Just got the email saying the tournament will be in Spring of 24'. Exact dates not released yet

Would have to imagine it will replace the Dell Match Play in Austin right?

What do they need to do to meet those expectations? I saw we were ranked dead last on the top PGA tour courses.

B$Weigem said:

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What do they need to do to meet those expectations? I saw we were ranked dead last on the top PGA tour courses.

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I think they've done about all they can. It just sits on a nondescript parcel of land and lacks any history. Just hard to make the course itself the focal point. Maybe if they could find a niche like the WM.

Make a run at Bluejack. If Tiger will play....huge deal

wow that's huge news.

Huge get for Houston golf fans.

MAROON said:

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Great news for Jim Crane and Houston golf. Back in the day the Houston Golf Association ran one of the best tournaments on the tour. I miss the days of the tourney at TPC - Woodlands. That course was great for spectators.

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The Michelob Houston Open

Man, those were the days. I've got some great signatures on some old Houston Open visors. Palmer, Nicklaus, heck I've even got Don January on one. Got a ball from Nicklaus the year he finished 6th. Watched the Kentucky Derby with Jack's caddie Angelo, and Hubert Green after their round that year.

Was just talking about this the other day with someone. Lots of great memories at that tournament back in the day. We'd set up camp at 15 green with easy access to beer and restrooms (in order of importance)

LandArchSA said:

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Was just talking about this the other day with someone. Lots of great memories at that tournament back in the day. We'd set up camp at 15 green with easy access to beer and restrooms (in order of importance)

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Reminds me of one of the greatest names in golf back in the day, Bobby Walzel....The pro at my small country club was Ray Sarno, who was the long time pro at Elkins Lake in Huntsville. He caddied for Perry Arthur, who is now the head pro at The Country Club in Dallas, a couple of times at the Houston open. late 70's ish. A few of us kids got to go and watch a few years back then. We basically had credentials , which back then meant you could go in this little outdoor bar area. That was about as good as it got back then. I remember meeting Scatman Crothers out by the driving range, watching Big Jim Dent pound balls for miles.

Non designated event. Expect the field to look better than the Valero but not the same as Dell Match Play. Still an upgrade from the fall event.

Matsui said:

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It says a non designated event

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The article originally said it would be a designated event and was edited to now say non-designated. Apparently, they got some incorrect info at first. The editor's note at the end of the article - "Editor's note: A previous version of this story noted that this would be a designated event, as per a source, meaning that the Tour's top players would be required to play in it. It will be a non-designated event."

It will be designated

The designated events rotate

Aggie369 said:

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It will be designated

The designated events rotate

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Source? Just curious. As I understand it, this hasn't all been completely worked out. I think a handful of big events (Riviera, Memorial, etc) will be designated events every year and besides that, it's still kinda up in the air whether the other designated events will be the same events every year or rotate through the other events so each gets a shot every few years.

My friend that plays/caddies on PGAT told me that's what they have described to the players...I guess it could change

I assume that's how u keep sponsors like Jon Deere and 3M from bailing...every few years they will get all the top players.

It could create some scheduling issues for some tournaments when a designated event is the week before or week after a major but maybe they just flip a few tour stops on the schedule. Pebble kinda sucked this year cause a lot of the big name players rested that week.

As a fan I'd rather keep designated events at the good courses...I live in Houston but I'm not real excited about watching all the guys destroy this course....casual fans and local fans will probably love it though

I can see some pro's loving and hate the Houston Open as a designated event. Easy course they could destroy, but at the same time it's a pretty boring, ugly course for the most part compared to most of the other tour stops. I cant see Rory, and or JT thinking "man, so excited that we are FORCED to play Memorial Park this week".

Then again, what do I know. Just by judging previous events at Memorial the field is below par.

Appreciate the reply. I pretty much agree with everything you say. While it would be cool to give every tourney a turn at being a designated event, I just don't see how the players will go for that. Take Valero. No way the players are going to all agree to play it the week before the Masters. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Hope so!

I don't think it's an easy course they destroy. Look at past results since moving to Memorial.

The past winners have been Finau (-16), Kokrak (-10), Ortix (-13) with a big chunk of the field being in the -10 to -5 range.

I don't watch a whole lot every week PGA events but that seems relatively higher than the typical tour stop.

I think the Houston Open can be a great prep event just prior to a major (like it used to be). It's a decent test for a tune up but it's not a high profile stressful event. Even as a spectator it has a very laid back relaxed feel.

Designated or not I think that's what it needs to be and that's what it needs to lean on as a draw for the players.

Might see scores drop if the top players show up...

Maybe not...the course itself just isn't very exciting

But, yes I agree with you...its a tune up event...its needs to be with where they originally had it in schedule. Tune up events are just kinda blah to me though. Just a personal opinion

Ag_07 said:

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I don't think it's an easy course they destroy. Look at past results since moving to Memorial.

The past winners have been Finau (-16), Kokrak (-10), Ortix (-13) with a big chunk of the field being in the -10 to -5 range.

I don't watch a whole lot every week PGA events but that seems relatively higher than the typical tour stop.

I think the Houston Open can be a great prep event just prior to a major (like it used to be). It's a decent test for a tune up but it's not a high profile stressful event. Even as a spectator it has a very laid back relaxed feel.

Designated or not I think that's what it needs to be and that's what it needs to lean on as a draw for the players.

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Sony -18
Amex -27
Farmers -13
ATT Pro Am -18
Phoenix -19
Genesis -17
Honda -14
Arnold Palmer -9
Puerto Rico -21
Players -17
Valspar -10
Punta Cana -19
Valero -15
Masters -12

I think he meant higher scores

Aggie369 said:

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Might see scores drop if the top players show up...

Maybe not...the course itself just isn't very exciting

But, yes I agree with you...its a tune up event...its needs to be with where they oreviousky had it in schedule. Tune up events are just kinda blah to me though. Just a personal opinion

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Top players showing up for an event if you look at history doesn't correlate to overall lower tournament scores. Memorial Park may not be exciting and a beauty to look at to some but it's a damn good challenge of golf. You'll continue to see winning scores hover between -10 to -15 no matter who is showing up.

Agree on the course. For a muni 15 mins from the house it's fantastic but for a PGA tour course it's meh.

And looking at the field they had some decent players the first and second year there. I think it took a major hit both from LIV and the PGA schedule change.

Guys like DJ, Kopeka, Scheffler, Day, Scott, Speith, Homa, Kim. IIRC Crane was able to pull some strings with his Floridian crew to get guys to show up.

I just know from watching it that they struggled on a few holes at a level I don't think you typically see in the week to week PGA events. No I'm not saying it plays close to a US Open or anything of that sort where they're grinding but it's a bit more difficult than the typical -25 you see from the typical tour stop. That's why I don't usually tune into the mundane week to week tourneys.

I've played out there twice this week teeting off at 3:30 and 3:45 and paying $35 each round with a cart. Crazy that you can play a course that hosts a PGA even for that cheap. I agree with others in that there just isn't much to the course and it's kinda boring, other than a handful of the sloped greens out there.