Less than two weeks are left for the 2026 Masters. And just days before the season’s first major, the Texas Children’s Houston Open has kicked off to deliver a high-stakes showdown on the greens. The event is organized at the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas.

Coming to its 75th year, the 2026 edition carries a $9.9 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points, making it one of the most consequential stops ahead of the Masters Tournament. Adding to that, for many players, it is the final opportunity to fine-tune their game under tournament pressure before Augusta. But while most of the tournament follows a familiar script, the real drama unfolds if there’s a tie, triggering a sudden-death playoff format designed for maximum pressure.

Like most PGA Tour events, the Houston Open follows a 72-hole stroke-play format. Players compete by counting total strokes over four rounds, and the winner is decided by the lowest cumulative score after 72 holes. After 36 holes (round 2), there is a cut. Top 65 players and ties advance, and the remaining players are eliminated from the tournament. 

However, the real intrigue of the tournament’s playing format begins if players are tied at the top after regulation. The tournament adopts a sudden-death playoff, a format built for immediacy and drama. Players compete hole-by-hole, and the first player to score lower than the others on any hole wins immediately. 

If scores remain tied, they continue to the next designated hole. This format ensures a quick, high-pressure finish with no extended playoffs. Competitors return to a defined rotation: 18th, 18th, 17th, and back to 18, repeating until a winner emerges. One mistake, or one moment of brilliance, instantly decides the outcome. And it’s the same format that the Masters follows on the greens of Augusta.

However, the format is not the only reason that makes the Texas Houston Open particularly special. The history of the tournament indeed makes the event one of the most important events in the PGA Tour golf calendar.

Texas Children’s Houston Open blends rich history with meaningful community impact

The Texas Children’s Houston Open is a historic PGA Tour event founded in 1946. The event has seen legends like Vijay Singh and Curtis Strange grab multiple wins. It is a long-standing PGA Tour fixture with over 75 years of history.

The tournament has moved across various venues. It had a long stint at TPC at The Woodlands and the Golf Club of Houston. But now the event is held at the renovated municipal Memorial Park Golf Course. Alongside boasting a history of 75 long years, it serves as a prestigious lead-up to The Masters.  

The event is now known as the Texas Children’s Houston Open and is supported by the Astros Golf Foundation. And now the event is also serving a bigger cause. It serves as a major fundraiser for local Houston charities, including the First Tee of Greater Houston and the Memorial Park Conservancy. The tournament supports Texas Children’s Hospital’s neuro-oncology program to fight childhood cancer and benefits the city by providing community resources, youth programs, and maintaining the renovated Memorial Park Golf Course.