The Texas Children’s Houston Open delivered another exciting finish at the start of 2025, with Min Woo Lee holding off Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland to secure his first PGA Tour title.
It may not be a signature event, but the Texas Children’s Houston Open proved to be intriguing with the thoughts of so many turning towards The Masters.
The likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy appear to have made their final appearances before the first major of the year. And there were encouraging signs for Scheffler in particular, as the world number one finished second in Houston for the second year running.
McIlroy meanwhile, had to settle for a tie for fifth. McIlroy spoke about dealing with an elbow issue, but that did not prevent the Northern Irishman from threatening a charge of his own during the final round.
Michael Kim questions the Memorial Park setup following the Texas Children’s Houston Open
The 35-year-old has already won twice in 2025, so a third victory this past week would have arguably ramped up the pressure to unprecedented levels ahead of Augusta National.
But it seems that some have their doubts about how much can be taken from how the Houston Open played out.
Taking to X, Michael Kim – who finished tied for 32nd – was critical of the setup at Memorial Park, noting that the course was too open off the tee and the greens were too receptive to provide a true test ahead of The Masters.
He wrote: ‘I think I like memorial park but the set up has never been right. It went from dormant Bermuda which was stupid firm which felt too penal at times to now with overseed and zero rough which took a lot of character out of the course. I understand it’s supposed to be like a masters tune up in a way but the greens are way too soft for that and there’s so much room OTT sometimes. I kinda [got confused] when I heard people say this course suits Rory. Rory excels when he’s able to hit driver in the fairway where people can’t. This place anyone can hit driver.‘
Rory McIlroy’s verdict on Memorial Park after finishing fifth at the Houston Open
Kim was not alone in expressing some disappointment with Memorial Park. McIlroy also suggested that the golf course would benefit greatly from offering more trouble off the tee.
“I like the golf course. I wish there was a little more of a penalty if you miss off the tee. I feel like you can sort of stand up at every tee box and just hit it everywhere and be okay. If there was a little more penalty off the tee, it’s a very good golf course, but I feel that would make it a little bit better,” he said after the final round.
McIlroy was certainly not struggling to send the ball a long way off the tee – averaging more than 315 yards across the week. But it was interesting that he managed to hit eight fairways in three of the four rounds.
Perhaps that was an indication that he wanted to play within himself a little more to try and prepare for the challenges of Augusta National.
A tied fifth finish is definitely another positive sign. But Kim’s comments suggest that the questions asked of McIlroy in the last few days may not be as relevant to The Masters as some may have thought.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
