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2023 WGC-Dell Match Play leaderboard, scores: Former No. 1 surging, Rory McIlroy hits shot of the week

The last scheduled match play event on the pga tour was a thrill ride on day 2.

The 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play has been riveting through two days of play in Austin, Texas, and most of the top seeds are still in the mix going into the final part of pool play on Friday. Among them are Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, the latter of whom hit the shot of the week on Thursday.

A confession: I have not always loved the Match Play event. However, this year -- somewhat coincidentally considering it's about to be over -- I am more into it than ever. Stars have played well through the first few days, but that's not all of it. No, mostly it is the absurd nature of match play itself, which Rahm highlighted before the event began.

"As a player it's just an opportunity to play kind of a different golf, right? It's really the only time throughout the year besides maybe the Ryder Cup where you're playing truly against the person in front of you, which is much more relatable to every sport we play in the world, which is basically about just playing better than the team in front," Rahm said.

"Usually, it's very much about you minding your own business and hopefully beating the other 150 players in the field. It's fun. It's a lot more aggressive. You see more birdies. You see a lot of things happen."

We saw a lot of things happen on Wednesday and maybe even more of them again on Thursday as Day 2 played out at Austin Country Club. Here's a look.

Star resurgence

How about former world No. 1 Jason Day, who has been playing some of the best golf of anyone not named Rahm or Scheffler. Day came into the week ranked No. 4 in strokes gained over the last three months behind Rahm, Scheffler and Max Homa. He went out Thursday and defeated Victor Perez 2 & 1 to move to 2-0-0 on the week. He'll have Collin Morikawa on Friday to try and advance.

"It'll definitely feel like the old-school format [from here on out], which is good," said Day. "The intensity will be so much more than what it has been over the last two days, so that's exciting. I guess the willingness to grind it out is going to be more imperative to handle or take care of business tomorrow.

"I'm just not really looking too far ahead. ... I'm talking about process. I've just got to stick to that process and try and take on every shot the best I can, and then at the end of the day, if that's good enough to beat Collin, great; if not, then go back to the drawing board and get after it again."

McIlroy hit his last shot of the round -- a 375-yard drive -- to 4 feet on the final hole to close out Denny McCarthy 2 UP. It was the shot of the day, the week and perhaps the year thus far. Three-hundred-and-seventy-five yards to 4 feet. Outrageous.

"I certainly didn't expect to fly it on the green," said McIlroy. "It's almost one of those, when it's that far much downwind, it's almost like I could have hit 3-wood to get the down slope to get the skid. Like, I was imagining the driver was going to land into the upslope and sort of stay 10, 20 yards short. But as I said, I didn't imagine I could fly it on the green."

One of the greatest drives you will EVER see 🤯 @McIlroyRory drives the ball to 3 FEET at the 375-yard par-4 18th with a 349-yard carry to the green! pic.twitter.com/HzhMBtyKkr — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 23, 2023

Craziest shot

Adam Scott hit the stick on the par-3 11th and went on to lose to Sam Burns 1 UP. If this goes in instead of nearly finding the water, Scott probably halves the match. Thankfully, it stayed out of the water and he tied the hole, but it was still probably the strangest thing that happened Thursday.

The twirl 💯 The precision 🎯 The result 🙈 @AdamScott gets the most unlucky break of the day @DellMatchPlay . pic.twitter.com/02yreVBDXy — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 23, 2023

"Like you said, there's a lot going on," said Burns, "but at the end of the day, I can only control what I do out there, and I just kind of let the other stuff just happen."

Weirdest par

You probably already know who made it, but if not, here's a recap of Jordan Spieth's 3 on the par-3 7th hole.

Jordan Spieth's ball flew into the gallery -hit a fan -ricocheted into a kid's phone -broke the phone -stayed in play, landed on a cart path -from which he got relief, dropping next to a boulder -got up and down for par with 30-footer -halved the hole pic.twitter.com/FVBgpek2HW — Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) March 23, 2023

Spieth ultimately the match to Taylor Montgomery 2 & 1 and now does not control his own destiny on Friday as Montgomery is 2-0-0 and facing the 1-1-0 Mackenzie Hughes. Spieth made five birdies on the day, but it was his adventurous par that was, somewhat humorously, the most compelling hole of the day.

Least trouble

Scheffler is absolutely rolling toward another Match Play win. He has nine birdies and two eagles through two matches with a showdown against Tom Kim on deck Friday. Every other player in Scheffler's pool has at least one loss, which means if he even gets a half point in a tie with Kim, he advances.

"I think I've had to get through a playoff twice here now the last two years, and to be able to go into [Friday] and to be able to win my match and get through the group would be nice," said Scheffler. "That's what I'll be focused on [Friday] is getting off to a good start and hopefully winning the match."

Rick Gehman is joined by Kyle Porter to break down all 32 matches on Day 2 of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. Follow & listen to The First Cut on  Apple Podcasts  and  Spotify .

2023 WGC-Dell Match Play standings

Group 1 Scottie Scheffler (2-0-0) Tom Kim (1-1-0) Alex Noren (0-2-0) Davis Riley (1-1-0)

Group 2 Jon Rahm (1-1-0) Billy Horschel (1-0-1) Keith Mitchell (0-1-1) Rickie Fowler (1-1-0)

Group 3 Rory McIlroy (2-0-0) Keegan Bradley (1-0-1) Denny McCarthy (0-1-1) Scott Stallings (0-2-0)

Group 4 Patrick Cantlay (2-0-0) Brian Harman (2-0-0) K.H. Lee (0-2-0) Nick Taylor (0-2-0)

Group 5 Max Homa (2-0-0) Hideki Matsuyama (1-1-0) Kevin Kisner (0-2-0) Justin Suh (1-1-0)

Group 6 Xander Schauffele (2-0-0) Tom Hoge (0-2-0) Aaron Wise (1-1-0) Cam Davis (1-1-0)

Group 7 Will Zalatoris (0-2-0) Ryan Fox (1-1-0) Harris English (1-1-0) Andrew Putnam (2-0-0)

Group 8 Viktor Hovland (0-2-0) Chris Kirk (0-1-1) Si Woo Kim (2-0-0) Matt Kuchar (1-0-1)

Group 9 Collin Morikawa (1-0-1) Jason Day (2-0-0) Adam Svensson (0-1-1) Victor Perez (0-2-0)

Group 10 Tony Finau (2-0-0) Kurt Kitayama (1-1-0) Adrian Meronk (1-1-0) Christiaan Bezuidenhout (0-2-0)

Group 11 Matt Fitzpatrick (1-1-0) Sahith Theegala (0-2-0) Min Woo Lee (1-1-0) J.J. Spaun (2-0-0)

Group 12 Jordan Spieth (1-1-0) Shane Lowry (0-2-0) Taylor Montgomery (2-0-0) Mackenzie Hughes (1-1-0)

Group 13 Sam Burns (2-0-0) Seamus Power (1-1-0) Adam Scott (1-1-0) Adam Hadwin (0-2-0)

Group 14 Tyrrell Hatton (0-2-0) Russell Henley (1-1-0) Lucas Herbert (2-0-0) Ben Griffin (1-1-0)

Group 15 Cameron Young (2-0-0) Sepp Straka (0-2-0) Corey Conners (1-1-0) Davis Thompson (1-1-0)

Group 16 Sungjae Im (1-1-0) Tommy Fleetwood (0-1-1) J.T. Poston (2-0-0) Maverick McNealy (0-1-1)

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How it works: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Bracket Challenge

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How it works

The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play returns for the seventh time to Austin, Texas, and Austin Country Club in 2023. As in previous years, the field will be divided into 16 four-player groups. Each group will play round-robin matches within their group on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The player with the best record in each of the four-player groups advances to the Round of 16 for single-elimination match play. The Round of 16 will be played Saturday morning, followed by the Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon. The Semifinals will be Sunday morning, followed by the Championship Match and Consolation Match on Sunday afternoon.

