Rory McIlroy has one eye on the here and now – as in, contending and trying to back up his win in The Players a fortnight ago with another in the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park – but, naturally enough, also with another eye on what lies ahead in two weeks time, at the Masters in Augusta National.
Since lifting the 28th win of his career on the PGA Tour at Sawgrass, McIlroy – who has added the Houston Open on to his schedule for the first time in 11 years as part of preparatory work in the quest to add a green jacket to his wardrobe – revisited Augusta National to “refamiliarise” himself with the course, especially in light of some remedial work that was carried out after last year’s storm including around the 16th green where a number of trees were felled.
“The loss of a few trees is definitely noticeable ... they’ve had to redo that green but it’s exactly the same as what it was. Apart from maybe a few less shadows on the green late in the day because of a couple of trees that were lost, it’s pretty much the same,” said McIlroy, adding of the reasoning for his latest reconnaissance visit:
“There’s four greens that are new this year that they’ve redone. You just sort of, you have a look at those and see if there’s any 2 new hole positions they give you, stuff like that. Apart from that, honestly for me, it’s nice to play a practice round without people around and it sort of takes the pressure off the start of the week for me. There’s a lot of obligations, there’s big commitments whether it be from media or the par-3 tournament on Wednesday. I just like to get up there and feel like I’m not rushed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday the week of the tournament and that’s usually the reason I go there.”
Rory McIlroy makes the cut in Houston with run of late birdies
Rory McIlroy at The Masters: Brace for the next chapter in one of Ireland’s greatest sporting sagas
Scottie Scheffler storms into the lead at Houston Open after course record 62
Rory McIlroy’s ‘pedestrian’ opening round in Houston rain leaves him with work to do
McIlroy has not played the Houston Open since 2014 but the rejuggling of its position in the tour schedule and the need for another event between the Players and the Masters saw him add it to his itinerary.
“I’ve watched this tournament the last couple years, especially since it moved to this date instead of (Autumn), and felt like it was a golf course that would be right up my alley and would suit my game and suit my style of play,” said McIlroy, who has started the season really well with two wins, in the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am and the Players.
Although it would be natural to look slightly into the future and that perennial bid to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters, McIlroy insisted: “I just want to get a card in my hand and shoot scores and hopefully get myself in contention and try to win another golf tournament. It’s not as if I’m playing here this week and thinking about two weeks’ time. I’m here, I’m in the present, I’m trying to do my best this week and trying to win this golf tournament.”
McIlroy is the only player to have won multiple tournaments on the PGA Tour this season and, effectively, ventures into world number one Scottie Scheffler’s den this week. Texan Scheffler finished tied-second last year (the only event in a five tournament stretch he didn’t win) but, this time, is looking for a first win of the season after a spell recuperating from a hand injury in the winter.
“I feel like where I’m at in my game right now. I’m kind of, I would say, dialling things in, is how I’d describe it. I’m getting a little bit sharper and I feel like I’m improving a little bit. I feel like I’m fully in the swing of things, yeah. I don’t really think about missing any part of the season any more, everything feels normal. I feel like I’m definitely in the swing of a normal year now,” said Scheffler, who will defend his Masters title in two weeks time.
McIlroy is one of three Irish players in the field at Houston, but the only one with a ticket to the Masters. Séamus Power must win to earn a late exemption, same for Pádraig Harrington. Power’s first top-10 of the season last week in the Valspar also provided some movement in the Aon Swing 5 (a run which takes in the Puerto Rico Open, Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open) with five places on offer off a mini-order of merit in the Heritage, a signature event the week after the Masters. Power is playing both Texas events in his bid to claim one of those five spots.
