Two weeks ago, Rory McIlroy earned his second PGA Tour victory of the 2025 season. He will tee it up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open for the first time since 2014.
In an interview with SkySports, fellow TGL member Billy Horschel thinks it’s McIlroy’s tournament to lose.
“I thought it’s a perfectly designed golf course for Rory [McIlory],” Horschel said.
“When Rory talked to me about it, we were talking schedules, I think at the end of last year, early this year, he mentioned playing Houston. I said, ‘Man, that course is right up your ally.'”
“I thought it’s a PERFECTLY designed golf course for Rory!” 🙌
Billy Horschel thinks The Houston Open will be a ‘good test’ for Rory McIlroy ahead of The Masters at Augusta in two weeks time 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0edTArkfs9
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 25, 2025
Why is Memorial Park such a good course for the Northern Irishman?
It favors long hitters.
“There’s a lot of holes that he can hit his nice-going draw on,” HorscheI explained. “I would suspect that Rory has a very good chance to win. I know Scottie Scheffler is in the field, but with how Rory has been playing this year and where his game is, it wouldn’t shock me if he wins this week.”
Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy are the two betting favorites this week in Houston. As the two top players in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), it makes sense they would be, but this course fits Rory’s style of play.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Memorial Park is also a great warm-up for those gearing up for the first major at Augusta National for The Masters.
“It’s a very big second shot golf course,” Horschel noted. “It is a good test [for Augusta] because the greens are big and have some slope in them. Chipping around the greens and having to hit these chips up to the green sort of gets you ready for Augusta a little bit.”
The last time McIlroy played in the event was when the tournament happened during the Fall portion of the PGA Tour season. He finished T7 in 2014. The 35-year-old won the PGA and Open Championship, two of the four majors, that same year, so will history repeat itself?
McIlroy has two Signature Events under his belt this season after winning The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The PLAYERS. Can he win for a third time before he attempts to complete the career grand slam?
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