Min Woo Lee defeated Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland by one to win the Texas Children’s Houston Open. This is Lee’s first PGA Tour win in his 56th career start.
After a third-round score of 63 (-7), Lee took a four-shot lead heading into the final round. With rounds of 66, 64 and 63, Lee also set the 54-hole record for the Houston Open with a score of 193. That record previously belonged to Tony Finau (2022) and Curtis Strange (1980) at 195. Meanwhile, Alejandro Tosti sat one shot back while Ryan Fox, Ryan Gerard and Scottie Scheffler were 5 shots behind Lee.
For most of the day, it looked like Lee was going to cruise to victory. Heading to the par-5 16th, Lee held a three-shot lead over Scheffler and Woodland, but Lee’s tee shot found the water on the right side of the fairway, forcing him to tee off again. He would go on to bogey the hole and see his lead slip to one after Scheffler made birdie. Just when it looked like Lee might lose the lead, though, he parred the final two holes to seal his one-shot victory.
For the second year in a row, Scheffler finished second in this event. This is his highest finish of the season so far, though he’s placed in the top 25 of all six events he has played in this year.
Scheffler shared second place with Woodland, the feel-good story of the tournament. Woodland had surgery to remove a brain tumor in September 2023 and has been recovering both his health and his game ever since. This is his highest finish since the surgery—his previous was a tie for 9th at the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open.
This week, the PGA Tour stays in Texas, heading to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open where Akshay Bhatia will look to defend his title. This will be the final tournament before the Masters—for some PGA Tour players, that means the final chance to clinch a spot in the field at Augusta National Golf Club.