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Purse: €8.8 million/$9.5 million (€1.57m/$1.7m to the winner)
Where: Houston, Texas, USA
The course: Memorial Park Golf Course – 7,475 yards par 70 – was originally designed by John Bredemus but in recent years the public facility has undergone significant upgrading (at a cost of $35m) under noted architect Tom Doak with player input from Brooks Koepka. It is a public course located in downtown Houston and has proven to be a popular stop on the PGA Tour ... the layout includes a very strong finishing stretch, with the 16th (a par 5 of 616 yards) and 17th holes located on either side of a lake with peninsula greens, while the par 4 18th measures 503 yards and features three greenside bunkers. Scottie Scheffler and Tony Finau share the course record with 62s.
The field: The addition of Rory McIlroy – winner of The Players on his lasts outing – to join Scheffler in the event means that the top two players in the world feature in this tour stop, two weeks ahead of the Masters. Germany’s Stefan Jaeger is the defending champion.
Quote-Unquote: “As a golfer, a lot of us are very visual players and there’s certain golf courses that just look good to our eyes compared to others. I would say this is one that for me to me looks pretty good ... and, then, having won somewhere, I think that gives you the extra confidence” – Tony Finau, winner in 2022 and tied-second last year, on his liking of Memorial Park.
Irish in the field: Rory McIlroy was in an either-or situation in whether to add the Texas Children’s Houston Open or next week’s Valero Texas Open to his schedule following the Players and chose this one. The Northern Irishman is in a group with Wyndham Clark and Maverick McNealy (off the 10th at 12.53pm Irish time); Pádraig Harrington is playing on a sponsor’s exemption and switches from the Champions Tour to the main circuit in a group alongside in-form JJ Spaun and Keith Mitchell (off the first at 5.41pm Irish time); Waterford’s Séamus Power secured his first top-10 finish of the season in last week’s Valspar Championship and needs a win to force his way into the Masters, playing in a group with Aaron Rai and Adam Svensson (6.36pm Irish time).
Betting: World number one Scottie Scheffler missed a five-footer on the last a year ago to force a play-off with Jaeger, at a time when he was in the form of his life. This season has been a slow-burner, not helped by his off-season hand injury, but a return to a favoured course should see Scheffler – the market leader at 4-1 – contend strongly for a first win of the season, while McIlroy brings momentum in on the back of his Players title win and looks decent at 11-2. In terms of each-value, Jacob Bridgeman – with two top-3 finishes in his last four outings – is available at 40-1 while Ryo Hisatsune is worth a look at 100-1.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports Golf (8pm, with featured group coverage from 1pm).
Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass
Purse: €2.1 million/$2.25m (€310,000/$335,000 to the winner)
Where: Chandler, Arizona, USA
The course: Whirlwind Golf Club – 6,661 yards par 71 – was designed by Gary Panks and played host to the inaugural tournament last year, won by Nelly Korda. Located south of Phoenix, the resort is located in the foothills of the Sierra Estrella mountains in a desert setting. The par 5 17th is this week’s Aon risk-reward hole.
The field: A stellar field with 19 of the world’s top 20 – headed by defending champion Nelly Korda – playing. All five Major winners of 2024 are competing. Gabby Barker, who has received a sponsor’s exemption, is the first Native American professional golfer: “It’s an honour to compete against the best in the world while also representing something much bigger than myself. As a Native American woman, it’s so special to see Indian Country pushing for women’s golf and creating a space where this is happening.”
Irish in the field: Leona Maguire is again the lone Irish player in the field as the Cavan golfer looks to hit form ahead of next week’s T-Mobile Match Play. Maguire – who opened the season with a top-10 in the Tournament of Champions – is back to the US after playing on the tour’s Asian Swing (t33-t21-t33) and is in a group with Jin Hee Im and Pajaree Anannarukarn (off the 1st at 3.17pm Irish time).
Betting: No surprise that Nelly Korda, defending champion and world number one, heads the market on 7/1 ahead of the in-form Jeeno Thitikul who is rated an 8/1 shot. In terms of each-way value, A Lim Kim (33/1) and Sarah Schmeizel (80/1) are worth looks.
On TV: Sky Sports Golf (from 11pm).