64 players, grouped into 16 groups of four players each for rounds 1, 2 and 3, held Wednesday to Friday. Groups will be determined Monday morning by the Advance Rules Official and then revealed on PGA TOUR Digital Platforms on Monday, March 20.

During group play, players play 18-hole matches against each of the other players in their group. Matches are played to either a conclusion or a tie. Matches tied after 18 holes are not extended. Points awarded to players based on the results of each match are as follows:

Winner - 1 point

Loser - 0 points

Tied - 1/2 point per player

In the event two or more players in a group are equal with the highest point totals, a stroke-play hole-by-hole playoff will determine the player that advances to the 16-player, single-elimination matches.

Bracket Challenge users will select winners from each starting group of 4 to advance to the Round of 16 and ultimately which golfers will advance all the way through the bracket to the Championship match and Consolation Match. After completing all selections, users must enter a prediction for the tiebreaker question: How many birdies will there be during the Championship match? For full Rules click here .

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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play to end after this season, tournament exec confirms

This year's run in Austin will be the final year of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

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The final World Golf Championship event left on the PGA Tour schedule is coming to an end.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play executive director Jordan Uppleger confirmed at the event’s media day Monday that the tournament won’t be coming back next year.

“We’re formally announcing today that the 2023 World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play will be the final playing of the event here at Austin Country Club, and not be included on the 2024 calendar or moving forward,” Uppleger said, according to Golfweek. “The event has had an incredible run here at Austin Country Club.”

The announcement confirms a February report from Golfweek about the event’s future.

Tour Confidential: Designated events 2.0, epic Bay Hill battle, Tiger-less Players

The WGC-Match Play has been the only regular match-play event on the PGA Tour since its creation back in 1999. Since last season, it was also the only remaining WGC event on the PGA Tour’s schedule. The WGC-HSBC Champions was slated to be played for the first time since 2019 last October before being canceled in July due to COVID-19-related restrictions in China.

The WGCs were created in 1999 by the International Federation of PGA Tours as official money events on both the PGA and European (now DP World) Tours. The events were also sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia.

The WGC-Championship was last played in 2021 as the WGC-Workday Championship while the WGC-Invitational morphed into the first FedEx Cup Playoff event starting in 2022. Meanwhile, the WGC-Match Play was given Designated status for 2023 when the PGA Tour first announced the new $20 million mega events last summer.

The tournament has been played at Austin Country Club since 2016 after landing Austin-area-based Dell as the title sponsor. Previously it was played in Arizona, California and for one year in Australia.

Dell’s sponsorship was renewed in 2019 to extend through this season with Austin Country Club remaining as the host.

Won and 1! Scottie Scheffler wins Match Play and moves to World No. 1 

“I was told you had to have three main components to have a successful event, you had to have an active title sponsor, an engaging country club and a supporting community and client base,” Uppleger said. “And there is no doubt that this event has exceeded all of those expectations as we’ve been here since 2016.”

The tournament’s slot on the calendar is expected to be filled by the Cadence Bank Houston Open as it moves from the fall portion of the schedule. Uppleger also said the PGA Tour is still looking at Austin to host a future event.

The 2024 schedule, with significant changes as the PGA Tour moves forward with its “Designated Events Model” is expected to be unveiled this week at the Players Championship.

This year’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is set for March 22-26 with Scottie Scheffler defending .

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Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: What to watch for this week

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If you had Kansas, Arizona, Marquette or Purdue in the Final Four and have already lost interest in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the PGA Tour is offering another bracket to keep you occupied this week.

The final iteration of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play is being played at Austin Country Club from Wednesday to Sunday. The bracket consists of 64 players in 16 pods of four competing in round-robin group play. Players will get one point for winning a match and a half-point for ties. The player with the most points from each group will advance to knockout matches on Saturday and Sunday.

With the PGA Tour moving to a designated-event schedule format in 2024, this week will be the last time, seemingly at least for the next couple of years, that a match-play event will be part of the regular season. It's probably the last time a tournament will have the World Golf Championship label as well. The limited-field, no-cut events have been around since 1999.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed at the Players that a match-play event wouldn't be on the 2024 schedule; it is being replaced that week by a tournament in Houston). The WGC-HSBC Champions in China was canceled each of the past three years because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, and Monahan said, "It's difficult to foresee when we would play."

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler , who grew up in Dallas and played at the University of Texas, called the event his favorite of the season.

"I love match play," Scheffler told reporters in Austin on Tuesday. "I like the simplicity of it. All you have to do is just go out there and try and beat the guy that's in front of you and if you don't, you lose, and if you beat him, you win. So the simplicity of it is what I enjoy."

The match play field includes 27 of the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup points list and 42 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Scheffler, Jon Rahm , Rory McIlroy , Patrick Cantlay , Max Homa and Xander Schauffele are among the top seeds.

Scheffler will have to get past Tom Kim , Alex Noren and Davis Riley to advance to single-elimination. Rahm's group includes Billy Horschel , who defeated Scheffler 2 & 1 in the championship match to win in 2021, Keith Mitchell and Rickie Fowler .

"I would love to see there still be a match-play event at some point," Fowler said. "It's just a unique form of play compared to what we normally do. We obviously wouldn't want it every week, just because of how volatile it is, and it's not always the guy that's playing the best that week. You can hit someone that gets hot for that day and knocks that person out. But I love match play. I would love to see a form of it in the future on the Tour."

Here's what else to watch in men's professional golf this week:

McIlroy changing equipment

Aside from a tie for second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy's start to 2023 has been pretty so-so by his standards. After missing the cut at the Players in his last start, he said his role in reshaping the tour has taken a toll on his game. McIlroy has become the face of the PGA Tour, but said he'd "love to get back to being a golfer."

The PGA Tour planned to limit his media availability in Austin this week.

McIlroy also hinted at some equipment changes. He wasn't happy with how he was hitting his new TaylorMade driver and his putting has been well below form.

A putter change for @McIlroyRory at the @DellMatchPlay . He is using a @ScottyCameron Newport putter that is a replica of the same putter he used to win his first 2 majors. Rory told me it allows him to be more athletic and gives him freedom. Also said it's great for @TheMasters . pic.twitter.com/DoEGeO4DtT — Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) March 21, 2023

McIlroy, who is ranked No. 3 in the world, needed 60 putts in two rounds at the Players and lost more than 3 strokes to the field in putting. He led the field in driving distance at 305.2 yards but was tied for 117th in driving accuracy, hitting only 13 of 28 fairways at the Stadium Course. He ranks 173rd on tour in strokes gained: putting (-.429).

