Fans are excited to see what the 12th event of the PGA Tour season has in store for them. Big names like world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, and defending champion Min Woo Lee will be among the 133 to play at the Memorial Park Golf Course. But this year’s Texas Children’s Houston Open comes with a unique initiative.

For the first time, Texas Children’s has launched an initiative called Texas Children’s Cleats for Kids with the sole aim of raising awareness about the hospital’s mission while promoting a healthier future for women and children. A select few stars, like Min Woo Lee, Gary Woodland, and Brooks Koepka, will wear custom-designed cleats inspired by the patients at Texas Children’s in the tournament. In addition, Texas Children’s aims to collect funds for its research and pediatric care through this initiative.

“Texas Children’s is proud to partner with the Astros Golf Foundation and the PGA TOUR to launch Cleats for Kids at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, highlighting the power of sports to drive meaningful impact for our broader community,” Kelly Jo Golson said, who is the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand & External Affairs Officer at Texas Children’s.

“This initiative highlights the incredible strength and creativity of our patients while giving golfers a purposeful way to share their stories. Every step taken on the course helps raise awareness for the life-changing care, research and innovation happening at Texas Children’s for children and families around the world.”

After the tournament, Cleats for Kids will auction the custom cleats on a special online platform, and the proceeds will go towards supporting Texas Children’s programs and patient care. Isabelle, a patient at Texas Children’s whose design inspired one of the cleats, said she enjoyed sharing her artwork and story.

Giles Kibbe, the President of the Astros Golf Foundation, also outlined the importance of the annual tournament. “The Texas Children’s Houston Open is about more than great golf – it’s about making a meaningful impact in our community.”

Also, images of the one–of–a–kind cleat designs, paired with the story of the child and player featured in each design, will be shown on a dedicated online auction site. The cleats will be auctioned at the end of the tournament, and all funds raised from the auction (100%) will support Texas Children‘s patient programs.

“Designing these cleats was a really fun experience because I was able to include the thing that professional golfer Gary Woodland and I have in common: a brain tumor,” said Ceci, a Texas Children’s patient whose artwork inspired Woodland’s cleats.

“I also included the Astros Golf Foundation and Texas Children’s because they are a key part of making this golf tournament, and everything it does for kids like me, possible. I’m so excited to see my art out on the course.”

The initiative will also have caddies wear caddie bibs, created by patients at the event. And the Junior Clubhouse has been upgraded and will provide a space for hands–on activities for kids as well as a view into the Texas Children’s Motion Analysis Lab.

Since its beginning in 2019, the Texas Children’s Houston Open has raised $24 million, providing funds to a number of different organizations within the Houston community, such as the Memorial Park Conservancy, the First Tee of Greater Houston, the City of Houston, and Texas Children’s Hospital. In addition to that, as part of the continued partnership between the Houston Astros Golf Foundation and the City of Houston, the Club has made several improvements to the Golf Course.

Texas Children’s ambassadors get a special Houston Open sneak preview

Texas Children’s supporters and their children received an invitation to a “Glow in the Park” fundraiser at the Chevron Center at Memorial Park Golf Course. The event offered fun-filled activities, from putting glow-in-the-dark golf balls and snapping pictures with the Astros World Series championship trophies and the Texas Children’s Houston Open trophy, to meeting the Astros mascot Orbit along with canine friends Pluto and Crosby.

However, one key takeaway was that at this 3rd fundraising gala event, co-chairs Taylor and Sterling Dio spoke about the completion of golf course upgrades designed by the renowned architect Tom Doak, along with consultation from former world #1 golfer and 5-time major champion Brooke Koepka.

The golf course upgrades have been years in the making, with the roots of the plans dating back to 2019. That year, the Astros Golf Foundation made a commitment to transform Memorial Park Golf Course into an incredible golf facility that all Houstonians could use, resulting in the return of the PGA TOUR’s Houston Open to Memorial Park for the first time since 1963. Now, the golf course is considered one of the top municipal golf courses in America, serving over 60,000 visitors every year.

In order to ensure the highest quality construction was met, the Astros Golf Foundation hired designer Tom Doak, with Koepka serving as the PGA Tour player consultant. The president of the construction company responsible for all construction was Don Mahaffey (Greenscape Methods).

The team of Doak/Koepka/Mahaffey worked in unison to build a golf course meeting Professional-level standards, while also working towards building an enjoyable experience for everyday weekend golfers.