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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Texas Children’s Houston Open

For the first of two events in Texas, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park (par 70, 7,475 yards, POA Trivalis greens) in Houston. This venue has hosted the last four Houston Opens, and Stephan Jaeger (-12) is the defending champion of this event, after winning in a six-man playoff last season. This week’s field features 144 players, and there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The CliffsNotes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,700)

Even more so than usual, Scheffler is the unanimous favorite this week—he carries +350 odds to win the Houston Open on DraftKings Sportsbook—and starting your cash game lineup with the world No. 1 is a no-brainer. Scheffler is a former Texas Longhorn, and he has been extremely close to winning at Memorial Park, finishing runner-up at this venue two of the last three years. Scheffler shot an 8-under 62 at Memorial Park in 2021, which is tied for the course record. The 28-year-old’s ball striking has been excellent this season, and Scheffler is just a solid putting performance away from earning his first victory of the season. His flat stick coming alive on these greens he knows extremely well at Memorial Park is absolutely possible, and Scheffler should once again contend for a win at the par 70.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Aaron Rai ($9,800)

Rai’s ultra efficient driver has translated into plenty of success at Memorial Park. In three starts at the track, the Englishman has finished T19th, T7th and T7th. Rai’s 11th place average finish at Memorial Park is the best among this week’s field that have played the course more than once. Returning to Memorial Park in great form this week, Rai is well worth this price tag. In his last three starts, Rai has finished T4th, T11th and T14th.

Tony Finau ($9,200)

Finau has never been priced lower for a start at Memorial Park and he must be rostered at this price tag. Finau missed cut at THE PLAYERS Championship in his last start, but before this, he had carded two top-15 finishes in his previous three starts. More importantly, Finau has been simply incredible at Memorial Park. He won here by four strokes in 2022 and he was one of the five players to lose to Jaeger in the playoff last season. Finau has remarkably posted an 8-under 62 in each of his last two starts at Memorial Park, which is tied for the course record and is Finau’s career-low on the PGA TOUR. Plus, the veteran ranks first in Strokes Gained per round at the par 70 among the players in this week’s field that have competed at Memorial Park more than once. Finau should have his best finish of the season this week and there is a chance he gets slightly overlooked coming off a missed cut.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Si Woo Kim ($8,900)

Kim has finished T35th and T17th at the last two Houston Opens, and he has made five cuts in a row entering this week, with four of these finishes coming inside the top 25. Kim has become an elite driver in this stage of his career—he ranks 35th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season—and this part of his game should lift him to another high finish at Memorial Park, where strong drivers have an advantage. Of the last three winners at Memorial Park, two have finished the event top-15 in SG: Off-the-Tee.

Jacob Bridgeman ($8,400)

Bridgeman was right in the mix for his first PGA TOUR win last week at the Valspar Championship, finishing T3rd and only two strokes back of the winner in Viktor Hovland. Bridgeman shot under par in all four of his rounds at the difficult Copperhead Course, and he has now finished runner-up, T15th, T50th, and T3rd in his last four starts. This season, Bridgeman ranks 14th in Total Strokes Gained and 24th in par-5 performance. Each of the last four victors at Memorial Park has finished the tournament top-10 in par-5 efficiency, and Bridgeman finished T21st in his debut at the par 70 last season. Sitting 130 spots higher in the world golf rankings at career-best No. 70, Bridgeman should outdo himself with an even higher finish this week.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Joe Highsmith ($7,800)

Highsmith finished T21st in his debut at Memorial Park last season, and it’s safe to expect an even better performance this week. The 24-year-old is playing the best golf of his life, finishing T17th, first, MC, T22nd, and T20th in his last five starts. That win for Highsmith came at the Cognizant Classic, and he won the event by two strokes. Highsmith ranks 10th in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he sits 118 spots higher in the world golf rankings than when he made his Houston Open debut a year ago.