On Tuesday, the Golf Channel reported that McIlroy is keeping the same driver, but has cut the shaft from 44 ½ inches to 44. He also was practicing with a Scotty Cameron Newport putter, a replica of the one he used to win his first two majors.

Fowler's Masters push

With six top-25 finishes in 10 starts on tour this season, Fowler has moved to No. 59 in the OWGR, his highest position since he was 56th in January 2021. Fowler has two more chances to win to earn a Masters invitation. He's scheduled to play in next week's Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio as well, although he might reevaluate that start if he plays well in Austin.

The top 50 in the OWRG after this week will also qualify for the Masters. According to Nosferatu, an OWGR guru on Twitter, Fowler needs to at least make the quarterfinals in Austin to have a chance at breaking into the top 50. That would require him surviving group play and winning one more match.

Top 50 #OWGR projection for #TheMasters qualification. As you can see, all the hopefuls (in white, not yet qualified for the Masters) who are at the @DellMatchPlay , will need to get out of the group stage and all but one will need to make the QF stage at least! pic.twitter.com/EBTZkv7i72 — Nosferatu (@VC606) March 20, 2023

Fowler is playing in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for the first time since finishing 38th in 2016.

"I knew I needed to come here and play well," Fowler said. "I wasn't sure of exactly what I needed to do. The nice thing with the kind of world ranking, anything I do that puts points on the board is only going to move me up from here moving forward. My short-term goal is to obviously get myself back in Augusta. If that doesn't happen, we're going to continue to move forward and be in a good position."

Other players outside the top 50 who don't have Masters invitations and are playing in Austin include Lucas Herbert (must reach the round of 16), Taylor Montgomery (quarterfinals), Denny McCarthy (quarterfinals), Victor Perez (semifinals), Adam Hadwin (semifinals), Davis Riley (semifinals) and Nick Taylor (semifinals).

Scheffler's scouting trip

Scheffler celebrated his Players victory by taking a scouting trip to Augusta National Golf Club, where he'll try to defend his Masters title on April 6-9. Scheffler played practice rounds with his father, Scott, and swing coach, Randy Smith.

"When we went to Augusta last week, that was really one of the first times where winning the Masters felt real," Scheffler said Tuesday. "Because we got back on property I'd just come off the win at the Players, so our celebration kind of was just going to play Augusta. That was really one of the first times where it felt real that I had won the Masters."

Scheffler has repeatedly been asked about hosting the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night of Masters week. The guests will include past Masters champions Phil Mickelson , Dustin Johnson , Patrick Reed , Sergio Garcia , Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel , who are playing on the rival LIV Golf League.

"When it comes to Tuesday night and being there in that dinner and talking to everybody else who has won that tournament in the past, it will be pretty special," Scheffler said. "It will definitely be emotional for me. I'm going to try and hold back the tears. But I think it will just be a really, really cool experience. One of the greatest fraternities in golf to be in that room."

At last week's LIV Golf League event in Tucson, Arizona, Garcia said he was looking forward to attending the dinner.

"You'll have to ask whoever is going to feel awkward," Garcia said. "I'm going to feel fine. I don't have any problems with anyone, and I try not to make a big deal out of it. I'm going to be there because I earned it, because I deserve it, and I'm going to enjoy it. I hope the rest of the guys do the same."

Road to the Masters

To commemorate the release of the EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters video game, Augusta National Golf Club is hosting a Road to the Masters Invitational on April 2, the day before the start of practice rounds.

A yet-to-be-released list of celebrity participants will compete in a tournament that will be played in the media center at Augusta National. It will be streamed live on Masters.com and several social media platforms from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. An edited version of the show will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

A Masters Sunday unlike any other. #RoadToTheMasters 🔴 Live from Augusta National Golf Club 🕕 6:00 PM EDT on Sunday, April 2 🌐 https://t.co/VlktfYOZUc , @TheMasters , @EASPORTSPGATOUR & @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/5RvXXEEP21 — The Masters (@TheMasters) March 20, 2023

ESPN's Michael Collins and Marty Smith will be among the analysts. The game is available worldwide on April 7.

Shaq among new TGL investors

NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant are among the latest celebrities to invest in TMRW Sports, the company founded by Tiger Woods , Rory McIlroy and CEO Mike McCarley. They join other NBA stars like Stephen Curry , Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum as investors, according to an announcement by TMRW Sports on Tuesday.

TMRW Sports' first project, the tech-infused TGL golf league, is scheduled to begin play in 2024. The two-hour matches will be played in prime time on Monday nights. Last month, TGL broke ground on an arena on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. There will be 15 matches, plus semifinals and a final.

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Scores at the texas children's houston open could be lower than ever. here's why, share this article.

HOUSTON — Fans tuning in to the Houston Open this week are in for plenty of changes since the last time the tournament was held.

First, there’s a new title sponsor: Texas Children’s Hospital. Previous sponsors include Shell, Vivint, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cadence Bank, but this is the first of a five-year partnership for Texas Children’s and the Houston Open. There will also be increased purses for the duration of the contract.

Then, it’s being played at a new time of year for the first time at Memorial Park Golf Club, site of the tournament since 2020. For three years, it was part of the fall schedule. After having no tournament in 2023, it moved to the slot WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play used to occupy in the new PGA Tour schedule.

Although the venue is the same, the golf course is completely different.

Houston Open : Odds, picks to win | Photos

“Back in the fall it was playing quite fast, the ball was running, the greens were firm,” defending champion Tony Finau said. “I don’t think that’s going to be the case as much this week.”

In the past, the Houston Open at Memorial Park rewarded accuracy off the tee because of thick rough. This year, there’s not as big of a premium for finding the fairway because the course was overseeded with ryegrass. Then there are the greens, which as Finau alluded to, can be challenging if the course speeds up.

Signage near the 16th green during a practice round prior to the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on March 27, 2024, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

This week, however, someone who is strong with their iron game is likely to rise to the top.

“It used to be some holes where it was really, really important to hit the fairway, especially with the Bermuda rough,” World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said . “Now there’s not as much of a premium placed on that. You’ll see a lot more drivers, people hitting it really far and it will be much more of I’d say a second shot golf course this time around.”

In 2022, Finau set the tournament scoring record at Memorial Park, shooting 16-under 264 for the week. Players think there’s a good chance that is broken this week.

“I would say it’s going to play a little bit easier,” World No. 4 Wyndham Clark said. “In the fall it was very tough because you would hit it in the rough and it was so hard to judge lies. And then around the greens was, you would have into the grain, dormant Bermuda so you could get some squirrely shots. So I predict that scores will be lower than what they normally are in the fall.”

Numerous golfers in the field are using this week as final preparations for Augusta National and the Masters, which is in two weeks.

Scheffler, who donned the green jacket in 2022, said he was surprised with a lack of rough and said they’re probably trying to make it like Augusta National, which he doesn’t mind for his prep.

The 17th hole was also changed, and when the tee is moved up, it makes the green more enticing for players to go for it in two.

Last week’s champion, Peter Malnati, had high praise for the municipal course, saying it looks more like a high-end country club and not a course the public can play any day, any time.

