Gary Woodland wins Texas Children’s Houston Open in emotional finish

The state of Texas hosted its first event of the 2026 PGA Tour season, as the players competed at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, held at Memorial Park Golf Course just a few miles west of downtown Houston. Four days of rain-free, sunny Texas weather was every golfer’s dream.

A clear forecast helped many of the players perform well, with 59 golfers ending the tournament under par. The final standings of the Texas Children’s were incredibly tight, with the entire top 10 finishing at 12-under-par or better.

The heart of Houston’s defending champion, Min Woo Lee, posted 9-under-par during the weekday rounds, comfortably making the cut. On Saturday, Lee shot a 3-under-par 67 with just two bogeys. He ended Championship Sunday tied for third with Johnny Keefer at 15-under-par.

American and multiple-time PGA Tour winner Gary Woodland added his fifth Tour victory with a dominant win over runner-up Nicolai Højgaard. The Texas Children’s Houston Open marked Woodland’s first win since his 2019 U.S. Open title and, more significantly, his first victory since undergoing brain surgery in 2023.

This year, Woodland strung together four great rounds with an average driving distance of 321.9 yards and 80.6 Greens in Regulation. He left Memorial Park with $1.8 million and 500 FedEx Cup points.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler withdrew from the Houston opener as he and his wife, Meredith, prepared for the birth of their second child. Matt Kuchar, a 47-year-old veteran, filled Scheffler’s spot in the field and finished the tournament at 2-under-par.

Scheffler’s next scheduled appearance is at Augusta National for the 90th edition of The Masters, where he is a two-time champion. He won the second event of the 2026 PGA Tour season at The American Express but has since been on a cold streak, finishing outside the top 10 in his last three tournaments. Despite not playing up to his standards so far this season, Scheffler remains at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings ahead of No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Cameron Young.

Chris Gotterup continued his run of strong form, finishing tied for sixth at 13-under-par. This second top-10 finish of the season keeps him at sixth on the PGA Tour money list.

On the other hand, Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark and Marco Penge all missed the cut in poor outings during the weekday rounds.

The Valero Texas Open is the next tournament, scheduled for April 2 at TPC San Antonio. The event is held on the par-72 course designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman. Brian Harman is the defending champion.