Davis Riley ($7,600)

Riley added another great finish to his resume at the Copperhead Course last week, finishing T6th. Riley has now made four cuts in a row, and two of these finishes have top-seven results. The 28-year-old has gained strokes on approach at every event during this cut streak, and Memorial Park is another course that Riley loves competing at. He finished a career-best T14th at this track last year, and he has never finished worse than T29th in three starts at the par 70. Riley should be oozing with confidence this week, and him contending for the second event in a row is absolutely possible.

Lee Hodges ($7,300)

Hodges has only missed one cut in his last 10 starts, and five of these finishes have results of T16 or better. Hodges has collectively gained strokes with his irons and putter in three of his five starts of 2025, and he ranks third in SG: Putting for the season. Hodges has made 1-of-2 cuts at Memorial Park, and he is vastly underpriced for his chances of making the cut this week.

Matthew McCarty ($7,000)

While McCarty is a debutant at Memorial Park, he is playing excellent golf and should advance to the weekend. McCarty has made four consecutive cuts and he has improved each week, with his last two finishes being a T20 at THE PLAYERS Championship and a T16 at the Valspar Championship. McCarty gained strokes on approach and with his flat stick at both these challenging Florida tournaments, setting him up perfectly for Memorial Park. Of the past four winners at this par 70, three have finished the event in the top 13 in both SG: Approach and SG: Putting.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Steven Fisk ($6,700)

It’s best to focus on the plethora of appealing options in the $7,000 range for cash games this week, but if in need of some extra salary cap relief, Fisk is the best option in the $6,000s. The 27-year-old will be making his Houston Open debut, but Fisk’s form is excellent with three top-30 finishes in his last four starts, most notably with a T4 at the Puerto Rico Open earlier this month. Fisk is a great ball striker who ranks 27th in SG: Tee-to-Green this season, and his driver has been his best club, with him ranking 18th in SG: Off-the-Tee. As previously mentioned, strong drivers have an edge at the long Memorial Park, and Fisk’s efficiency in that department should result in at least a made cut this week.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express

For the first of two events in Texas, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park (par 70, 7,475 yards, POA Trivalis greens) in Houston. This venue has hosted the last four Houston Opens, and Stephan Jaeger (-12) is the defending champion of this event, after winning in a six-man playoff last season. This week’s field features 144 players, and there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The CliffsNotes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,700)

Even more so than usual, Scheffler is the unanimous favorite this week—he carries +350 odds to win the Houston Open on DraftKings Sportsbook—and starting your cash game lineup with the world No. 1 is a no-brainer. Scheffler is a former Texas Longhorn, and he has been extremely close to winning at Memorial Park, finishing runner-up at this venue two of the last three years. Scheffler shot an 8-under 62 at Memorial Park in 2021, which is tied for the course record. The 28-year-old’s ball striking has been excellent this season, and Scheffler is just a solid putting performance away from earning his first victory of the season. His flat stick coming alive on these greens he knows extremely well at Memorial Park is absolutely possible, and Scheffler should once again contend for a win at the par 70.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Aaron Rai ($9,800)

Rai’s ultra efficient driver has translated into plenty of success at Memorial Park. In three starts at the track, the Englishman has finished T19th, T7th and T7th. Rai’s 11th place average finish at Memorial Park is the best among this week’s field that have played the course more than once. Returning to Memorial Park in great form this week, Rai is well worth this price tag. In his last three starts, Rai has finished T4th, T11th and T14th.

