2020 Houston Open: PGA Tour Golf Betting Odds
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is favoured on the golf odds.
From 2007-2018 except in 2013, the Houston Open was held the week before the Masters in the spring and tournament organizers would set up the course to best approximate Augusta National. When Shell’s sponsorship ended in 2017, this event was in some jeopardy but was saved by the owner of MLB’s Houston Astros and is operated under the Astros Golf Foundation.
Now it’s held in the fall and for the first time in 2020 at Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course, a par 71 at around 7,020 yards that had a two-year makeover at $34 million (US). This is one of just two municipal courses on this season’s schedule, along with San Diego’s Torrey Pines (Farmers Insurance Open).
Former world No. 1 Brooks Koepka served as design consultant for the renovation of Memorial Park. The tournament was originally scheduled for October but shifted as part of the coronavirus changes.
A limited number of fans (2,000 per day) will be allowed to attend for the first time in the USA on the Tour since the COVID-19 pandemic halted PGA Tour play in March.
The defending champion (at the Golf Club of Houston’s Tournament Course) is relative unknown Lanto Griffin. He led by a shot through three rounds thanks to a Saturday 66 before losing the lead briefly on Sunday. Griffin got the lead back with a 33-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and held on for his first PGA Tour victory. Griffin’s previous best PGA Tour finish was only a T11. Griffin, who finished 14-under 274, is back to defend – he hasn’t really come close to winning since – and is +5100.
The only player to repeat in this event was Vijay Singh in 2005. He and Curtis Strange are the lone three-time champions of the Houston Open.
Houston Open Golf Betting Odds
It’s Johnson’s first start since testing positive for COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago. He’s clearly the best player in the field and thus has relatively short +721 odds. DJ last played at the US Open and was T6.
Tyrell Hatton is +1100 and then there’s a dropoff at +1900 with Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama and Tony Finau. Hatton won one of the biggest European Tour events a few weeks ago, the BMW PGA Championship. Koepka has barely played in months due to a back issue.
Tiger Woods was thinking about playing this week but opted against it. Phil Mickelson was either going to play the Houston Open or on the Champions Tour to warm up for Augusta and chose Houston. Lefty is coming off a second-to-last-place finish at the Zozo Championship and is +7700. Mickelson won this tournament in 2011.
No Canadian has won the tournament. Michael Gligic was T28 last year at 5 under, Mackenzie Hughes T55 at 1 under, Graham DeLaet T70 at 3 over, and David Hearn and Roger Sloan missed the cut. Hughes is +9300 this week. Corey Conners is +5700. DeLaet +63800.
Houston Open Golf Predictions
We like Hughes for a Top 10, but the winner is Russell Henley. He clearly likes Houston as he won this tournament in 2017 and has finished no worse than fourth in his past two events this season.