Texas Children's Houston Open 2026 preview, picks & analysis

Sometimes there are far more important things in life than chasing a little white golf ball around for 72 holes.

There will be a lot of love for Gary Woodland when he tees it up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week. The former US Open champion underwent life-saving brain surgery in 2023 and has opened up about the struggles he has endured ever since.

He returned to the PGA Tour at the start of 2024 and has played regularly since, but has revealed he was diagnosed with PTSD about a year ago. 

He told the Golf Channel: "I can't waste energy any more hiding this, and I'm blessed with a lot of support out here on the Tour. I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I'm dying and I feel like I'm living a lie."

The 41-year-old received the PGA Tour Courage Award in 2025 in recognition of his return to the sport following his surgery, but his return has been extremely challenging.

He recalled an incident at the Procore Championship in California last year. He said: "A walking scorer startled me, got close to me from behind. I pulled my caddie and said, 'You can't let anybody get behind me'.

"Next thing you know, I couldn't remember what I was doing. My eyesight started to get blurry."

Woodland kept playing because he was competing alongside two members of the US Ryder Cup team, for which he was about to save as a vice-captain and he did not want them to know he was struggling.

"I went into every bathroom to cry the rest of the day. When I got done, I got in my car and got out of there," he added. "There are days when it's tough - crying in the scoring trailer, running to my car just to hide it. I don't want to live that way any more."

Woodland said he has discussed his mental-health struggles with veterans and hopes his return to golf can inspire others.

"I hope somebody that's struggling sees me out here still fighting and battling and trying to live my dreams," he said. "I want to help people, too. I realise now I've got to help myself first and hopefully this is the first step in doing that."

There would be no more popular winner this week than Woodland and he comes here with good memories of a great finish in 2025.

Twelve months ago, Min Woo Lee claimed his first PGA Tour win by the skin of his teeth in the most dramatic of finishes.

The Australian was leading by three shots on 21 under from world number one Scottie Scheffler and Woodland when he put his tee shot into the water at the par-five 16th and carded a bogey.

Woodland finished with an eagle and two birdies from his final four holes to equal the course record of 62 and set the clubhouse lead at 19 under.

Scheffler, playing in the penultimate group, had a chance to take a share of the lead on the 17th but missed a putt for a fifth consecutive birdie - and also ended on 19 under after a final-round 63.

Lee needed a par on the 18th to secure victory and managed it, holding his nerve to card a 67 and finish one shot clear on 20 under.

"It's hard, really hard," said Lee, 26, after his triumph. "Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes.

"This is my first time being in front and trying to hold a lead. I'm glad I got it done, but man, I'm just very exhausted.

"It was a lot of mental grind. I'm so proud of the way I handled myself."

In his final start before The Masters, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy produced an impressive six-under-par round of 64, which included an eagle, six birdies and a bogey, as he got to 15 under.

"It was a good week," said McIlroy. "I still feel like I've got some stuff to work on. Overall, a solid week and nice to have another week to get ready and fine tune my game for Augusta. 

"My right elbow has been bothering me a little bit so I will maybe just get some treatment on that to make sure it's OK going into Augusta." He would, of course, go on to win The Masters.

You may have missed it, but Rickie Fowler is having a pretty decent season. He hasn’t looked like winning yet but he made the cut in his first six starts and has enjoyed four top-20 finishes, with a best of tied ninth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, one of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour. Fowler has struggled in recent seasons but remains a huge crowd favourite and loves playing in Texas.

Jake Knapp will surely be adding to his solitary PGA Tour victory before long. It was a shock that he missed the cut at the Players Championship. In five previous starts he was 11th at the Sony Open, tied fifth at the Farmers, eighth at the Phoenix Open, eighth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and sixth at the Genesis. That is a pretty impressive body of work.

Cameron Young, winner of the Players Championship, has also chosen to use this week to tune up for Augusta. Now riding high in the world rankings, Young is an explosive hitter who has now taken his game to the next level. 

Scottie Scheffler is clearly unhappy with his current form and will be looking to iron out the rust.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by JB Holmes, in 2016 by Jim Herman, in 2017 by Russell Henley, in 2018 by Ian Poulter, in 2019 by Lanto Griffin, in 2020 by Carlos Ortiz, in 2021 by Jason Kokrak, in 2022 by Tony Finau, in 2024 by Stephan Jaeger and last year by Min Woo Lee. There was no tournament in 2023.

The Course:

Memorial Park underwent a major renovation programme in 2019, overseen by Tom Doak. One of the most intriguing features of the course is the state-of-the-art storm water irrigation system designed to capture and retain 80 million gallons of storm water for irrigation purposes removing the golf course's irrigation from the city's potable water system. It is a public course - locals pay just $30 for 18 holes.

Form Guide:

With The Masters just around the corner, this is probably the tournament that nobody wants to win but another victory will not bother Scottie Scheffler.

Prize Money:

The winner will collect $1.7m, along with 500 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, March 26, Friday, March 27, Saturday, March 28, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Sunday, March 29, Sky Sports Golf, 1.30pm.

To Win:

Scottie Scheffler. Looking grumpy

Each Way:

Brooks Koepka. Starting to look like his old self

Each Way:

Rickie Fowler. Showing some decent form

Five to Follow:

Scottie Scheffler. Will surely win again soon

Brooks Koepka. Starting to putt well

Rickie Fowler. Swinging the club well

Shane Lowry. Fantastic short game

Gary Woodland. There would be no more popular winner

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Tom Kim. Signs of life again

Mark Hubbard. Underrated

Neil Shipley. Big hitter

Dan Brown. Looking to establish himself on PGA Tour

Matt Wallace. Has game to win anywhere