Tony Finau ($9,200)

Finau has never been priced lower for a start at Memorial Park and he must be rostered at this price tag. Finau missed cut at THE PLAYERS Championship in his last start, but before this, he had carded two top-15 finishes in his previous three starts. More importantly, Finau has been simply incredible at Memorial Park. He won here by four strokes in 2022 and he was one of the five players to lose to Jaeger in the playoff last season. Finau has remarkably posted an 8-under 62 in each of his last two starts at Memorial Park, which is tied for the course record and is Finau’s career-low on the PGA TOUR. Plus, the veteran ranks first in Strokes Gained per round at the par 70 among the players in this week’s field that have competed at Memorial Park more than once. Finau should have his best finish of the season this week and there is a chance he gets slightly overlooked coming off a missed cut.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Si Woo Kim ($8,900)

Kim has finished T35th and T17th at the last two Houston Opens, and he has made five cuts in a row entering this week, with four of these finishes coming inside the top 25. Kim has become an elite driver in this stage of his career—he ranks 35th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season—and this part of his game should lift him to another high finish at Memorial Park, where strong drivers have an advantage. Of the last three winners at Memorial Park, two have finished the event top-15 in SG: Off-the-Tee.

Jacob Bridgeman ($8,400)

Bridgeman was right in the mix for his first PGA TOUR win last week at the Valspar Championship, finishing T3rd and only two strokes back of the winner in Viktor Hovland. Bridgeman shot under par in all four of his rounds at the difficult Copperhead Course, and he has now finished runner-up, T15th, T50th, and T3rd in his last four starts. This season, Bridgeman ranks 14th in Total Strokes Gained and 24th in par-5 performance. Each of the last four victors at Memorial Park has finished the tournament top-10 in par-5 efficiency, and Bridgeman finished T21st in his debut at the par 70 last season. Sitting 130 spots higher in the world golf rankings at career-best No. 70, Bridgeman should outdo himself with an even higher finish this week.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Joe Highsmith ($7,800)

Highsmith finished T21st in his debut at Memorial Park last season, and it’s safe to expect an even better performance this week. The 24-year-old is playing the best golf of his life, finishing T17th, first, MC, T22nd, and T20th in his last five starts. That win for Highsmith came at the Cognizant Classic, and he won the event by two strokes. Highsmith ranks 10th in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he sits 118 spots higher in the world golf rankings than when he made his Houston Open debut a year ago.

Davis Riley ($7,600)

Riley added another great finish to his resume at the Copperhead Course last week, finishing T6th. Riley has now made four cuts in a row, and two of these finishes have top-seven results. The 28-year-old has gained strokes on approach at every event during this cut streak, and Memorial Park is another course that Riley loves competing at. He finished a career-best T14th at this track last year, and he has never finished worse than T29th in three starts at the par 70. Riley should be oozing with confidence this week, and him contending for the second event in a row is absolutely possible.

Lee Hodges ($7,300)

Hodges has only missed one cut in his last 10 starts, and five of these finishes have results of T16 or better. Hodges has collectively gained strokes with his irons and putter in three of his five starts of 2025, and he ranks third in SG: Putting for the season. Hodges has made 1-of-2 cuts at Memorial Park, and he is vastly underpriced for his chances of making the cut this week.

Matthew McCarty ($7,000)

While McCarty is a debutant at Memorial Park, he is playing excellent golf and should advance to the weekend. McCarty has made four consecutive cuts and he has improved each week, with his last two finishes being a T20 at THE PLAYERS Championship and a T16 at the Valspar Championship. McCarty gained strokes on approach and with his flat stick at both these challenging Florida tournaments, setting him up perfectly for Memorial Park. Of the past four winners at this par 70, three have finished the event in the top 13 in both SG: Approach and SG: Putting.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Steven Fisk ($6,700)

It’s best to focus on the plethora of appealing options in the $7,000 range for cash games this week, but if in need of some extra salary cap relief, Fisk is the best option in the $6,000s. The 27-year-old will be making his Houston Open debut, but Fisk’s form is excellent with three top-30 finishes in his last four starts, most notably with a T4 at the Puerto Rico Open earlier this month. Fisk is a great ball striker who ranks 27th in SG: Tee-to-Green this season, and his driver has been his best club, with him ranking 18th in SG: Off-the-Tee. As previously mentioned, strong drivers have an edge at the long Memorial Park, and Fisk’s efficiency in that department should result in at least a made cut this week.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shriners Children’s Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.