Houston Open Free Picks, Predictions and DFS Lineup March 27-29

Houston Open Betting Preview

WagerTalk golf handicapper Andy Lang offers his thoughts on the Houston Open teeing off from Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course in Houston, TX. Andy discusses his DraftKings Darlings, golfers to who can trip you up and the course and more surrounding the Houston Open starting March 27th!

$15 FREE for PREMIUM GOLF PICKS – CLAIM BELOW

Stay on top of the latest Golf updates direct from Las Vegas!

WagerTalk also offers Free Picks all year long!

Houston Open	Houston Open Betting Notes
When:	March 27-29
Where:	Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course in Houston, TX
Defending Champ:	Stephan Jaeger
Current Favorite:	Scottie Scheffler (+500 at DraftKings)
TV:	Golf Channel, NBC

Houston Open Course: Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course

Memorial Park Golf Course is one of the most unique stops on the PGA Tour schedule, not only because it’s a municipal course that hosts over 60,000 rounds per year, but also due to its bold and modern redesign.

Originally laid out in 1935, the course was transformed by architect Tom Doak—with input from Brooks Koepka—into a 7,475-yard Par 70 that balances championship-level difficulty with accessibility for everyday golfers.

The setup is a bit unconventional, featuring five par-3s and just three par-5s, including a driveable par-4 on the back nine and a newly extended 16th hole.

While the fairways are wide, don’t be fooled—length and accuracy are still critical, especially with penal rough and green surrounds that are designed to repel imperfect approach shots.

Instead of stacking the course with bunkers, Doak emphasized tight slopes, contours, and elevated greens, which force players to be precise with both irons and short game recovery shots—making this a great prep track for Augusta-style conditions.

The greens average 7,000 square feet and are composed of MiniVerde Bermudagrass with Poa Trivialis overseed, offering fast, smooth putting surfaces but punishing roll-offs for missed targets.

The March overseeding creates a tighter playing surface than the fall Bermuda, further emphasizing ball control and touch around the greens.

Weather this week looks volatile, with rain expected Thursday evening and thunderstorms forecast for Friday, which could soften the course early on before drying out over the weekend.

That combination of length, difficult green complexes, and unpredictable weather means scoring will likely be tough—especially if winds kick up and the course firms out by Sunday.

Houston Open Marquee Holes

Favorite Hole

13th Hole – 333 Yards, Par 4

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I just love drivable Par 4’s. This hole is pretty straight forward as guys will just swing for the fences, and hope to get a friendly roll up on the green or at least close to it for a simple up and down.

The green is massive so pin placements in the back of the green will make it pretty difficult to have a putt for eagle, but for pins near the front this is a huge green light opportunity.

This course only has 3 Par 5’s, but this hole fills the void of a 4th Par 5 as walking away with Par is disappointing.

18th Hole – 503 yards, Par 4

Pretty lame finishing hole this week, but I guess they can’t all be great. There’s not much to this hole as it slightly bends to the right, but the fairway is wide, and guys will bomb it off the tee without a lot of fear of where it lands.

Maybe with the rough grown out a bit more, it could make the approach a bit more difficult, but the green is big and only has bunkers on the left, and one on the right so there’s not much danger. Pretty boring finishing hole for me, but again…they can’t all be amazing.

Houston Open: Players That Can Trip You Up

Scottie Scheffler

It’s time to admit it. This isn’t last years Scottie Scheffler. He’s finished 20th and 11th the last 2 weeks, and he has no Top 2 finishes this season, and on top of that he’s not the #1 player in the field in total strokes gained where last year he was miles ahead of everyone.

He’s the top betting favorite, and he’s unbettable at this number, and I’m not taking him in a head to head against Rory, who has 2 wins this season.

We had Scottie Top 20 last tournament in a parlay, and had to sweat it out til the last putt on Sunday so he isn’t giving us a lot of confidence as the top betting favorite.

Michael Kim

I think the shine may be wearing off of Michael Kim, who has had a career year so far in 2025 with his solid finishes and social media explosion.

However, after 5 straight weeks of Top 13 finishes, he’s missed the cut and finished 28th the last 2 weeks, and this is the 8th straight week he’s playing, and I wonder if a week off would do him good.

He’s finished 64th, 47th the last 2 years here and he’s priced as a Top 10 guy this week, and I wouldn’t dream of playing him Top 10. He’ll be a stay away for me.

Tony Finau

I think people will gravitate towards Finau this week because he’s finished 1st and 2nd the last 2 years here, but this years Finau is not the same.

He’s 25th in this field in total strokes gained, and it’s not just 1 category that’s holding him back, he’s not doing well in putting, approach or driving accuracy.

He has 1 Top 10 finish, and 3 missed cuts this season, and that form this year makes it impossible for me to back him as a Top 8 golfer this week, which is where he’s priced.

Houston Open: DraftKings Darlings

Chandler Phillips $6500

Phillips has made the cut in 5 out of the last 6 tournaments, and he finished 45th here last year. His lack of driving distance is a bit concerning, but it hasn’t stopped him from making cuts this season, and last year at this course. As long as he sees the weekend, this is a great price.

Victor Perez $7100

Perez has finished 22nd and 18th his last 2 tournaments, and he finished 17th here last year in his only appearance. His approach and T2G numbers are solid this year, I think he’s pretty underpriced at $7100.

Sam Ryder $7300

We will keep riding with Ryder. He’s been great this season making the cut in every tournament, and he’s finished 16th and 14th the last 2 weeks.

He’s +0.87 strokes gained putting this season, and his approach is +0.40 so we’ll just keep rolling with him.

Final Lineup: Chandler Phillips $6500, Victor Perez $7100, Sam Ryder $7300, Jacob Bridgeman $8400, SiWoo Kim $8,900, Rory McIlroy $11,700

**************************************************

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.