“It’s a completely different course,” Malnati said of the fall-to-spring change. “I think I’d probably possibly be in the minority of Tour players who would say this, but I kind of love the fact that it did have a bit of a muni feel. It felt like a course that any Houstonian could just come out and play, and that’s not something we really get on Tour a lot. We tend to play perfectly manicured, you know, country club-type feeling courses that are just in immaculate condition.

“That’s not how this course has been when we played it in the fall. It’s been a little rough around the edges. This year it looks much more like what we’re used to on the PGA Tour. It’s immaculate, no blade of grass out of place and that’s obviously a really good thing. Huge compliment to the staff here for the job they’ve done to get this that way.”

The Texas Children’s Houston Open is different this year. And that’s not a bad thing.

“It’s aesthetically a lot prettier because normally it’s a little more dormant when we play it,” Clark said. “They’ve done an awesome job, the course is in amazing shape, it looks amazing.”

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2024 Texas Children's Houston Open Friday tee times, TV and streaming info

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Houston Open: How to watch, streaming, preview, tee times, and more

How can fans tune into the Texas Children’s Houston Open? Here is everything you need to know about the PGA Tour’s first event in Texas.

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The PGA Tour heads to Texas, as Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark headline the field for this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open .

Since 2020, this tournament has been held at Memorial Park Golf Course, a municipal course revitalized by Tom Doak in 2019. Brooks Koepka even served as an advisor during the renovation.

The course reportedly hosts 60,000 players per year, thus drawing comparisons to the likes of Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black—two major championship-caliber courses where daily fees are affordable for locals.

Houston residents can play Memorial Park for as little as $30 on weekdays, while out-of-towners have to fork over $120—not a bad price considering some of the best players in the world play there annually.

New this year is the tournament’s spot on the calendar. When defending champion Tony Finau won at Memorial Park, he did so in the fall of 2022. But since the WGC-Dell Technology Match Play was removed from the PGA Tour schedule this year, an opening popped up, and the Texas Children’s Open filled that void two weeks before The Masters.

Funny enough, before 2019, when this event moved to the fall, the Houston Open was played the week before the best players headed to Augusta National . Whoever won this event typically received the final invitation into The Masters.

Now it’s back in the spring, and the winner, if not already exempt, will receive an invite to Augusta.

Texas Children’s Houston Open:

Where: Memorial Park Golf Course (Par-70 7,435 yards)

When: March 28-31

Purse: $9,100,000 / $1,638,000

FedEx Cup Points: 500

Defending Champion: Tony Finau

How to Watch the Texas Children’s Houston Open:

Thursday, March. 28: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Friday, March 29: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Saturday, March 30: 1-3:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 3:30-6 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, March 31: 1-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. ET (NBC)

How to Stream the Texas Children’s Houston Open:

Peacock will simulcast Golf Channel and NBC’s broadcasts during all four rounds. You can stream coverage on Peacock here .

Additionally, ESPN+ will air PGA Tour Live’s main feed of the Texas Children’s Houston Championship starting at 8:15 a.m. ET on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, PGA Tour Live begins at 11 a.m. ET.

ESPN+ will also broadcast the morning waves, air marquee groups, and provide coverage of featured holes.

The complete featured groups and air times for each are as follows:

Thursday, March 28:

(All times ET)

Main Feed: (8:15 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Marquee Group: Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris (8:45 a.m.-3 p.m.)

Morning Featured Groups: Jake Knapp, Akshay Bhatia, Adam Svensson; Nick Dunlap, Luke List, K.H. Lee (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Afternoon Featured Groups: Sahith Theegala, Jason Day, Padraig Harrington; Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Si Woo Kim (4 p.m.-7 p.m.)

Morning Featured Holes: Nos. 2, 9, and 15 — all Par 3s; No. 17 — Par 4 (8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. ET)

Afternoon Featured Holes: No. 8 — Par 3; No. 17 — Par 4 (4 p.m. ET-7 p.m. ET)

Friday, March 29:

Marquee Group: Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Si Woo Kim (8:45 a.m.-3 p.m.)

Morning Featured Groups: Sahith Theegala, Jason Day Padraig Harrington; Mackenzie Hughes, Billy Horschel, Tom Hoge (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Afternoon Featured Groups: Jake Knapp, Akshay Bhatia, Adam Svensson; Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris (4 p.m.-7 p.m.)

Saturday, March 30:

Sunday, march 31:, texas children’s houston open round 1 tee times (et):.

7:20 a.m. — Beau Hossler, Stephan Jaeger, Carson Young

7:31 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Josh Teater, Dylan Wu

7:42 a.m. — James Hahn, Justin Lower, Sam Stevens

7:53 a.m. — Nick Hardy, Taylor Moore, Chez Reavie

8:04 a.m. — Ryan Brehm, Kevin Kisner, Stewart Cink

8:15 a.m. — Matt Wallace, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker

8:26 a.m. — Martin Laird, Austin Cook, Matt NeSmith

8:37 a.m. — Keith Mitchell, Doug Ghim, Greyson Sigg

8:48 a.m. — Brandon Wu, Thomas Detry, Andrew Novak

8:59 a.m. — Pierceson Coody, Parker Coody, Jacob Bridgeman

9:10 a.m. — Norman Xiong, Ma Greyserman, Patrick Fishburn

9:21 a.m. — Alexander Björk, Alejandro Tosti, Jesse Droemer

12:20 p.m. — Bud Cauley, David Lipsky, Roger Sloan

12:31 p.m. — Henrik Norlander, Justin Suh, Carl Yuan

12:42 p.m. — Patton Kizzire, Ryan Moore, Callum Tarren

12:53 p.m. — Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Si Woo Kim

1:04 p.m. — Sahith Theegala, Jason Day, Padraig Harrington

1:15 p.m. — Mackenzie Hughes, Billy Horschel, Tom Hoge

1:26 p.m. — Hayden Buckley, Robby Shelton, Tyson Alexander

1:37 p.m. — Nate Lashley, Sam Ryder, Zac Blair

1:48 p.m. — Ben Silverman, Paul Barjon, Kris Ventura

1:59 p.m. — Nicholas Lindheim, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Kevin Doughtery

2:10 p.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Rafael Campos, Raul Pereda

2:21 p.m. — Jorge Campillo, Rico Hoey, Rhein Gibson

No. 10 Tee:

7:20 a.m. — Garrick Higgo, Richy Werenski, Bronson Burgoon

7:31 a.m. — Taylor Montgomery, Harry Hall, Ryan Fox

7:42 a.m. — Cam Davis, Chesson Hadley, Aaron Rai

7:53 a.m. — Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris

8:04 a.m. — Jake Knapp, Akshay Bhatia, Adam Svensson

8:15 a.m. — Nick Dunlap, Luke List, K.H. Lee

8:26 a.m. — Tyler Duncan, Mark Hubbard, Ben Griffin

8:37 a.m. — Sung Kang, Taylor Pendrith, S.H. Kim

8:48 a.m. — Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Kevin Chappell

8:59 a.m. — Mac Meissner, Ryan McCormick, Cole Hammer

9:10 a.m. — David Skinns, Tom Whitney, Sam Bennett

9:21 a.m. — Thorbjørn Olesen, Joe Highsmith, Dawie van der Walt

12:20 p.m. — Ryan Palmer, Michael Kim, Ben Taylor

12:31 p.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Davis Thompson, Scott Gutschewski

