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With one round to go at the Texas Children's Houston Open, who's got the best shot to qualify for the Masters Tournament April 10-13 at the Augusta National Golf Club?
Fifty players who made the weekend cut who have a mathematical chance of earning an invitation to the season's first major at Memorial Park on Sunday. They are in two categories: eight players who can reach the top 50 on the World Golf Rankings, and 42 who need to win to qualify for a Masters invitation.
But let's get realistic. Not many have a shot in the final round and it would have to be a combination of the round of their lives and multiple players ahead of them falling apart.
For example, Sam Stevens needs to finish solo second to make the top 50 in the world. He's tied for 41st in Houston at 5-under, eight shots behind second-place Alejandro Tosti. That means Stevens would have to tie the course record and hope for a bunch of players such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark to collapse.
Take the category of players who need to win. Rickie Fowler is tied for 55th at 4-under, 13 off the lead. Charley Hoffman is tied for 41st at 5-under, 12 back.
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Is it possible? Yes. Probable? Highly doubtful.
Here are 10 players who have the best chance in Sunday's final round to punch their ticket to the Masters:
Michael Kim: He needs to finish among the top 50 or higher to get off the No. 50 bubble and ensure he's headed for the Masters. Kim is tied for 29th at 7-under in Houston.
Notable: Kim is tied for 26th on the PGA Tour with a final-round scoring average of 69.0. He tied for seventh last year at 68.36.
Ben Griffin: He was even par with six holes to go on Saturday and made five pars and birdied No. 9 to finish tied for 41st at 5-under. Griffin, 53rd in the world, needs to finish 28th or higher to crack the top 50.
Notable: Griffin was pretty good in the final round last year, averaging 68.72 to finish 17th on the Tour. This year, not so much. He's tied for 76th at 70.25.
Eric Cole: After a second-round 67 that got him into the top 10, Cole faltered with a 71 and is tied for 35th at 6-under. He needs to finish tied for fourth or better to get into the top 50 and he's six shots off that pace.
Notable: Cole's struggles this season have come on the weekends. He's 147th on the Tour with a 71.86 final-round scoring average.
Alejandro Tosti: He's in the best position among players not qualified for a Masters invitational, in solo second at 13-under, four shots behind Min Woo Lee.
Notable: Tosti has struggled on Sundays, averaging 72.00 this season in the final round (148th on the Tour) and 71.10 last year (160th). But he did post rounds of 65-66 in the PGA Tour Qualifier last year to earn his Tour card.
Gary Woodland: He's in a tie for sixth at 11-under. Keep in mind that this is a four-time PGA Tour winner and a major champion (2019 U.S. Open). Plus, Woodland played well early in the season.
Notable: This is the Cinderella Story everyone can get behind, with Woodland coming back from brain surgery in September of 2023 to win and get back to Augusta.
Ryan Gerard: He's tied for third at 12-under and certainly within range.
Notable: This is Gerard's second year on the PGA Tour and he's averaging 72.14 in the final round (159th on the Tour).
Trey Mullinax: The long-hitting former Alabama player has won once on the PGA Tour, an opposite-week event to a major. He's tied for sixth in Houston at 11-under.
Notable: Mullinax has been pretty good in the final round this season, averaging 69.00, tied for 26th on the Tour.
Keith Mitchell: If he wins he'd be the fourth former Georgia Bulldog with a Tour title this season. Mitchell is tied for sixth at 11-under.
Notable: His only PGA Tour victory was at a tough track (PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens). He's made six of seven cuts this year and might be due. Mitchell is 45th in final-round scoring average this season at 69.5.
Mackenzie Hughes: The Canadian veteran and two-time PGA Tour winner bears watching on Sunday. He's tied for 10th at 10-under.
Notable: Hughes has had some incredible Sunday finishes, including scores of 62 and 62 at the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Club to secure runner-up spots. But he can't settle for second this time.
Ryan Fox: The New Zealand native is tied for third at 12-under and shot 65 in his last two rounds at Memorial Park.
Notable: While the 38-year-old is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory, he's been around the global block, with eight worldwide victories in six countries.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour Houston Open: Ten players who have best chance for the Masters
Continue reading...
