Houston Open preview: Can Scheffler go 3 in a row?

The Florida swing is over, and the Masters is on the horizon as the PGA TOUR prepares for back-to-back events in Texas.

First up is the Houston Open, which hasn't been played since 2022 due to the TOUR shifting from a wraparound schedule to one that operates on the calendar year.

Scottie Scheffler is back in action and looking for his third straight win after claiming the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship. The World No. 1 headlines a field that includes defending champion Tony Finau, Wyndham Clark, Will Zalatoris, Jason Day, and Sahith Theegala.

When: March 28-31
Where: Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas

How to watch

Last year's result

With no event in Houston on last year's calendar, we go back to the fall of 2022 when Finau claimed his fifth TOUR title in dominant fashion. Finau held at least a share of the lead at the end of each round before pulling away and claiming the four-shot triumph. Memorial Park provided a stern test for the field, as Finau's 16-under total was one of three scores to break into double digits.

Recent winners

2023: No tournament
2022: Tony Finau (-16)
2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)
2019: Lanto Griffin (-14)
2018: Ian Poulter (-19)
2017: Russell Henley (-20)
2016: Jim Herman (-15)

Featured groups

Reasons to watch

Scheffler the outrageously low favorite

Scheffler's ball-striking statistical profile over the past two seasons ranks among the best the TOUR has seen since Tiger Woods' peak in the early 2000s. The Texan dominated at Bay Hill to run away from the competition before storming back from five down to dramatically claim his second straight Players Championship two weeks ago. That exceptional run has the 27-year-old listed at just +275 to win the Houston Open - an absurdly low number for an event consisting of a full field. Scheffler would become the first golfer since 2017 to win three straight events on TOUR should he hold the trophy at the end of the week.

Race for Masters spot

It's the last week to secure a Masters spot via the exemption reserved for all players inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Three players in the field have a legitimate chance at grabbing an exemption with a strong showing:

• No. 57 Tom Hoge
• No. 63 Mac Hughes
• No. 66 Alex Noren

Hoge didn't play in Houston in 2022, but Noren tied for fourth, while Hughes placed 16th. Noren and Hughes are trending in the right direction coming to Texas. The Swede has made every cut this season, and the Canadian tied for third at last week's Valspar Championship.

Betting odds

Scottie Scheffler +275
Wyndham Clark +1,150
Will Zalatoris +1,700
Sahith Theegala +1,800
Tony Finau +2,200
Jason Day +2,500
Si Woo Kim +2,800
Alex Noren +3,500
Keith Mitchell +4,500
Stephan Jaeger +4,500
Jake Knapp +5,000
Kurt Kitayama +5,000
Mackenzie Hughes +5,000
Tom Hoge +5,000
Beau Hossler +5,500
Aaron Rai +6,000
Billy Horschel +6,000
Doug Ghim +6,000

Odds via theScore Bet