12:42 p.m. — Martin Trainer, Vince Whaley, Matti Schmid

12:53 p.m. — Daniel Berger, J.B. Holmes, Scott Stallings

1:04 p.m. — Vincent Norrman, Davis Riley, Chad Ramey

1:15 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, J.J. Spaun, Cameron Champ

1:26 p.m. — Jimmy Walker, Patrick Rodgers, Alex Smalley

1:37 p.m. — Adam Long, Jhonattan Vegas, Alex Noren

1:48 p.m. — Chandler Phillips, Chris Gotterup, Hayden Springer

1:59 p.m. — Erik Barnes, Trace Crowe, Wilson Furr

2:10 p.m. — Victor Perez, Harrison Endycott, Emilio Gonzalaez

2:21 p.m. — Chan Kim, Blaine Hale Jr., Callum McNeil

Texas Children’s Houston Open Round 2 Tee Times (ET):

7:20 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Michael Kim, Ben Taylor

7:31 a.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Davis Thompson, Scott Gutschewski

7:42 a.m. — Martin Trainer, Vince Whaley, Matti Schmid

7:53 a.m. — Daniel Berger, J.B. Holmes, Scott Stallings

8:04 a.m. — Vincent Norrman, Davis Riley, Chad Ramey

8:15 a.m. — Kurt Kitayama, J.J. Spaun, Cameron Champ

8:26 a.m. — Jimmy Walker, Patrick Rodgers, Alex Smalley

8:37 a.m. — Adam Long, Jhonattan Vegas, Alex Noren

8:48 a.m. — Chandler Phillips, Chris Gotterup, Hayden Springer

8:59 a.m. — Erik Barnes, Trace Crowe, Wilson Furr

9:10 a.m. — Victor Perez, Harrison Endycott, Emilio Gonzalaez

9:21 a.m. — Chan Kim, Blaine Hale Jr., Callum McNeil

12:20 p.m. — Garrick Higgo, Richy Werenski, Bronson Burgoon

12:31 p.m. — Taylor Montgomery, Harry Hall, Ryan Fox

12:42 p.m. — Cam Davis, Chesson Hadley, Aaron Rai

12:53 p.m. — Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris

12:04 p.m. — Jake Knapp, Akshay Bhatia, Adam Svensson

12:15 p.m. — Nick Dunlap, Luke List, K.H. Lee

12:26 p.m. — Tyler Duncan, Mark Hubbard, Ben Griffin

12:37 p.m. — Sung Kang, Taylor Pendrith, S.H. Kim

12:48 p.m. — Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Kevin Chappell

12:59 p.m. — Mac Meissner, Ryan McCormick, Cole Hammer

12:10 p.m. — David Skinns, Tom Whitney, Sam Bennett

12:21 p.m. — Thorbjørn Olesen, Joe Highsmith, Dawie van der Walt

7:20 a.m. — Bud Cauley, David Lipsky, Roger Sloan

7:31 a.m. — Henrik Norlander, Justin Suh, Carl Yuan

7:42 a.m. — Patton Kizzire, Ryan Moore, Callum Tarren

7:53 a.m. — Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Si Woo Kim

8:04 a.m. — Sahith Theegala, Jason Day, Padraig Harrington

8:15 a.m. — Mackenzie Hughes, Billy Horschel, Tom Hoge

8:26 a.m. — Hayden Buckley, Robby Shelton, Tyson Alexander

8:37 a.m. — Nate Lashley, Sam Ryder, Zac Blair

8:48 a.m. — Ben Silverman, Paul Barjon, Kris Ventura

8:59 a.m. — Nicholas Lindheim, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Kevin Doughtery

9:10 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Rafael Campos, Raul Pereda

9:21 a.m. — Jorge Campillo, Rico Hoey, Rhein Gibson

12:20 p.m. — Beau Hossler, Stephan Jaeger, Carson Young

12:31 p.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Josh Teater, Dylan Wu

12:42 p.m. — James Hahn, Justin Lower, Sam Stevens

12:53 p.m. — Nick Hardy, Taylor Moore, Chez Reavie

1:04 p.m. — Ryan Brehm, Kevin Kisner, Stewart Cink

1:15 p.m. — Matt Wallace, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker

1:26 p.m. — Martin Laird, Austin Cook, Matt NeSmith

1:37 p.m. — Keith Mitchell, Doug Ghim, Greyson Sigg

1:48 p.m. — Brandon Wu, Thomas Detry, Andrew Novak

1:59 p.m. — Pierceson Coody, Parker Coody, Jacob Bridgeman

2:10 p.m. — Norman Xiong, Ma Greyserman, Patrick Fishburn

2:21 p.m. — Alexander Björk, Alejandro Tosti, Jesse Droemer

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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'Rusty' Scottie Scheffler opens with 65 in Houston, eyes third straight TOUR win

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HOUSTON – If that’s a rusty Scottie Scheffler, the golf world is in big trouble.

Scheffler opened the Texas Children’s Houston Open in 5-under 65, playing bogey-free on a lengthy Memorial Park Golf Course, one back of Thursday’s early leader Taylor Moore who was joined later in the day by PGA TOUR rookie Wilson Furr. After saying Wednesday that he was “shaking off a little bit of rust,” Scheffler carded his 28th consecutive under-par round to start the season (the most on record), with plenty of room to spare.

All eyes are on Scheffler this week in the heart of Texas, as the Dallas-area resident looks to win his third straight TOUR start, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2017.

After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and THE PLAYERS Championship, Scheffler returned home last week, spending low-key time with friends and family. Scheffler said he normally takes two personal days during a tournament off-week, but extended this break to “kind of come down from the last couple weeks."

“Typically I take Monday and Tuesday off when I get back, especially from a couple-week stretch,” Scheffler said Thursday in Houston. “Last week I didn't practice until Friday and I hit balls for maybe half an hour, chipped and putted. Just getting back into it, hitting some wedges, hitting some irons, didn't hit any drivers. I played golf Saturday and I had a decent practice session Sunday. Outside of that, nothing.”

Scottie Scheffler’s interview after Round 1 of the Texas Children's

After winning THE PLAYERS with kinesiology tape on his neck (which he tweaked that week, requiring treatment midway through the second round at TPC Sawgrass), he needed no such thing Thursday. He was feeling spry, as was his game.

“Neck's feeling better, body feels good,” Scheffler said Thursday. “The off week was good for me to get some rest, get some rehab. I took a couple more days off than I typically would last week, so it was some good recovery time.”

In his quest for a third straight TOUR title, Scheffler started relatively slow at Memorial Park, missing the green on his first three holes Thursday, Nos. 10-12.

He got up-and-down for par each time, though, and then drained a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-4 13th. He was off to the races, adding birdies on Nos. 17, 2, 3 and 5. It wasn’t a vintage Scheffler ball-striking performance – he hit just 11 of 18 greens Thursday – but he took just 25 putts, ranking near the top of the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Scottie Scheffler goes back-to-back with birdie on No. 3 at Houston Open

Scheffler, 27, was born in New Jersey but is a proud Texan, and he relishes the chance to compete in his adopted home state. He won the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club, defeating Kevin Kisner in the final match, but he’s yet to win a TOUR stroke-play title in the Lone Star State.

