Three storylines for the Texas Children's Houston Open

The odds board for PGA Tour events is normally bunched up with multiple players in between 10/1 and 25/1, but it looks a lot different this week. Scheffler is the favorite at +350 odds, followed closely by McIlroy at +650 (DraftKings). After the big guns, the odds board has a massive gap until you get to Aaron Rai at 28/1. 

This just emphasizes how big of a talent gap there is between Scheffler and McIlroy and the rest of the field at Memorial Park. Other top-10 players such as Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg aren't competing at the Texas Children's Open, so this tournament is Scheffler or McIlroy's to lose.

Rickie Fowler in a must-win situation

Fowler enters the Texas Children's Houston Open in a precarious spot. Because the fan-favorite is ranked outside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking, he hasn't earned a spot in the 2025 Masters field. The only way Fowler can punch his ticket to Augusta National would be to win this week or at the Valero Texas Open next week. 

Fowler has played in the Masters just once since 2020. He made it to Augusta last year thanks to his win at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic and finished T30, but his exemption has run dry. Considering Fowler hasn't finished better than T18 in his six starts this season, it's hard to imagine him stealing a Masters invite with a last-minute win. 

Is this Min Woo Lee's time?

Lee is still searching for his first PGA Tour victory, and this week is as good as any for him to snatch that breakout win. The Australian is a great fit for Memorial Park because he's one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour and has a brilliant short game. Those are the keys to success at this tournament. 

Lee is famously a poor iron player, but his approach game has turned around this season. The 26-year-old has gained strokes on approach in four of his last seven starts, which propelled him to five top-20 finishes. Lee had the 36-hole lead at the Players Championship in his most recent start, and TPC Sawgrass isn't even a good fit for his game. Memorial Park is a perfect match for Lee, so this could be the week he finally breaks through.