News

Steve Stricker ‘lucky to be alive’ after spending weeks in hospital with serious illness

Published

2 years ago

Jan 7, 2022

Steve Stricker has said he feels “lucky to be alive” after being hospitalized for weeks with a severe illness described as a “mysterious ailment.”

As reported by WisconsinGolf’s Gary D’Amato, Stricker came down with a sore throat and heavy cough on Oct. 23, about a month after captaining the U.S. to victory at the Ryder Cup. The 54-year-old took antibiotics and felt better for a couple of weeks, but then his health issues quickly deteriorated.

Speaking to the publication, Stricker said:

“I came home from hunting one night and I was like, ‘I don’t feel good. My side hurts. I just don’t feel right. That night I had the sweats and all of a sudden, my temperature was 103. I went back to my primary and got amoxicillin, a heavier antibiotic. And I think I had a reaction to that. My throat started to close up, my lips got puffy, my glands got puffy, my tongue got puffy. It was like an allergic reaction. I was still having these 103-degree temps.”

Stricker revealed that his white blood cell count shot up, liver numbers got worse, and he was diagnosed with jaundice.

“So, I went into the hospital about two weeks before Thanksgiving and they kept me in there. That’s when the s— hit the fan. My liver numbers started getting worse. My white blood cell count was jacked up really high. I was fighting something, but they couldn’t find out what it was. My liver was going downhill. I got jaundice. I was yellow and peeing out Pepsi-colored pee.”

Stricker tested negative for COVID and was discharged from the hospital 11 days later, just before Thanksgiving, but he ended up back in the hospital three days later.

“You don’t know where this road is leading to. I never thought that I’m not getting out of there kind of thing. But I didn’t eat for two weeks. I didn’t have any energy or appetite to eat. I had a hard time just getting up and walking because of the heart. I took a few steps to the bathroom in my room and I’d be out of breath.”

The former World Number 2 is back in Florida with his family after being discharged from hospital for a second time at the end of last year. He is currently on several medications and still unable to consume solid food.

“My heart is in rhythm now. It was jumping in and out of rhythm from Thanksgiving all the way to Christmas Eve. So, knock on wood. And I’m on less medication. The inflammation number that they can find out with blood tests is saying that my inflammation is going down. And it must be, because I’m feeling better. I’m walking around a little bit. I’m starting to be a little bit more active and building a tolerance a little bit better. So, things are definitely better.”

Stricker has lost 25lbs in weight while fighting the illness and described his skin as “hanging” as he continues his recovery.

“I’m down 25 pounds. I’m freshman-in-high school weight. I lost all my muscle. I look like an 85-year-old man, dude. My skin is hanging.”

The Wisconsin-native has started to hit a few chip shots at his home in Florida, but per his cardiologist, it may be six months before he can tee it up again on the PGA Tour Champions.

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

46 Comments

Steve B.

Jan 28, 2022 at 6:02 pm

I have no idea of SS had a vaccine reaction or not. But I do know this, and it comes from the experience of selling pharmaceuticals for over 20 years.

After carefully reviewing the vaccine information in 2020, I declined to enter the Moderna trial, based on the information available at the time, which was the survivability rate of 99.7%, the availability of a number of cheap drugs that when used appropriately, adequately address the disease.

With the information now available at the Vaccine Adverse Events Reaction reporting system, I’m glad I did not enter the trial. Since then I had Covid and recovered with Ivermection and Hydroxycholorquine, as have hundreds of thousands of other patients, despite governmental efforts to hinder their use.

If many patients do not have a reaction to these drugs, that is great, but over 20,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of adverse reactions have already been recorded on VAERS which is a passive reporting system. What does that mean? That probably only 1% of all deaths and adverse reactions have been counted as a direct result of the new vaccines. Which is not good because the deaths attributable are more than all other vaccines combined since the records have been kept, since 1990.

So, as a person who follows the real data and science, I would not discount the possibility of an adverse reaction to a great athlete like SS. Dozens of soccer players in Europe have collapsed dead with sudden heart attacks, and my next door neighbor also died suddenly after his 2nd Moderna shot. Of course that is anecdotal, but the other part of the equation is the locking up of data for another 55/75 years, which is highly irregular and very suspicious.

