The Texas Children’s Houston Open has quietly become one of the most important stops on the PGA Tour. After all, it acts as a tune-up leading to the Masters Tournament. On top of that, Memorial Park rewards power, long iron play, and putting streaks. And with the $9.9M tournament right around the corner, many fans are wondering who to look out for at the tournament. Here are the top five names that we can expect to excel at Memorial Park this week.

1. Scottie Scheffler

There’s a reason why Scottie Scheffler sits on top of the Official World Golf Rankings. He has won 20 PGA Tour championships, including four major championships. He won the American Express, with a score of 27-under-261, but things started to slip later on. 

He finished T3 and T4 (WM Phoenix Open and AT&T Pebble Beach) and then 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. At THE PLAYERS Championship, he was 22nd after 72 holes. One thing that has been consistent in his recent gameplay is his bad start in the first rounds. But that might change at Memorial Park. 

Scheffler isn’t just any participant at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. As a resident of Texas, he’s going to bring in more support than we can imagine. And that might just push him to do better at the upcoming event. Scheffler has secured the 2nd-place finish in the last three out of four events at Memorial Park and a 9th-place finish in the other one. But he’s yet to lift a trophy at the tournament. 

And 2026 might be the year for that. The course is suited to Scheffler’s style with just 24 sand bunkers, limited to four holes on the par-70 layout. He can certainly stand out with his powerful swings. 

2. Min Woo Lee

Last year, Min Woo Lee earned his first PGA Tour win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He made 26 birdies, succeeded in 61 out of 65 10-ft putts, and made only one bogey. The Australians largely capitalized on the soft Memorial Park. But unlike Scheffler, he’s yet to claim a win this season. 

He began the season with a T38 finish at The American Express and later finished T2 at Pebble Beach. But his stance wobbled in the later appearance, with his last start (THE PLAYERS Championship) ending at the T32 position. 

However, as the reigning champion at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, Lee will strive for the win at Memorial Park this week. And that certainly makes him a name many wouldn’t want to miss. 

3. Chris Gotterup

Chris Gotterup has showcased an intriguing stance in the 2026 season. He began the season with a win (Sony Open). He went on to claim another P1 finish at the WM Phoenix Open. Yes, he’s the only golfer with two wins on the PGA Tour this season. However, he hasn’t done so well in the other five starts, and that includes a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational. 

His tendency to hit long drives might be helpful at Memorial Park this week. As the golfer with the third-longest all-time driving distance, the third-longest course might not pose a problem. But power isn’t everything in golf. Gotterup’s issues lie with putting. Although he’s continuously working his way toward improving that aspect of his game, 

Right now, he’s coming into the tournament as an T8 finisher. And we can expect him to build on that. 

4. Brooks Koepka

After returning to the PGA Tour under the Returning Member Program, Brooks Koepka has yet to open his win bank. He made five starts this year and made four cuts. On top of that, he finished in the top 10 in only one event (Cognizant Classic). However, with par-3s and par-5s scattered around a yardage of 7,475, Koepka can bring his smart iron play to the tournament. 

With the Masters Tournament right ahead, he’d want to claim at least one win before entering Augusta National. But he’d have to stay clear of making bogeys. Now that his putting is getting better, we might actually see him end up in the top five.

5. Jake Knapp

Jake Knapp has been improving consistently through the 2026 season, if we don’t consider his missed cut at THE PLAYERS Championship. He began the season with a T11 finish at the Sony Open, and continued to maintain the streak of top-10 finishes through his next four appearances. 

After missing the cut in the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, Knapp secured a T27 finish at the tournament the next year. And this time, he might end up in the top 10. His biggest advantage is in the course fit. Memorial Park rewards distance more than accuracy. And with his improved scrambling, we might see him do much better than the other participants in the field. 

With form, course fit, and momentum all in play, these five names stand out heading into Memorial Park. If they deliver, the Houston Open could offer a compelling Masters preview. But who do you think will claim the win this week?