Fifty players who made the weekend cut who have a mathematical chance of earning an invitation to the season's first major at Memorial Park on Sunday. They are in two categories: eight players who can reach the top 50 on the World Golf Rankings, and 42 who need to win to qualify for a Masters invitation.
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But let's get realistic. Not many have a shot in the final round and it would have to be a combination of the round of their lives and multiple players ahead of them falling apart.
For example, Sam Stevens needs to finish solo second to make the top 50 in the world. He's tied for 41st in Houston at 5-under, eight shots behind second-place Alejandro Tosti. That means Stevens would have to tie the course record and hope for a bunch of players such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark to collapse.
Take the category of players who need to win. Rickie Fowler is tied for 55th at 4-under, 13 off the lead. Charley Hoffman is tied for 41st at 5-under, 12 back.
MAJOR INSIDER: Get Golfweek's best stories, latest updates from Augusta National straight to your inbox
Is it possible? Yes. Probable? Highly doubtful.
Here are 10 players who have the best chance in Sunday's final round to punch their ticket to the Masters:
Top 50 on the World Golf Rankings
Michael Kim: He needs to finish among the top 50 or higher to get off the No. 50 bubble and ensure he's headed for the Masters. Kim is tied for 29th at 7-under in Houston.
Notable: Kim is tied for 26th on the PGA Tour with a final-round scoring average of 69.0. He tied for seventh last year at 68.36.
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Ben Griffin: He was even par with six holes to go on Saturday and made five pars and birdied No. 9 to finish tied for 41st at 5-under. Griffin, 53rd in the world, needs to finish 28th or higher to crack the top 50.
Notable: Griffin was pretty good in the final round last year, averaging 68.72 to finish 17th on the Tour. This year, not so much. He's tied for 76th at 70.25.
Eric Cole: After a second-round 67 that got him into the top 10, Cole faltered with a 71 and is tied for 35th at 6-under. He needs to finish tied for fourth or better to get into the top 50 and he's six shots off that pace.
Notable: Cole's struggles this season have come on the weekends. He's 147th on the Tour with a 71.86 final-round scoring average.
Needs to win to get to Augusta
Alejandro Tosti: He's in the best position among players not qualified for a Masters invitational, in solo second at 13-under, four shots behind Min Woo Lee.
Notable: Tosti has struggled on Sundays, averaging 72.00 this season in the final round (148th on the Tour) and 71.10 last year (160th). But he did post rounds of 65-66 in the PGA Tour Qualifier last year to earn his Tour card.
Gary Woodland: He's in a tie for sixth at 11-under. Keep in mind that this is a four-time PGA Tour winner and a major champion (2019 U.S. Open). Plus, Woodland played well early in the season.
Notable: This is the Cinderella Story everyone can get behind, with Woodland coming back from brain surgery in September of 2023 to win and get back to Augusta.
Ryan Gerard: He's tied for third at 12-under and certainly within range.
Notable: This is Gerard's second year on the PGA Tour and he's averaging 72.14 in the final round (159th on the Tour).
Trey Mullinax: The long-hitting former Alabama player has won once on the PGA Tour, an opposite-week event to a major. He's tied for sixth in Houston at 11-under.
Notable: Mullinax has been pretty good in the final round this season, averaging 69.00, tied for 26th on the Tour.
Keith Mitchell: If he wins he'd be the fourth former Georgia Bulldog with a Tour title this season. Mitchell is tied for sixth at 11-under.
Notable: His only PGA Tour victory was at a tough track (PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens). He's made six of seven cuts this year and might be due. Mitchell is 45th in final-round scoring average this season at 69.5.
Mackenzie Hughes: The Canadian veteran and two-time PGA Tour winner bears watching on Sunday. He's tied for 10th at 10-under.
Notable: Hughes has had some incredible Sunday finishes, including scores of 62 and 62 at the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Club to secure runner-up spots. But he can't settle for second this time.
Ryan Fox: The New Zealand native is tied for third at 12-under and shot 65 in his last two rounds at Memorial Park.
Notable: While the 38-year-old is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory, he's been around the global block, with eight worldwide victories in six countries.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour Houston Open: Ten players who have best chance for the Masters
Continue reading...
