144 of the world’s best golfers will flock to the famed Golf Club of Houston this week for another exciting edition of the Shell Houston Open. A cool $6.6 million is at stake for the world-class field with the champion grabbing the $1.118 million top prize.
Read on below as we take a look at the five storylines golf fans should watch out heading into the first round this coming Thursday. While you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Shell Houston Open here as well as our sleeper picks for this prestigious tournament.
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2015 Shell Houston Open – Top 5 Storylines
Will another Texan take home the crown?
It’s safe to say the Texas flag is flying high right now in the PGA Tour. Three Texans have been making waves in this year’s tour, namely Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. With Walker’s sudden withdrawal from this event, though, the door has opened for Spieth and Reed to join Walker as the only multi-winners on the PGA Tour this year.
[sc:Golf240banner ]Spieth is having a spectacular season this year, already grabbing three top-five finishes including a victory at the Valspar Championship last month. He almost made it two victories in a row at the Texas Open last week but was denied by the equally red-hot Walker. Look for Spieth to carry his good form at Houston this week where he is the outright favorite to win at +750.
Reed is another guy who’s having a strong start to the year. He already has one tournament win in his pocket, grabbing the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last January. He also finished runner-up to Spieth at the Valspar, losing in a heart-breaking three-man playoff. Expect Reed to have another crack at Spieth this week at the Houston Open. His odds of winning the event are set at +1,500.
Can someone surprise at the Houston Open and grab a last-gasp ticket to Augusta?
One reason why the Shell Houston Open is a favorite destination for pro golfers everywhere is that it gives them one last chance to gain an invite to Augusta for the year’s first major golf championship. Matt Jones and D.A. Points did it the past two years, as well as Johnson Wagner who crashed the Masters with a win here back in 2008.
The question now on everyone’s lips is will there be another Cinderella story this year? Well, the odds of it happening this year are pretty good. Before Walker grabbed his second win of the season at the Texas Open last week, the PGA Tour had gone 19 tournaments without producing a multiple winner. With parity becoming more prevalent in the PGA Tour, don’t look so shocked if a surprise winner takes home the grand prize this week.
Can Matt Jones go back-to-back?
Matt Jones stunned the golfing world when he outgunned grizzled veteran Matt Kuchar in a final-round shootout at the Shell Houston Open last year. Jones went through the proverbial eye of the needle to grab his maiden PGA Tour victory, draining a lengthy 46-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to force a playoff before holing a miraculous chip attempt at the first extra hole to beat Kuchar.
The question now is can he win it again this year? Based on his recent performances, the answer is a definite yes. He has finished in the top-10 in two of his last four starts, ending up tied for seventh at the Pebble Beach Invitational last February before grabbing a third-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month. Jones’ odds of winning the Houston Open are currently listed at +3,000.
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Can Phil Mickelson get his groove back ahead of the Masters?
Phil Mickelson’s golfing woes continued on the Valero Texas Open last week as he finished in a tie for 30th with a four-over-par total of 292. Mickelson imploded in the final round on Sunday, shooting a 76, including an atrocious front-nine score of 6-over 42. It has been that kind of season for Mickelson whose best finish this season is only 17th with Lefty already missing two cuts.
If there’s one tournament, though, that can kick start Mickelson’s 2015 campaign, it’s got to be the Shell Houston Open. Mickelson has won this tournament before, shooting a 20-under-par total of 268 back in 2011, a Golf Club of Houston record. He will look for that same kind of magic this week to shore up his confidence heading into the Masters. Mickelson is priced at +2,500 to win the first major of the year.
Will Rickie Fowler finally end his long title drought?
It’s quite incredible to think that it has been almost three years since Rickie Fowler last won in the PGA Tour. That’s a complete surprise considering Fowler has been in amazing form the past couple of seasons. In fact last year, he finished in the top five of all four major championships.
His game, however, has somewhat dipped this season, opening 2015 without a top-40 finish in his first four starts. He has bounced back strongly, though, in his last two events finishing tied for 12th at Doral before figuring in a tie for 29th at Bay Hill. He will fancy his chances of sustaining that momentum at the Houston Open where he is 3-for-3 with a solo sixth last year. He is pegged at +2,000 to end his title drought this week.