That isn’t conspiracy folks, it’s fact.

Reply Report comment
- Stanley Poopshooters
  
  Feb 18, 2022 at 12:09 pm
  
  I tried an ivermectin enema. Didn’t work. I had a full release.
  
  Reply Report comment
Joey

Jan 17, 2022 at 1:23 pm

VAX causing an autoimmune response. Not that uncommon. People need to accept the fact that you took a risk out of fear mongering without all the facts. Hate to hear it but accept responsibility and tell the truth about the risks of the vax so people can have a more informed decision of things.

Reply Report comment
- Tyler Durden
  
  Jan 22, 2022 at 2:26 am
  
  You “did your own research” right moron?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Joey
    
    Jan 22, 2022 at 4:19 pm
    
    Not much of an argument there Tyler, sorry.
    
    Reply Report comment
Luke

Jan 9, 2022 at 8:06 am

Instead of going to the hospital he should have posted his symptoms on the internet so all of the a-hole geniuses could have diagnosed it

Reply Report comment
- Holdin Tudiks
  
  Jan 9, 2022 at 2:03 pm
  
  Chucy the groomer seems to know just about everything. He also has a sign in his front yard signaling all of his virtues, including but not limited to his medical history, his wife’s escapades with the neighbors (while he watched), and which lives matter to “him”. That is the way of a true beta male.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chucy
    
    Jan 9, 2022 at 10:42 pm
    
    I didn’t speculate on what Stricker’s disease was.
    
    I simply asked, “What was the differential diagnosis?” There’s no hospital record that is ever completed without at least a differential diagnosis, if not a presumptive diagnosis.
    
    Meanwhile, we had these GolfWRX infectious diseases experts:
    Manny – “autoimmune hepatitis.”
    Mike C – “Lyme disease.”
    richie – “Mono.”
    Jeff Monik – “Hepatitis.”
    
    I don’t mind their speculation; but let’s just be clear that I wasn’t engaging in their sort of explanation. All I did was ask for a clearer report on the actual differential diagnosis, and a clear, unequivocal statement as to his vaccination status.
    
    I’m tired of all of the weird garbage tossed out by so many of anti-vax athletes. Djokovic. Kirk Cousins. Kyrie Irving. Aaron Rodgers. Carson Wentz. Patrick Reed. Bryson DeChambeau. I hope Stricker is not one of those guys. If he provided any sort of a clear and categorical statement, that alone would set him apart from the foregoing names.
    
    And again, I am not buying any “it’s private” defenses. Stricker has talked in great detail about his hospitalization and illness. He didn’t have to, but he did. My questions about his differential diagnoses and vaccination status are no more intrusive than what he’s already volunteered.
    
    Reply Report comment
- paul mcloughlin
  
  Jan 17, 2022 at 10:35 am
  
  Lime Disease?
  
  Reply Report comment
Alex Jones

Jan 8, 2022 at 10:10 pm

Take the vax, pay the tax!

Reply Report comment
- joe
  
  Jan 17, 2022 at 11:27 am
  
  post the chit, prove to be a nitwit
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Alex Jones
    
    Jan 22, 2022 at 4:18 pm
    
    Sorry that you took an experimental injection pal. Don’t worry, check out the lab results for MRNA shots during the early 90’s on mice! It did wonders for them!
    
    Reply Report comment
Manny

Jan 7, 2022 at 8:11 pm

White blood cell count and liver numbers both going in the wrong direction, dark colored urine, jaundice, cannot keep solid foods in your system… sounds like what I was suffering from about 3 years ago (well before the China Virus). I was finally diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatiitis.

Reply Report comment
Anthony

Jan 7, 2022 at 7:26 pm

That’s what happens when our mystery vax ruins your immune system.

Sorry Steve. We have other plans for you. You are not in our club.

Reply Report comment
- Mike
  
  Jan 8, 2022 at 11:53 am
  
  Wow, anti vax nonsense seems to be everywhere , good luck with this crappola.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Antivaxxer
    
    Jan 19, 2022 at 8:56 pm
    
    Let us know how you are in a few years. Lol
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Mike Tooktheshotandnowregretsit
    
    Jan 22, 2022 at 4:21 pm
    
    Not an argument Mike.
    
