DraftKings Preview for The 2021 Hewlett Packard enterprise houston open

The pga tour returns to us soil as burns and company get set for the houston open

Just two events remain in the fall swing of the 2021-22 PGA Tour season and we're finally back on US soil. Sam Burns headlines a solid field teeing it up at Memorial Park Golf Club in Houston, Texas on Thursday as it's set to host the 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Let's get you set to see some green screens on DraftKings this weekend.

What's up golf addicts! AC here, checking in week to week to provide a quick preview of the upcoming PGA Tour event. I’ll give you the lowdown on the course, the players, some key stats, and our favorite DraftKings picks for the week.

Apologies for the absence last week but it was for good reason as my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. Both mama and baby girl are doing fantastic and I have a bit of time to talk to you about the Houston Open. We do have a couple of recent winners to mention first. Lucas Herbert picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Bermuda Championship two weeks back. Then last week, Viktor Hovland went back to back in Mexico to successfully defend the Mayakoba title and get his third PGA Tour win.

Not much hope lately for longshot SZN but perhaps Memorial Park and the Houston Open will deliver something spicy.

The Field and Tournament Details for the Houston Open

For just the second time, Memorial Park will host the Houston Open. Last year, Carlos Ortiz left Texas with the hardware after firing a -13 on the newly renovated public track. Sadly, Ortiz had to WD on Tuesday with a shoulder injury so will not be defending. That does leave the title open for 132 other PGA Tour hopefuls including arguably the hottest player on Tour this fall, Sam Burns. Burns tops the DraftKings pricing with Scottie Scheffler, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Smith, and Tyrrell Hatton up in the $10ks.

Memorial Park course redesign consultant, Brooks Koepka leads off the $9ks joined by Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann, Talor Gooch, Aaron Wise, and Patrick Reed. Ortiz and Emiliano Grillo are the only two players who have WD as of Tuesday evening with John Huh and Max McGreevy filling their spots. The field is capped at 132 with the top 65 and ties making the 36-hole cut.

Memorial Park key stats & Course Breakdown

Memorial Park GC will return as the venue for the 2021 Houston Open. Previous to 2020's return, the last time Memorial Park hosted the event was way back in 1963. The course has gone through a recent redesign at the hands of Tom Doak and as previously mentioned, none other than Brooks Koepka.

At just over 7400 yards, this Par 70 features Bermudagrass tee to green including some nasty Bermudagrass rough and boasts five par 4s nearly 500 yards or longer. Mix in just three par 5s, one at over 620 yards, and five par 3s... This week will definitely favor the long hitters. With above-average sized greens, very little water, and only 17 bunkers, the course would seem getable but it is far from it.

The distance is one thing but accuracy off the tee is important as well with what lies just off the fairway. The rough produced the third-lowest greens in regulation % of all stops in 2020. The greens are quite tricky as well. A lot of run-offs. In 2020, Memorial Park played as the fourth longest and fifth toughest course on Tour. Then there is the wind. It is still early but the wind will definitely be a factor this week.

Key Stats for Memorial Park GC

A solid mix of strokes gained off the tee, distance, and accuracy is where I'm starting this week. Guys who can't knock it 300 don't have much hope in winning the Houston Open at MPGC. Strokes gained approach is always key and with the tricky greens, will have some added emphasis. Fantasy National's opps gained and good drives gained stats will once again find their way into my models. Scrambling, putting on Bermuda, and bogey avoidance will also be helpful in finding the gems this week.

Course fit can be looked at as well. We have the data from last year but we can also look at par 70 history, tough scoring trends, and then break it down by holes. Each of the par 5s is over 550 so we can look at that, par 3 scoring, and par 4 scoring on holes 500+ yards. Check out who does well in the wind and have a glance at scoring on courses over 7,400 yards.

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The Picks & Fades

Each week we will give you some plays and a fade from each DraftKings salary range. For all of DB and Pat’s thoughts and picks make sure to check out and subscribe to the Tour Junkies Podcast.

To Play or Not to Play Brooks Koepka

F**k yes! BK has admitted to needing to get warmed up and always performing his best during week 2 and week 3 of a continuous span of golf. Brooks also helped redesign this course, has ties with the owner, and excels when the conditions get tough. He's also very likely to still be low-owned.

$9K & Above

DB: Play - Aaron Wise | Fade - Brooks Koepka
Pat: Play - Brooks Koepka | Fade - Tony Finau
AC: Play - Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Talor Gooch | Fade - Tyrrell Hatton

Burns is an easy play and I don't have anything bad to say there. Don't have much bad to say about anyone in the upper ranges except Hatton doesn't really do it for me. I know he placed well here last year but he was also playing better then. Sungjae is top 10 in all of my favorite stats this week and looks to be undervalued in the ownership department. Scott is super low-owned as well and is in nice form. Course fit is right up his alley. Gooch has awesome form, solid history, and checks a lot of the boxes.

$8K Range

DB: Play - Maverick McNealy | Fade - Max Homa
Pat: Play - Seamus Power | Fade - Russell Henley
AC: Play - Russell Henley, Cameron Tringale | Fade - Maverick McNealy

Henley and Tringale didn't shine here in 2020 but both finished T29 and I like that they at least saw the course. Neither performed last week either but I can move past that. Henley's stats are solid and Tringale's would look a bit better if his 2nd place at the Zozo were available. McNealy's ownership is creeping up to the sketchy zone and he really just doesn't rate out very well in any of the models I ran.

$7K Range

DB: Play - Henrik Norlander | Fade - Mito Periera
Pat: Play - Mito Periera | Fade - Emilliano Grillo
AC: Play - Mito Periera, Chad Ramey, Taylor Pendrith | Fade - Jason Day

I know DB thinks Mito is tired but I don't really buy that. He's a young guy and is going to have some struggles. They will make him a better player and this course and field give him a solid chance at his first win. Ramey doesn't smash the ball but his accuracy ranks top 20 in the field and his approach and opps gained numbers are stellar. This could actually be a Pendrith week. His two biggest weapons (driver/putter) should assassinate this place. Cop out fade on J Day but he's going to have to show me a lot more before I put any trust in that basket.

$6K Range

DB: Play - Aaron Rai, Luke List, Hudson Swafford
Pat: Play - Dylan Frittelli, Hudson Swafford
AC: Play - Nate Lashley, Brandon Hagy, Roger Sloan

Lashley is a fantastic putter with some solid form and has a taste for PGA Tour victory. Hagy has played the weekend for the fourth straight week for just the second time in his PGA career and hits his driver and long irons really nice. Sloan is a local and though he didn't play here last year, does have the ability to rise up on Bermuda tracks.

There ya go. It took me quite a while to piece this together while attempting to nurture a newborn. Is it baby swag week? Hope so! Hope for green screens for all of you as well. Pay attention to the wind. Pay attention to the ownership. Good luck!

THE INS & OUTS

OUT: Emiliano Grillo, Carlos Ortiz

IN: Max McGreevy, John Huh

*Field is set at 132 with the top 65 and ties making the cut after 36 holes.