Rors Returns To Houston First Time In 11-Years – What Can He Expect?

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Pre-Tournament Information – 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open

 

Player Interviews (all times local)

Tuesday, March 25
1:45 p.m. – Matthew Riedel

2:45 p.m. – Stephan Jaeger

Wednesday, March 26

After 7:15 a.m. 9-hole Pro-Am – Scottie Scheffler (outside flash area)

After 7:15 a.m. 9-hole Pro-Am – Rory McIlroy (outside flash area)

To Be Determined

Tony Finau

*Visit pgatourmedia.com for the latest interview schedule                                                                                     

Tony Finau

  • 2022 champion is making his ninth start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open; most recently finished T2 in 2024
  • One of two players with multiple top-five finishes since the event moved to Memorial Park in 2020 (other: Scottie Scheffler/2)
  • Most recent of his six PGA TOUR victories came at the 2023 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
  • Eighth start of the 2025 season, with one top-10 finish (T5/The Genesis Invitational)

Stephan Jaeger

  • Defending champion making his fifth start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open (2018/MC, 2021/T35, 2022/T9, 2024/1st); Vijay Singh (2004, 2005) is the only back-to-back winner in tournament history
  • With nine consecutive pars on the back nine at Memorial Park, won his first PGA TOUR title in his 135th TOUR start at 34 years, 10 months, 1 day; finished one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler, Alejandro Tosti, Thomas Detry, Taylor Moore and Tony Finau
  • Became the fourth player from Germany to win on TOUR and first since Alex Cejka at the 2015 Puerto Rico Open (others: Bernhard Langer, Martin Kaymer)
  • 10th start of the 2025 season, with two top-10 finishes (T3/Sony Open in Hawaii, T6/Mexico Open at VidantaWorld)
  • 2024 title propelled him to a career-high finish in the FedExCup (No. 43)

Rory McIlroy

  • FedExCup leader making first start since winning THE PLAYERS Championship, his 28th win on TOUR (T20 all-time)
  • World No. 2 is the only multiple winner this season (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, THE PLAYERS Championship)
  • Fourth consecutive season with multiple victories on TOUR (2021-22/3, 2022-23/2, 2024/2)
  • Making fifth start at the event and first since 2014 (2009/T19, 2010/MC, 2013/T45, 2014/T7); will make his debut at Memorial Park Golf Course

Matthew Riedel

  • PGA TOUR rookie and Houston native making his debut appearance at the Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • Grew up playing at Lakeside Country Club in Houston (his dad and grandparents were members)
  • Finished No. 4 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking (Vanderbilt University), which earned him Korn Ferry Tour membership for the second half of the 2024 season, as well as an exemption to Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
  • Earned his TOUR card with a T4 finish at 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry (top five and ties earned PGA TOUR card)
  • Seventh start of his rookie season, with a T26 at the Puerto Rico Open his best finish

Scottie Scheffler

  • World No. 1 and reigning FedExCup champion in search of first official victory since the 2024 TOUR Championship (won 2024 Hero World Challenge)
  • In addition to wins at THE PLAYERS, Masters Tournament and TOUR Championship in 2024, captured four titles at Signature Events: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and Travelers Championship
  • Sixth start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three editions (T2/2021, T9/2022, T2/2024)
    • Held a one-stroke lead after the third round in 2021 before carding a final-round 69 to finish runner-up (Jason Kokrak)
    • One of five 54-hole co-leaders in 2024 before a final-round 68 led to a T2 finish; missed a birdie putt from 5 feet, 4 inches on the 72nd hole, which would have forced a playoff with champion Stephan Jaeger
  • Sixth start of the 2025 season, with two top-10 finishes (T3/The Genesis Invitational, T9/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am)

Texas Children’s Houston Open notes:

  • The Texas Children’s Houston Open will be played in the spring for the second consecutive season after a four-year stint in the fall from 2019-2022. The tournament is being hosted at Memorial Park Golf Course for the fifth consecutive time after undergoing a renovation in 2019 led by the Astros Golf Foundation to prepare it for PGA TOUR competition.
    • The only adjustment made to the golf course since the 2024 tournament is the renovation of a once abandoned tee on the par-5 16th hole, back and left of last year’s tournament tee. The new tee, which adds approximately 40 yards to the hole, can be used based on prevailing wind conditions.
  • The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking through the Texas Children’s Houston Open will qualify for the Masters Tournament if not already exempt; the highest-ranked players in the field that are not yet exempt are No. 27 J.J. Spaun, No. 44 Stephan Jaeger, No. 52 Michael Kim, No. 53 Ben Griffin, No. 61 Eric Cole and No. 66 Si Woo Kim; the winners of the next two PGA TOUR events will also qualify for the Masters if not yet exempt (next week: Valero Texas Open)
  • The field includes 20 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, headlined by the top two, Scottie Scheffler (No. 1) and Rory McIlroy (No. 2). Additional field features:
    • With Scheffler and McIlroy in the field, it marks the first time the world’s top two ranked players have played in the Texas Children’s Houston Open
    • Scheffler and McIlroy are in the same Full-Field Event (500 FedExCup points to the winner) since the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open (won by McIlroy)
    • Three past champions: Stephan Jaeger (2024), Tony Finau (2022), Lanto Griffin (2019)
    • Three past FedExCup champions (five wins): Scottie Scheffler (2024), Rory McIlroy (2016/2019/2022), Brandt Snedeker (2012)
    • Sponsor exemptions: Vince Covello, Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Noah Kent, Philip Knowles, Hayden Springer, Jimmy Walker, Kyle Westmoreland
  • Second-year TOUR member Jacob Bridgeman held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds at last week’s Valspar Championship before finishing solo third; marked his second top-three finish of the season (T2/Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches) and elevated him to No. 22 in the FedExCup
  • Bridgeman (3rd) is one of four players in the field at the Texas Children’s Houston Open who finished inside the top 10 at the Valspar Championship: Ryo Hisatsune (T4), Davis Riley (7th), Seamus Power (T8)

PGA TOUR season notes

  • Four first-time winners in 2025: Thomas Detry (WM Phoenix Open), Brian Campbell (Mexico Open at VidantaWorld), Joe Highsmith (Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches), Karl Vilips (Puerto Rico Open)
  • International players have won nine of the first 13 events this season: Hideki Matsuyama/Japan, Nick Taylor/Canada, Sepp Straka/Austria, Rory McIlroy/Northern Ireland/2, Thomas Detry/Belgium, Ludvig Åberg/Sweden, Karl Vilips/Australia, Viktor Hovland/Norway


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