The PGA Tour heads to the Lone Star State for the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park. Following Scottie Scheffler’s withdrawal due to the expected birth of his child, we’ve got a wide-open field contending for the podium this week.
We’re landing some fantastic value in DFS contests due to the lack of big names like Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Xander Schauffele. Betting favorites now include the 2025 winner, Min Woo Lee, followed by Chris Gotterup, who already has two outright wins in 2026.
Memorial Park is a much different course than what we watched during the Florida swing. Instead of water hazards and thick rough, it’s a lengthy par 70 that runs nearly 7,500 yards. All surfaces are overseeded Bermudagrass, which is the only consistency. Greens measure 7,000 square feet and will run 12 feet via Stimpmeter. Undulations will place a priority on approach shot accuracy, while the rough stands only 1.5 inches, allowing for some great scrambling opportunities.
My PGA DFS Lineup Advice: Top Golfers (2026 Valspar Championship) didn’t have a lot of high-end production. Akshay Bhatia’s withdrawal hurt us in Tier 1, while Jacob Bridgeman did return enough value for a T14 finish at Copperhead. In Tier 2, Ryo Hisatsune did enough for a T30 finish, while Nicolai Højgaard settled for a flat T55. Neither Tier 3 prospect played well, with Austin Smotherman missing the cut and Billy Horschel going T68.
Let’s get back on track and try to get at least half of our lineup inside the top 20 at the 2026 Houston Open. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more DFS picks and insight during the 2026 PGA Tour season.
The PGA Tour heads to the Lone Star State for the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park. Following Scottie Scheffler’s withdrawal due to the expected birth of his child, we’ve got a wide-open field contending for the podium this week.
We’re landing some fantastic value in DFS contests due to the lack of big names like Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Xander Schauffele. Betting favorites now include the 2025 winner, Min Woo Lee, followed by Chris Gotterup, who already has two outright wins in 2026.
Memorial Park is a much different course than what we watched during the Florida swing. Instead of water hazards and thick rough, it’s a lengthy par 70 that runs nearly 7,500 yards. All surfaces are overseeded Bermudagrass, which is the only consistency. Greens measure 7,000 square feet and will run 12 feet via Stimpmeter. Undulations will place a priority on approach shot accuracy, while the rough stands only 1.5 inches, allowing for some great scrambling opportunities.
My PGA DFS Lineup Advice: Top Golfers (2026 Valspar Championship) didn’t have a lot of high-end production. Akshay Bhatia’s withdrawal hurt us in Tier 1, while Jacob Bridgeman did return enough value for a T14 finish at Copperhead. In Tier 2, Ryo Hisatsune did enough for a T30 finish, while Nicolai Højgaard settled for a flat T55. Neither Tier 3 prospect played well, with Austin Smotherman missing the cut and Billy Horschel going T68.
Let’s get back on track and try to get at least half of our lineup inside the top 20 at the 2026 Houston Open. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more DFS picks and insight during the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
TIER 1
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Brooks Koepka |
$9,600 |
$11,300 |
| Jake Knapp |
$9,500 |
$11,400 |
Brooks Koepka has steadily plowed through the last three PGA Tour events in Florida, carding top 20 finishes in three consecutive outings. Now, Koepka heads to Memorial Park, which he helped Tom Doak renovate in 2019.
Koepka’s power is the main attraction at his current Tier 1 salary. Koepka leads the entire PGA Tour in SG: Approach and also sits in the top 40 in driving distance. Ranks 10th on 200+ yard approach shots, 18th in proximity, and 33rd at finding greens in regulation.
Putting is the weakness for Koepka. However, his tee-to-green game is sharp right now, so let’s make him our top priority in DFS lineups this week.
We haven’t seen Jake Knapp play since missing the cut at The Players Championship. Before that dud, Knapp had been red-hot, securing four top 10 finishes and five finishes inside the top 11 to start his 2026 season.
Knapp’s driver is a huge weapon. Plus, he’s a quality putter and plays well on approach. He’s fourth in scrambling, eighth in putting average, and 17th in total driving.
In 2025, Knapp carded a T27 finish, following a missed cut at Memorial Park. I expect a strong effort from Knapp in a bounce-back spot on a course that rewards power hitters, so let’s plug him into our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups ahead of Round 1 on Thursday.
TIER 2
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Keith Mitchell |
$8,200 |
$9,900 |
| Pierceson Coody |
$8,000 |
$9,600 |
Keith Mitchell has made the cut in all eight events he’s played in 2026. Mitchell has one top 10 finish and a pair of top 20 finishes, which is why he’s available at a discount in Tier 2.
In six trips to Memorial Park, Mitchell has three top 20 finishes, including a T9 in 2022 following the Doak renovation. Last year, he carded a T18 finish at -10-under-par.
Mitchell is ranked 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 51st in SG: Approach, and 31st in finding greens in regulation. He’s also top 30 for driving distance, which is why he’s been able to consistently find top 20 finishes at the Houston Open. Plus, he’s averaging 4.25 birdies per round, which could give us a big boost in our DFS lineups.
Plano, Texas native Pierceson Coody should feel right at home this week. Not only is the Texan in his element, but he’s also been playing solid golf for most of 2026, while enduring an MC-MC-T55 slump entering this event.
Coody has five top 20 finishes this season, including a pair of top 10 finishes. At Memorial Park, he’s yet to crack the top 50, which I believe changes this week.
Coody is ranked 31st in SG: Off-the-Tee, 38th in SG: Approach, and ninth in driving distance. He’s 24th for greens in regulation, 22nd in 200+ yard approach shots, and 10th for birdie average.
Let’s wrap up Tier 2 with Coody inserted into our lineups at a good value.
TIER 3
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Ryan Fox |
$7,400 |
$9,100 |
| Sudarshan Yellamaraju |
$7,200 |
$8,800 |
Ryan Fox has only played four events in 2026, so he’s more than fresh to take the tee box at Memorial Park this week. The New Zealand native ranks 25th in total strokes gained, including top 20 for driving distance and 35th in SG: Putting.
Fox is fourth on 200+ yard approach shots, 17th in scrambling, 11th in putting average, while sporting top-20 marks in par 4 scoring, scoring average, and birdie average.
He’s coming off a T15 finish at the 2025 Houston Open. Don’t hesitate to target this bomber when you’re constructing your DFS lineups, especially when Fox is available to roster at a low salary.
Finally, we’ll roll with Sudarshan Yellamaraju. The 24-year-old Canadian just carded a T5 finish at TPC Sawgrass during The Players Championship. Despite being a rookie, Yellamaraju leads the entire PGA Tour in total driving.
If that’s not enticing enough, Yellamaraju ranks 16th in SG: Putting, 28th in SG: Approach, seventh in proximity, and 25th at finding greens in regulation. He’s also second in 200+ yard approach shots.
As a result of his elite play, yielding three top 20 finishes, Yellamaraju ranks 16th in birdie average, 22nd in par 4 scoring, and 27th for scoring average in 2026. He’s a must-add in this Tier 3 bracket in PGA DFS lineups ahead of his debut at Memorial Park.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
