As the dust settles on the spectacular U.S. victory against Europe in the Ryder Cup, golf fans in Texas are preparing for a bumper event.
CNN reports that a great start saw the U.S. easily overcome their rivals, ensuring the trophy remained on USA soil. A convincing display throughout the weekend saw Europe dispatched with relative ease and real pride returned to golf here in the U.S.
Golf’s next big event The Houston Open will be held at Memorial Park Golf Course in November, and already Brooks Koepka has committed to the tournament. Many don’t know, but Koepka played a key role in redesigning the course working alongside golf architect Tom Doak as a PGA consultant. Koepka played a key role in the Ryder Cup win and is already amongst the favorites for the 2022 U.S. Masters with Ladbrokes. As one of the world’s top golfers, his appearance in Houston is sure to draw a huge crowd. Other Ryder Cup heroes have already followed suit, with Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick also committing to the tournament.
“To be honest with you, I had no aspirations of ever being like I want to design golf courses, nothing, but then being asked to do this, it’s a really cool idea,” Koepka said of his involvement. I know this golf course is quite difficult. It’s quite long. You’ll see some high numbers, especially if the wind gets up. It kind of resembles a little bit of a U.S. Open. I think some people would say, which I feel like I’ve done pretty good at.”
The Tom Doak remodel cost around $18m, and as Giles Kibbe, president of the Astros Golf Foundation, explains, this tournament is the first chance to showcase the work they’ve done. “This is our year to showcase this,” he told media. “They’re going to see a great golf course, they’re going to see great facility changes, and we’re going to create an exciting tournament. It’s going to be big party.”
The state-of-the-art remodel includes an irrigation system that captures 80 million gallons of stormwater for irrigation purposes. Visited by 60,000 patrons every year, it caters to amateurs as well as the big tournament. It features a two-tiered 84-bay hitting structure and a new maintenance facility, as well as improved parking.
There have also been changes made to the landscape of the course, not least on the sneaky par three 15th hole. It will be the ‘gathering in’ spot, similar to the 16th at Scottsdale. The hole will be surrounded by hospitality and bleachers, but it’s going to be a big one for the players. It is short, 155 yards, but the green has a slope that could see the ball roll off into the water. It’s a hole that could see a birdie or a bogey depending on the risk the golfer takes, and that will lead to some exciting golf this fall.
It might not be the biggest event on the calendar, but Houston is sure to be a big draw after the fine Ryder Cup win. With the new facilities on show, a large crowd is expected, driven by stars such as Koepka and last year’s winner, Carlos Ortiz. “It’s exciting to come back to Houston, and Texas is special to me,” Ortiz said ahead of the competition. “A lot of Texas people support me. Texas is a part of me.”
If all goes well, Houston and Texas hope to become an integral part of both golf and the PGA Tour.