Tony Finau says Houston Open's Memorial Park is the best prep course for the Masters. Here's why

HOUSTON — Tony Finau has had no shortage of success at the Texas Children's Houston Open.

In his last two starts, he won in the fall of 2022 and tied for second last spring. This week he returns to Memorial Park Golf Course looking for some momentum heading into the Masters.

But as Finau puts it, this course is the best place to prep for the year's first major.

"Anybody that asks me about my schedule, I always make sure they know I'm playing Houston and it's a good golf course," Finau said. "I don't think that there's a better prep golf course leading up to the Masters than Memorial Park. It's a big golf course. I think they try to set it up where it's similar to Augusta National maybe to have guys play. I know that was the case many years ago when it was at other golf courses.

"But I don't think that there's a better course to prepare for something like Augusta National than here."

The Houston Open moved back to the spring portion of the PGA Tour schedule last year, and players raved about the conditions of the course and talked about its similarities to Augusta National. Eventual Masters winner Scottie Scheffler finished T-2 alongside Finau and missed a birdie putt on the final hole to force a playoff against Stephan Jaeger, who picked up his first victory in 2024.

The biggest difference in the course from a fall event to the spring is the overseeded bermuda. The golf course plays a bit longer in the spring, too, which Finau said he enjoys. He also mentioned how it's easier to hit shots around the greens on overseeded bermuda.

Scheffler is in the field this week, as is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who won his last start at the Players Championship and is making his first appearance in the Houston Open since 2014 and first at Memorial Park. McIlroy is notorious for tinkering with his Masters prep, a green jacket separating him from the grand slam.

For Finau, he understand why McIlroy and others are making room to come to Houston before heading down Magnolia Lane.

"I think you're going to continue to get great players because of the golf course, and I think all the guys have to do is play once to see for themself that this is .. I think it's a world-class golf course," Finau said, "and it just happens to be public, which is something that I resonate with as well.

"I just think it's a great venue and you'll continue to get great players that come here because of that."

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Tony Finau says Memorial Park is best prep golf course for Masters