    Reply Report comment
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Jan 7, 2022 at 7:15 pm

Who cares. Someone does every half second in this world.

Reply Report comment
Mike C

Jan 7, 2022 at 5:34 pm

Sounds more like Lyme disease.

Reply Report comment
richie

Jan 7, 2022 at 5:29 pm

sounds like mono

Reply Report comment
John Krug

Jan 7, 2022 at 2:40 pm

Get well Steve.

Reply Report comment
Jeff Monik

Jan 7, 2022 at 11:58 am

Hepatitis
Clue. Out hunting and not washing him or whoever did the cookin

Reply Report comment
- Jack R
  
  Jan 7, 2022 at 4:19 pm
  
  Yeah hunting def rings alarm bells
  
  Reply Report comment
Chucy

Jan 7, 2022 at 9:49 am

I recall the hospitalization of Patrick Reed, and the confusing and frankly incredible statements by Reed about how and when he was tested for COVID. Reed never answered the clear and simple questions as to whether he had in fact been vaccinated before that hospitalization, and whether he was treated as a COVID patient during that hospitalization.

So now we have this story with Steve Stricker; the simple questions that are unanswered by this story are (1) was Stricker vaccinated last summer, when he was eligible, and (2) have Stricker’s doctors said what their differential diagnosis was?

Because whether it is Patrick Reed, or Steve Stricker, or any other patient in a US hospital, the diagnosis is never “mysterious disease.”

Reply Report comment
- Dixon Diaz
  
  Jan 7, 2022 at 10:43 am
  
  Or maybe its none of our business, Chuy.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Terry
    
    Jan 7, 2022 at 11:07 am
    
    Sorry to hear about Steve, what A difficult time. I think it is “our business” once the article is published, with quotes from Steve. It’s the price of fame. Yes, what is the diagnosis?
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Chucy
    
    Jan 7, 2022 at 7:54 pm
    
    All the ant-vaxxers say, “It’s private.”
    
    But that can’t be true; Stricker is saying all sorts of “private” stuff about his hospitalization. All kinds of private treatment information. Everything he wants to say, that is.
    
    I’m not stating that Stricker has to answer every health care and vaccination question. I am saying, he should be asked. And having been asked more specific relevant questions, after already speaking at length to the details of his hospitalization, Stricker could hardly justify a refusal to answer.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Gagootz
      
      Jan 7, 2022 at 9:34 pm
      
      It’s probably the vax that caused this you meatball.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Livininparadise
        
        Jan 8, 2022 at 7:59 pm
        
        Gagootz, yeah right. Jacka$$
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Chucy
        
        Jan 8, 2022 at 8:57 pm
        
        That’s hateful nonsense, Gagootz.
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Tyler Durden
      
      Jan 14, 2022 at 8:51 pm
      
      Steve violated “HIPPA” against himself ?
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Chucy
        
        Jan 24, 2022 at 12:37 pm
        
        HIPAA, is what it is.
        
        Reply Report comment
- Brooks
  
  Jan 7, 2022 at 12:11 pm
  
  Ya, people aren’t treated with antibiotics for a virus… COVID doesn’t cause jaundice, also, it doesn’t matter what the differential diagnosis was. Someimes a “mysterious disease” does happen, you treat infections and sometimes they get worse then it clears up with the right treatment.
  Medicine is called a “practice” for a reason.
  Lastly, who cares what they had or did not, not your business.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Doc Brown
    
    Jan 7, 2022 at 7:22 pm
    
    Mystery disease. Only cured by being hooked up to gigawats.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Jay
  
  Jan 7, 2022 at 1:39 pm
  
  Clearly they are hiding the fact that they were vaccinated (both were)…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chucy
    
    Jan 8, 2022 at 8:49 pm
    
    I’d be very interested in any clear, authoritative statements on exactly when Reed and Stricker were vaccinated.
    
    It’s like the easiest question in the world. “Were you vaccinated, and boosted?” Answering,“Yes,” and some dates.
    
