Steve Palmer's Houston Open predictions and free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Houston Open at Memorial Park on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf red button from 12.45pm on Thursday

Best bets

Harris English
1.5pts each-way 70-1 bet365

Si Woo Kim
1.5pts each-way 50-1 bet365, Betfred

Davis Riley
1pt each-way 50-1 general

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Scottie Scheffler will be a warm order for the Houston Open after his finishing flourish in the World Wide Technology Championship last week, but bookmakers are giving nothing away with a best-price 11-2 for the Memorial Park shootout.

Scheffler must be given great respect. He closed with a 62 in Mexico on Sunday, sharing third place, having put his old putter back in his bag for the weekend. With some confidence seemingly restored on the dancefloors, the Dallas-based star has to be clear favourite heading to a track where he carded a 62 in round two last year on his way to second spot behind Jason Kokrak.

Punters should also note that Scheffler was a PGA Tour maiden when he let Kokrak edge him at Memorial Park 12 months ago. Four trophies have followed, including the Masters. Scheffler is clearly the man to beat, but preference is for each-way investments on a trio of lively outsiders.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Harris English 70-1

Fans of Harris English will have been thrilled to see him looking so healthy and so aggressive through the ball during last week's World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.

English appears to have got his swing speed back to the level which once made him world number ten - and a first-round 64 at El Camaleon was particularly eyecatching. The 33-year-old has gone through some injury problems and seems to have finally come out the other side.

English won two PGA Tour titles last year, then went on to make his Ryder Cup debut in an American side which romped to a 19-9 victory, but hip pain gradually increased for this six-foot three-inch giant and he had surgery on Valentine's Day this year.

The recovery period meant English could not return to action until the Memorial in June - and it has understandably taken time for him to get back to his typical level of performance - but recent signs have been encouraging.

English closed with a 66 for ninth place in the Fortinet Championship in September, he was 28th in the Shriners Children's Open, then he closed with a 67 for 32nd place in Mexico on Sunday. This could be the week when he strings four good rounds together and challenges for a title.

English is a four-time PGA Tour champion who is well suited to the Memorial Park test. He is blessed with great touch on and around the greens, so the run-off areas at this track hold no fears for him. He was fourth in the 2019 Houston Open.

English has played well in other Texas events - he lost a playoff in the Lone Star State in his Nationwide Tour days, he was fifth at Colonial in 2012, and he was runner-up at Colonial in 2016. The Georgia boy loves teeing up in southern states. Given he had almost five months away from competition earlier this year, this sweet swinger is fresh and hungry at a time when many of his peers are flagging.

Next best bet

Si Woo Kim 50-1

Former prodigy Si Woo Kim, who was Sawgrass champion at the age of 21, may become a four-time PGA Tour winner at the age of 27 on Sunday. The Korean has exhibited great courage throughout his professional career and winning in Houston seems well within his compass.

Kim fired a final-round 64 to repel Patrick Cantlay and win The American Express at the start of last year. And saucy Si Woo showed his spirit again in the Presidents Cup in September to upset another big-name American.

Taking on Justin Thomas in the Sunday singles - as well as a partisan American crowd - Kim holed a birdie putt on the final green to triumph one-up. It was an incredibly brave performance against an in-form Thomas who had already won four points that week.

Putting had become a frustration for Kim, but Adam Scott convinced his Presidents Cup colleague to try the broomhandle, and the switch worked wonders. Kim won three points from four Cup matches, seeing off a top-class quintet in Scheffler, Sam Burns, Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Thomas.

Kim could take so much confidence from the Presidents Cup and he was eighth in the Shriners Children's Open next time out. Mental fatigue probably contributed to flat performances in the Zozo Championship and CJ Cup - he has had a hectic schedule - but a fortnight off has freshened this little master up for Memorial Park.

Kim missed the cut by a shot in his only previous Memorial Park start, but this Dallas-based star should be a factor in his adopted home state this time. He was fourth in the 2019 Texas Open.

Other selection

Davis Riley 50-1

PGA Tour maiden Davis Riley has been banging hard at the gate of the winner's enclosure - and it will probably not be long before this gifted 25-year-old comes crashing through.

Riley was a playoff loser in the Valspar Championship last year, then fifth in the Mexico Open, ninth in the Byron Nelson in Texas and fourth at Colonial in Texas. One of his two Korn Ferry Tour titles came in Texas in the TPC San Antonio Championship.

Like English, Riley is more comfortable in the southern states of America, having been born in Mississippi before playing college golf in Alabama.

Riley has already played five events this season, so has sharpened himself up, and a 67-67-68-68 effort in Mexico for 21st place was a rock-solid warm-up last week on a less suitable track. He was 29th on his Memorial Park debut last year and can power his way into contention on his return.

Players to note

Sam Burns
The Louisianan has twice finished seventh at Memorial Park and he was seventh in the CJ Cup last time out. Like Scheffler, he has an obvious chance but is priced accordingly.

Maverick McNealy
The PGA Tour maiden has a heady mix of course and current form - Memorial Park results of 20-19 and figures of 10-12-18-10 from his last four events.

Sepp Straka
The inconsistent Austrian was fifth at Memorial Park in 2020. A lively outsider at a track he relishes.

Taylor Montgomery
Form figures of 2-3-4-9-3-9-15-13-10 from his last nine events mean Monty deserves great respect. A PGA Tour maiden who could fall in love with Memorial Park on debut.

Memorial Park course guide

Course Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas
Prize money $8.4m ($1.35m to the winner)
Length 7,412 yards
Par 70 - three par-fives; ten par-fours; five par-threes
Field 132 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Scottie Scheffler (2), Sam Burns (12), Tony Finau (15), Hideki Matsuyama (19), Sepp Straka (27)

Course records- 72 holes 267 Carlos Ortiz (2020) 18 holes 62 Scottie Scheffler (2021)

When to bet By 12.45pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf red button from 12.45pm on Thursday

Time difference Texas is six hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - World Wide Technology Championship 1 R Henley (55-1), 2 B Harman (40-1), T3 S Scheffler (9-1), J Dahmen (70-1), T Merritt (150-1), S Power (40-1), W Gordon (150-1), T8 D Lingmerth (300-1), S Ryder (225-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview The Houston Open was traditionally the week before the Masters, but switched to an autumn slot in 2019. The tournament was played at the Golf Club of Houston from 2006 to 2019, before the new venue took over. Tom Doak, with assistance from Brooks Koepka, redesigned Memorial Park in readiness for Tour action. Doak, who also designed Scottish Open venue the Renaissance Club, added elevation and improved drainage, some holes were lengthened, some were shortened, trees were removed, bunkers were, too, and the fairways were widened. The course is generous off the tee, but the bermuda rough is penal. The undulating greens have run-off areas around them and provide the main defence of the track

Story of last year Jason Kokrak repelled Scottie Scheffler and Kevin Tway to claim a third PGA Tour title

Weather forecast Sunny and warm to start the event, but cooler at the weekend, with afternoon temperatures dropping from a Thursday 26C to a Saturday 15C. Light to moderate breezes throughout.

Type of player suited to the challenge Relatively fast, slopey greens are surrounded by short-grass run-off areas, so touch on and around the dancefloors seems essential

Key attribute Touch/putting

Spotlight insight None of the last 16 winners of the Houston Open had a top-ten finish in their preceding strokeplay event

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