“It would be a lot of fun,” Scheffler said of the prospect. “I like supporting events in my home state, playing here as much as I can, so hoping to get a win this week.”

That seems like a reasonable hope.

Kevin Prise is an associate editor for the PGA TOUR. He is on a lifelong quest to break 80 on a course that exceeds 6,000 yards and to see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter .

PGA Tour Power Rankings: Two stops 'til the Masters

Pat McAfee praises Scottie Scheffler for defending his Players Championship title after Wyndham Clark's heartbreaking putt lipped out on 18. (2:09)

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

There are only 15 days remaining before the opening round of the 88th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, the first major championship of the men's professional golf season.

While defending champion Jon Rahm is playing in the LIV Golf League, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has emerged as a heavy betting favorite after back-to-back victories on the PGA Tour. The 2022 Masters champion also knows his way around Augusta National pretty well.

With the PGA Tour headed to Texas for the last two stops before the Masters, starting with this week's Texas Children's Houston Open, it's a good time for the latest edition of the PGA Tour power rankings.

Of course, there's no surprise at No. 1. But during a season in which rookies and other lesser-known first-timers have won tournaments, you might have to look further down the list for superstars.

1. Scottie Scheffler

The world No. 1 golfer is coming off back-to-back victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. He has two top-10 finishes at Memorial Park Golf Course, including a tie for second in 2022. He could become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three straight starts. Rory McIlroy was the last to do it in three consecutive starts in stroke-play events (DJ's streak included the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play).

2. Wyndham Clark

The reigning U.S. Open champion was runner-up to Scheffler in each of his past two starts, finishing 5 strokes back at the API and 1 back at the Players Championship -- after his birdie putt on the 72nd hole cruelly lipped out. He was ranked No. 189 in the Official World Golf Ranking when he played in the 2022 Texas Children's Houston Open. Now, he's one of the best players in the world, ranking third on tour in shots gained: total (1.869), eighth in tee to green (1.214) and 12th in putting (.656).

3. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele couldn't hold a final-round lead at the Players Championship, but there's no question he has played spectacular golf lately. He has already piled up six top-10 finishes in eight starts this season, including top-5s in three of his past four. One of the top golfers in the world without a major championship victory, the former Olympic gold-medal winner will be riding a lot of momentum heading into the Masters, where he'll try to finally bag a big one.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

The 2021 Masters champion picked up his ninth PGA Tour victory at the Genesis Invitational in February. He followed that with a tie for 12th at the API and a tie for sixth at the Players Championship. Despite battling a back injury again, Matsuyama has been great from tee to green and around the green, but he ranks 134th in strokes gained: putting (-.378).

5. Ludvig Åberg

After picking up his first PGA Tour victory in his last start in 2023 at the RSM Classic, the former Texas Tech star hasn't slowed down. He has three top-10s in seven starts, including a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He hits it long and straight and doesn't make many mistakes. He'll make his first start in a major championship at the Masters.

6. Will Zalatoris

Zalatoris missed the cut in his most recent start at the Players Championship, but his form has returned after he underwent back surgery in April that sidelined him for the rest of 2023. He had a pair of top-5s against loaded fields in signature events -- a tie for fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and for second at the Genesis Invitational. His ballstriking is as good as ever; he ranks sixth in strokes gained: approach (.789).

7. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy seemed poised for a fast start after he tied for second at the Dubai Invitational and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for a record fourth time on Jan. 21. That success hasn't carried over to the PGA Tour, however, as he has just one top-20 finish in five starts so far -- a tie for 19th at the Players Championship. He ranks second in strokes gained: off the tee (.938) but 119th in approach (-.176).

8. Brian Harman

Harman's missed cut at last week's Valspar Championship might have been the result of a hangover from his narrow miss at the Players Championship. He finished 1 stroke behind Scheffler and had a good look for a tying birdie on the 72nd hole. The reigning Open Championship winner tied for 12th at the API.

9. Nick Taylor

The Canadian picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory -- and his second straight in a playoff -- by outlasting Charley Hoffman in two extra holes at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11. Taylor ranks 127th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.158) but makes up for it with stellar iron play (15th in approach) and putting (20th).

10. Matthieu Pavon

On Jan. 27, the 31-year-old became the first golfer from France since 1907 to win on the PGA Tour when he defeated Nicolai Hojgaard by 1 stroke at the Farmers Insurance Open. He also tied for seventh at the Sony Open in Hawaii and was solo third at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

11. Sahith Theegala

Theegala seems close to winning something big. He has four top-10s in eight starts this season, including in each of his past two -- a tie for sixth at the API and for ninth at the Players Championship. He's fourth on tour in shots gained: total (1.446) and seventh in putting (.821).

12. Sam Burns

Burns is tied with Theegala for third-most top-10 finishes on tour this season with four. He tied for third in the WM Phoenix Open and for 10th at the Genesis. He ranks 24th in shots gained: total (.875) and 23rd in putting (.542).

13. Cameron Young

Young narrowly missed out on picking up his elusive first PGA Tour victory again last week, finishing 2 strokes behind Peter Malnati at the Valspar Championship. It was Young's seventh runner-up finish in 60 tour starts, the most of any player without a victory dating back to 1970, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Young is too talented not to end the drought at some point.

14. Patrick Cantlay

The eight-time PGA Tour winner's results have been hit or miss so far this season. He tied for 11th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and for fourth at the Genesis. Cantlay had four other finishes outside the top 35. His inconsistent play off the tee and iron play are to blame -- he ranks 143rd in strokes gained: approach (-.359) and 135th in driving accuracy (55.2% fairways hit).

15. Viktor Hovland

The reigning FedEx Cup champion, who looked ready to challenge Scheffler for world No. 1 at the end of last season, has limped through the first three months of 2024 with an average finish of 39.4 in five starts. He had just one top-20 -- a tie for 19th at the Genesis Invitational. Hovland has been frustrated with his swing and is working with a new coach, Grant Waite. His chipping woes have reemerged as well.

16. Jake Knapp

A nightclub bouncer just three years ago, Knapp became the third PGA Tour rookie to win this season when he captured the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Feb. 25. The former UCLA golfer has three top-5 finishes in 12 starts.

17. Chris Kirk

Kirk has cooled off a bit after capturing his sixth PGA Tour victory at the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in January. It was his second win in 11 months after he came out on top at the Honda Classic in February 2023. He's 140th in strokes gained: putting (-.404) but has been more than solid off the tee and on approach.

18. Justin Thomas

JT's struggles seemed to be in the rearview mirror after he had four top-12 finishes in his first five starts this season. He took a couple of steps back with missed cuts at the Genesis Invitational and Players Championship and a tie for 64th at the Valspar Championship. Still, his form seems headed in the right direction again.

19. Shane Lowry

After a slow start to 2024, Lowry has rebounded with three consecutive top-20 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the Cognizant Classic and a solo third at the API. Lowry announced this week that he'll play with McIlroy in next month's Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.