    This story didn’t have that info on Stricker. And the previous reporting on Reed never made it clear either.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Brandon
  
  Jan 7, 2022 at 7:13 pm
  
  Remember all of human history before 2019 when people got sick and went to the hospital for things other than Covid? Those things still exist.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Sisted Twister
    
    Jan 10, 2022 at 2:42 am
    
    Brandon is correct. The comments about this being caused by the vaccine are fake news and absolutely ridiculous. I’ve been vaccinated for many things in my life, including 3 for cov, and none has caused me any harm. Nor hundreds of millions of other people.
    
    Stricker is lucky, though, that he was able to be treated. Anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-smart people are clogging hospitals nation-wide with serious cov illness. Maybe once we reach 1M dead in the US, a few more will take it seriously?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Bob Pegram
      
      Jan 10, 2022 at 3:18 pm
      
      The Covid shots AREN’T vaccines! They are gene changers.They could have screwed up his system so bad that he became suseptible to something he had previously had no problem with. Did that happen? Who knows. The “vaccine” can cause all sorts of weird reactions depending on a person’s inherent weaknesses. It could be unrelated to the Covid shots. We are not given enough info to know. The comments by others who have had hepatitis with similar symptoms sound relevant at first glance. Could the shots have aggravated a pre-existing systemic weakness he had? Again, who knows?
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Herman Cain
        
        Jan 18, 2022 at 10:03 am
        
        Yes, who knows? Clearly you don’t know, so stop spreading false information about things you are completely ignorant about.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Chucy
        
        Jan 24, 2022 at 12:41 pm
        
        I don’t care what sort of public forum it might be; social media, a message board, a comments page…
        
        A comment like the one you posted should not go without being challenged and called out as a lie. Dangerous misinformation which harms public health.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - ClubFoot
        
        Feb 18, 2022 at 12:12 pm
        
        Yep. After the 2nd Moderna I had to change my jeans 4 times. Just can’t clench my butt like I used too.
        
        This here injection is definitely jean changer.
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Jerome
      
      Jan 10, 2022 at 5:00 pm
      
      It is funny how you belittle those who do actual research.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Dave
        
        Jan 12, 2022 at 8:25 am
        
        Agreed…….dude is brainwashed
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Tyler Durden
        
        Jan 14, 2022 at 8:53 pm
        
        Going on the internet while you take a dump is not “doing your oe\wn research”
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        Stefan Molyneux
        
        Jan 22, 2022 at 4:24 pm
        
        Tyler, not an argument.
        
        Reply Report comment

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News

Four books for a springtime review

Published

15 hours ago

Mar 27, 2024

Ronald Montesano

One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

Published

2 days ago

Mar 26, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

Published

2 days ago

Mar 26, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

2022: Tony Finau (-16)
2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

Tom Hoge (+1.30)
Scottie Scheffler (+1.26)
Keith Mitchell (+0.97)
Tony Finau (+0.92)
Jake Knapp (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+0.94)
Kevin Dougherty (+0.93)
Cameron Champ (+0.86)
Rafael Campos (+0.84)
Si Woo Kim (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

Adam Svensson (+1.27)
Harry Hall (+1.01)
Martin Trainer (+0.94)
Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

Mackenzie Hughes (+0.76)
S.H. Kim (+0.68)
Scottie Scheffler (+0.64)
Jorge Campillo (+0.62)
Jason Day (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past.

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

Scottie Scheffler (+2.45)
Ben Griffin (+1.75)
Will Zalatoris (+1.73)
Ben Taylor (+1.53)
Tony Finau (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park.

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

Tyson Alexander (+3.65)
Ben Taylor (+3.40)
Tony Finau (+2.37)
Joel Dahmen (+2.25)
Patton Kizzire (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

Scottie Scheffler
Wyndham Clark
Tony Finau
Joel Dahmen
Stephan Jaeger
Aaron Rai
Sahith Theegala
Keith Mitchell
Jhonnatan Vegas
Jason Day
Kurt Kitayama
Alex Noren
Will Zalatoris
Si Woo Kim
Adam Long

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will Zalatoris +2000 (Caesars)

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions. The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 (FanDuel)

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 (FanDuel)

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

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