Storylines for the Texas Children's Houston Open: Scottie Scheffler drops out

After yet another dramatic finish at the Valspar Championship, the PGA Tour heads west this week for the Texas Children's Houston Open from Memorial Park Golf Course. Let's break down the juiciest storylines for the week, starting with Scottie Scheffler's surprise announcement. 

Scottie Scheffler withdraws with second child on the way

The 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open features a decent field, but the biggest story revolves around who's not teeing it up this week. Scheffler, who entered the week as the overwhelming betting favorite to win (+350 at FanDuel), withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday morning. There's no need to panic, though.

According to Brentley Romine of Golf Channel, Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, are expecting their second child this week. The World No. 1 wanted to take the week off to be with his wife during this exciting time, but he should be back in time for the Masters in April. 

With Scheffler out of the picture, the Texas Children's Houston Open is much more up for grabs.

Min Woo Lee enters unfamiliar territory

After Scheffler pulled out of the tournament, the odds board for the Texas Children's Houston Open went through a major shift. The dust has finally settled, and Lee has emerged as the new betting favorite at +1300 at FanDuel. 

That's no surprise considering Lee won at Memorial Park in his first start here last season, but this is unfamiliar territory for him. It's much more difficult playing with a target on your back than playing freely as an underdog. The Australian has three top-12 finishes in his last four starts, but it won't be easy to perform with more pressure and higher expectations surrounding him. 

Brooks Koepka is finding a groove at the perfect time

Don't look now, but Koepka is starting to flash some impressive form with the 2026 Masters right around the corner. The five-time major champion got off to a rusty start in his return to the PGA Tour earlier this year, but he's found a groove recently with three straight top-18 finishes. 

Amazingly, Koepka leads the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained on approach and ranks 18th in proximity to the hole. Iron play is the most important skill needed to conquer Augusta National Golf Club, making Koepka an enticing contender for his first green jacket. 

Make way for the bombers

The last few years at Memorial Park have taught us that bombers excel at this tournament. Recent winners such as Lee, Stephan Jaegar, Tony Finau, Jason Kokrak and Carlos Ortiz have proven that distance is more important than accuracy here. Memorial Park features wide landing areas off the tee and little trouble if you miss the fairway, so bombers will have a major advantage this week.

Keep an eye out for names such as Chris Gotterup, Jake Knapp, Marco Penge, Gary Woodland, Aldrich Potgieter, and Michael Brennan this week; they all rank inside the top 10 this season in driving distance.