20. Matt Fitzpatrick

After a so-so start to the 2024 season, Fitzpatrick seems close to putting everything together after a solo-fifth finish at the Players Championship. He had missed cuts at the Sony Open, Genesis Invitational and API before he bounced back at TPC Sawgrass. He is driving the ball better off the tee after removing a 4-gram weight from the grip of the club. Fitzpatrick told PGATour.com that he forgot the weight was even there.

21. Max Homa

Homa came out of the gates well this season, tying for 14th at the Sentry and 13th at the Farmers Insurance Open. He also tied for eighth at the API. Homa has been wildly inconsistent off the tee, ranking 150th in driving accuracy (54.2%) and 115th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.117).

22. Byeong Hun An

The South Korean golfer lost to Grayson Murray in a playoff at the Sony Open in Hawaii and has played consistently well since. He has three top-10s and five top-25s with only one missed cut in eight starts. After losing his PGA Tour card in 2021, he has climbed back to No. 42 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

23. Jason Day

The former world No. 1 golfer played some of his best golf at the tour's biggest stops this season. He had three top-10s against elite fields at signature events, tying for 10th at the Sentry, for sixth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and had a solo ninth at the Genesis. He has finished 16th or better in two of his three starts at Memorial Park, where his elite short game is a weapon.

24. Tom Hoge

Hoge has been a model of consistency this season, making the cut in nine of 10 starts with a pair of top-10 finishes. He performed well on the West Coast swing with a tie for sixth at Pebble Beach and solo eighth at the Genesis. His iron play continues to be among the best on tour -- he ranks second in shots gained: approach (1.234) and proximity (34 feet, 7 inches).

25. Peter Malnati

Bucket hats off to the PGA Tour policy board director, who picked up his second career PGA Tour victory -- and his first in 3,058 days -- at the Valspar Championship. He earned a two-year exemption, his first invitation to the Masters and a spot in the remaining four signature events of the season. He jumped from 184th to 65th in the world after the win.

Just missed the top 25: Harris English , Tommy Fleetwood , Austin Eckroat , Jordan Spieth , Collin Morikawa , Christiaan Bezuidenhout , J.T. Poston , Erik van Rooyen , Eric Cole , Grayson Murray, Min Woo Lee

10 days, three tournaments: Will March 2025 be a festival of golf, capped by The Players?

Epson tour atlantic beach event's proposed move would precede the players.

Get ready for the possibility of a fortnight of golf on the First Coast. 

Last week's Epson Tour Atlantic Beach Classic, at the Atlantic Beach Country Club, was the first of a three-year deal to hold the tournament at ABCC. Epson Tour commissioner Jody Brothers, a former Vice-President of marketing for the PGA Tour, praised the response of the ABCC members both in volunteering and attending the tournament and Tour Vision Promotions for running the event efficiently, despite weather plaguing two of the three days. 

The winner wasn't decided until the final group on the final hole. Briana Chacon birdied the last on a 6-foot putt to break a tie with Jessica Porvasnik.

"We knew they were going to operate this at a really high level," Brothers said. "All I can say is what our athletes told us all week ... that this felt like an LPGA Tour event." 

That said, Brothers said the Epson Tour will explore the possibility of moving the tournament to the week before The Players Championship instead of the week after. 

"I think we're going to be aiming at the week before The Players," he said of the 2025 tournament. "There might have been a little bit of Players hangover ... it might not be the ideal spot to be a week after The Players, we'll move it up a couple of weeks and it will be even better." 

Combine those sentiments with the success of The Hayt, the invitational college tournament hosted by the University of North Florida at the Sawgrass Country Club played the weekend before The Players. The Hayt, in its 32nd year, has been contested in parts of January, February, March and April but a cooperative effort with The Players and the PGA Tour, proved ideal for the tournament. 

Like The Players and the Atlantic Beach Classic, The Hayt had a thrilling finish with North Carolina out-dueling Alabama and Ohio State for the team title, and Virginia's Devin Patel winning the individual title by one shot.

Given that, here's what March of 2025 might look like on the First Coast golf schedule if the Epson Tour event at Atlantic Beach moves to the week before The Players and is played on the same days of the week, and if The Hayt stays in the same slot.

• March 6-8: Epson Tour Atlantic Beach Classic, Atlantic Beach Country Club. 
• March 9-11: The Hayt, Sawgrass Country Club. 
• March 11-12: The Players Championship practice rounds, Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. 
• March 13-16: The Players Championship competitive rounds, Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

That's 10 days of competition in an 11-day span — if The Hayt stays in the same slot and the Atlantic Beach Classic makes the move Brothers said is under consideration.  

Amelia Lewis gets to work on the greens  

Jacksonville native Amelia Lewis said the good news about her first three starts on the Epson Tour — other than making the cut and finishing among the top 23 in all three events — is that she's gotten enough at-bats to realize what she needs to focus on in the four weeks before the next event April 26-28 in Beaumont, Calif. 

"Putting," she said quickly after he final-round 72 last week at Atlantic Beach that resulted in a tie for 19th. "I've hit a lot of good shots. It's just about making the putts. I know what I have to work on." 

Lewis said she keeps copious stats on herself and analyzes them after each round and tournament. She has some numbers that are likely to encourage the 14-year professional veteran: 

• She is second on the Epson Tour in greens in regulation (hitting 80.3 percent of the greens), fifth in driving accuracy (84.6 percent of fairways), and 15th in driving distance (256.83 yards on measured drives). 
• Lewis is tied for seventh in scoring average at 71.111 and is one of 57 players to have made the cut in all three 2024 events. 
• Here's what she's talking about: Lewis is 21st on the Epson Tour in putts per round with 32.11. 
• However, her last putt of the tournament was a beauty. She drained a 27-footer for eagle at the par-5 18th hole at ABCC, one hole after a double bogey. 

"I was very happy to finish well," she said. "It was an up-and-down tournament for me [rounds of 68-73-72] but overall it was a positive experience to play at home." 

Wyndham Clark stuck at second

Wyndham Clark, whose circle-the-drain birdie-putt attempt at the 18th hole of the Players Stadium Course kept him from forcing a playoff against winner Scottie Scheffler, returns to the Tour this week at the Texas Children's Hospital Open in Houston. Clark finished second to Scheffler in each of his last two starts, at The Players and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The last player who finished second two starts in a row was Lee Westwood in 2021 at the same two tournaments. ... Scheffler will be trying to become the first Tour player to win three starts in a row since Dustin Johnson in 2017 (Genesis Invitational, WGC Mexico Championship, WGC Dell Technologies Match Play). ... Jacksonville resident Carl Yuan moved to fourth place in the current Aon Swing 5 standings with his tie for fifth last week at the Valspar Championship. Yuan now has three top-fives in his last 10 starts after not recording any in his first 32 starts on the PGA Tour. 

Event: Texas Children’s Hospital Open, Thursday-Sunday, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston. 

At stake: $9.1 million purse ($1,638,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner).  

Defending champion: Tony Finau. 

TV:  Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); NBC (Saturday, 3:30-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-2:20 p.m.). 

Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Bud Cauley, Lanto Griffin, Billy Horschel, Keith Mitchell, Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Davis Thompson. 

Notable: Finau won by four shots in November of 2022. The tournament wasn’t played last year. ... Also in the field are Players champion and world No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark and Peter Malnati. ... The Tour remains in Texas next week for the Valero Texas Open at the TPC San Antonio. 

