in Houston, where List finished T-3 in 2017 and T-27 in 2016.
