The weather was perfect, Memorial Park had on it’s November best and some pretty big names ended up with a lot more than they bargained for on day one at the 2020 Houston Open.
The Houston Open used to be your typical full-field tour event with guys going low, shooting low-to-mid-60s by the bushel-basket full — lots of red numbers.
Then came Thursday and this 2020 event at Memorial Park.
A lot of big names looked like they were hit by the fat-end of a baseball bat. The scores got pretty ugly and this $35 million renovation created some tough going, especially for the world’s No. 1, Dustin Johnson and assorted other big names.
D.J., looking to bounce back from his scuffle with the Corona Virus, didn’t look too worthy of the No. 1 ranking. He used 20 putts over his first nine holes, starting on “The Park’s” back nine. Two birdies and five bogeys added up to 38. Coming home was better — a pair of birdies and only a single bogey got him in the red for that nine and he’d sign for an unimpressive two-over par 72.
Did we mention that this turned out to be one really tough muni with monster greens, yawning traps and strategically placed water meant to drown golf balls and nix low scores?
This will become known as the home of the 50, 60 and 70-foot putts — that’s how large those greens are.
So back to D.J. When he arrived in Houston, straight out of quarantine, he sounded pretty vague about his game. He called it “undetermined.”
“For me, it’s just getting reps is all,” he said of his goals this week. “If I hit a couple good shots, I’ll be happy. For me, it’s just about getting some reps in because I definitely didn’t plan on having this much time off.”
Yeah, about those reps. Well he had plenty of them on Thursday, enough for a tie for 62nd. Yeah, “undetermined” for sure.
But he wasn’t the only big name who underachieved.
Course “consultant” Brooks Koepka should have had some degree of local knowledge, one would think. But Koepka matched D.J.’s 72 and had problems with his tee shots and approaches going left too often. “It felt like that the whole day,” Koepka said. “I was trying to not lose it right.”
Brooks hit only six fairways and just nine greens. “Not too disappointed,” he would say afterward. “It’s a second shot golf course — put it in the wrong spot, you make bogey.”
While we’re on the subject of bogeys, consider that the 15th hole played a measly 110 yards on Thursday.
You read that right — 110 yards par three. Birdie parade, right? Wrong.
Consider that Tour winner Grayson Murray took an eight there without any penalty shots. Yes, you read that right, quintuple-bogey eight. How?
Well let’s review: First shot missed the green right. Second goes over the green where the rough was able to catch it before it rolled into the water. Third went back over the green past where his tee shot had come to rest and into the rough. Fourth: he hit it back over the green, right near where his second shot ended up. Fifth shot: back to where his tee shot was in the closely mown area. Six shot: Finally on the green, 25-feet from the hole. Two putts for an easy eight. For the record, Murray finished with a face-reddening 85. Ouch!
But wait, there’s more. Jordan Spieth made double-bogey there. The “bogey-four” club included course consultant Koepka, defending champion Lanto Griffin, Sergio Garcia, Scott Stallings, Bronson Burgoon and Sam Ryder, just to name a few. We don’t want to bore you.
By day’s end only one guy broke Memorial Park’s equivalent of The Da Vinci Code — Brandt Snedeker. Sneds was spectacular compared to everyone else. Three front nine birdies then three more on the back. He missed a four-footer for par at 14 but bounced back with birdies at 15 and 16. Yes, Sneds birdied that tough 110-yarder. He signed for 65 and led five players who got it in at three-under — 67.
By day’s end, most had their fill of Memorial Park.
It’s a muni with some punch, not one of those push-over TPC courses.
Good Masters prep?
Makes you wonder if Augusta National can play that tough next week.