Event: Ford Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Seville Golf and Country Club, Gilbert, Ariz. 

At stake: $2.25 million purse ($337,500 to the winner). 

Defending champion: First-year event. 

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m.). 

Area players entered: Auston Kim, Mel Reid. 

Notable:  Nelly Korda's victory last week in the Seri Pak championship was the 10th of her career.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Event: Galleri Classic, Friday-Sunday, Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 

At stake: $2.2 million purse ($330,000 to the winner). 

Defending champion: David Toms 

TV:  Golf Channel (Friday, 10-12 p.m.; Saturday3:30-6 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-6 p.m.). 

Area players entered: David Duval, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh. 

Notable: Toms closed with a 65 and defeated Steve Alker by four shots. 

2024 Houston Open fantasy golf rankings, picks, strategy: Back Scottie Scheffler, fade Jason Day

W ith the 2024 Masters looming, the PGA Tour schedule will make two stops in Texas before the first major championship of the season and several of the world's best players will be looking to sharpen their game at the 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open. Scottie Scheffler has been No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the last 44 weeks and he's strengthened his position on top of world golf with wins at signature events in his last two starts. He is one of four players in the top 20 that have entered the 2024 Houston Open field, but can you justify his price while filling out your Fantasy golf lineups for the week?

Scheffler is the +300 favorite in the 2024 Houston Open odds and he's the most expensive option for PGA Tour DFS lineups. Wyndham Clark will also be teeing it up after finishing as the runner-up to Scheffler in each of his last two starts and the No. 4 player in the world will be another popular option for PGA Tour Fantasy golf. Before making any 2024 Houston Open fantasy golf picks, you have to see the Houston Open fantasy golf rankings from SportsLine handicapper Eric Cohen .

Cohen is an avid golf bettor who correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winner of the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic (Rickie Fowler +1400), 2023 PGA Championship (Brooks Koepka +2000), 2023 Honda Classic (Chris Kirk +3500), 2022 Open Championship (Cameron Smith +2200), 2022 U.S. Open (Matt Fitzpatrick +2500) and 2022 Phoenix Open (Scottie Scheffler's first career victory at +2800). 

Cohen is a contributor to SportsLine's YouTube shows including "Early Edge" and is the host of "The Early Wedge" golf show. Anyone who has followed Cohen's predictions has made positive gains on their golf picks.

Now, Cohen has ranked his top golfers for the 2024 Houston Open.  Cohen's picks are only available at SportsLine .

2024 Houston Open expert picks

One player Cohen is getting behind for his fantasy picks is Scheffler. In an era of golf where parity reigns, +300 is a number to generally steer clear of and Scheffler is also the most expensive option available for PGA Tour DFS lineups. However, this is an instance where you simply have to have some level of exposure and find savings elsewhere for Fantasy golf purposes.

Scheffler has made seven starts on the PGA Tour this season and hasn't finished worse than T-17 with six top 10s overall and wins in each of his last two starts. The No. 1 player in the world lapped the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then shot a final-round 64 to pull off a dazzling comeback at The Players Championship. Now he returns home to Texas after a week off to a golf course he knows well and was the runner-up in 2021.

On the other hand, the golf expert is fading Jason Day, despite his status as one of the favorites entering the week. Day is a 13-time PGA Tour winner, a major champion and a former world No. 1 who has climbed back up to No. 20 in the world rankings after bottoming out at around 150 in 2022. However, he's finished T-35 or worse in his last two starts and Cohen questions his status as the sixth favorite against a strong field.

"Interestingly, all three of Day's top 10s this season have come at limited-field elevated events. In his other four tournaments against bigger fields, Day hasn't finished inside the top 30. That's a trend to keep an eye on this week," Cohen said. "At odds south of +3000 in this field, I'll stay away though, as the ceiling potential doesn't justify the lower floor."  See all of Cohen's Houston Open picks at SportsLine . 

How to set 2024 Houston Golf fantasy golf lineups

For this week, Cohen is backing several underdogs in his 2024 Houston Open fantasy golf picks, including a triple-digit longshot who has "has turned the putter around lately to be better than the field average" that can help spice up your Fantasy golf lineups.  See who it is, and get all of Cohen's fantasy golf picks, at SportsLine . 

Who wins Texas Children's Houston Open 2024, and who are the top players to target for your PGA fantasy golf picks?  Visit SportsLine now to get Eric Cohen's fantasy golf rankings , all from the fantasy expert who has called six outright winners since 2022, and find out.

Scottie Scheffler has a chance to join exclusive company at 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open

HOUSTON — Scottie Scheffler can add his name to the PGA Tour record books in yet another way this week.

If Scheffler were to win the 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course, he would become the first player in seven years to win in three straight starts, and he would be the first in a decade to win three straight stroke-play events.

Dustin Johnson won three straight tournaments in 2017 during a stretch that included the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event. In 2014, Rory McIlroy won three straight stroke-play events, starting with the Open Championship and closing with the PGA Championship.

Scheffler can join that duo after consecutive wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship, the latter becoming the first player ever to win back-to-back tournaments at TPC Sawgrass. But that's not on the forefront of his mind.

Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"I don't really think much about that kind of stuff," Scheffler said. "I had a good rest week at home last week. I was pretty worn out after Bay Hill and Players, so it was nice to get home and just relax. I didn't do nearly as much practice as I typically would have in the last week, so coming in shaking off a little bit of rust the last couple days. But game feels like it's in a good spot, so I feel rested and ready to go this week."

Scheffler and rust don't belong in the same sentence, but if the world No. 1 is indeed trying to find his groove two weeks before the Masters, Memorial Park is a good place to do it.

The municipal course in Houston has been a part of the PGA Tour's fall schedule in previous years, but the course is plenty different being played in the spring. Players have commented on how the rough is lighter, and the premium for hitting the fairway isn't as high as it used to be. Scores could be lower than in past tournaments.

Scheffler finished T-9 in Houston in the fall of 2022. The year before, he tied for second and fired a course-record 8-under 62 in the second round (Tony Finau tied the record last year in his winning effort).

Scottie Scheffler takes a tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open golf tournament. (Photo: Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports)

Don't expect the challenge to go away with the move to the spring, Scheffler warned.

"With the way the greens are elevated and with the runoffs and with the way the rough was, you had to hit fairways (in the past)," Scheffler said. "Now there's not as much of a premium on that. I think we're supposed to get some pretty good winds over the weekend. The golf course is still really, really challenging. I think it's just going to be challenging in a different way this year."

The Texas Children's Houston Open is the first of four events in the state of Texas in the next couple months. Scheffler, who went to school at the University of Texas and lives in Dallas, enjoys playing in events close to home.

His schedule is fluid the next couple months because he and his wife, Meredith, are expecting their first child in April. But even after a couple exhausting weeks in Florida, he didn't want to pass up playing in the Lone Star State before the first major championship of the year.

"I like trying to support as many events as I can in my home state," Scheffler said. "I definitely am a proud Texas, and so I like to do what I can to support the events here at home. Yeah, it's good to be back. I don't know what my schedule will be like going forward, but I definitely like to try and support the events here in Texas as much as I can."