Golf betting tips: Aldrich Potgieter’s colossal drives give him an advantage in Texas

The PGA Tour heads to Texas this week as the players gear up for the Texas Children's Houston Open.

Played at the Memorial Park Municipal Golf Course, long hitters and elite putters are heavily favoured this week.

Generous fairways mean driving length is preferred over accuracy, while historically, golfers hot with the flat stick have also placed well.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Sam Condy breaks down four of the best picks ahead of the Houston Open.

Aldrich Potgieter

Memorial Park’s generous fairways suit South African Aldrich Potgieter’s powerful play style to a tee.

Potgieter ranks first in driving distance on tour, averaging a mammoth 320 yards off the tee, which could prove massive on this almost 7,500-yard par 70 course.

The 20-year-old has also been red hot on the greens through 2025, ranking 12th in the SG: Putting metric.

This course suits the prospect perfectly, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him place very well come Sunday.

Best odds: 125/1 (8EW, 1/5) with Paddy Power

Min Woo Lee

Another man who this course is seemingly tailored to, Min Woo Lee, ranks third in driving distance and 15th in SG: Putting.

The Australian struggles massively with his accuracy with the big stick, often diminishing any advantage his powerful drives could offer.

However, with plenty of wide fairways this week, Lee may find that his wayward drives don’t punish him as much as they have done in the past.

Best odds: 28/1 (10EW, 1/5) with Ladbrokes

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Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is a safe pick this week. Alongside Scottie Scheffler, they are the only two players ranking within the top 20 attending the Houston-based open.

The PGA veteran's run of form over the last year has been nothing short of staggering, and he will certainly be hoping to hit peak performance in the coming weeks with the 2025 Masters at Augusta closing in.

After a win at the Players Championship a couple of weeks ago, the four-time major winner has five worldwide wins since Augusta and only finished outside the top 20 on just four occasions.

The 35-year-old’s form is incredible, and with the course suiting his play style well, McIlroy’s low odds can be justified by his high chance of victory.

Best odds: 13/2 (8EW, 1/5) with William Hill

Aaron Rai

Aaron Rai might not have the driving distance of the three names already mentioned. However, the Englishman has finished well here in the past, picking up seventh in both 2022 and 2024.

He ranks third through 2025 in Par Four Scoring, averaging 3.92. Memorial Park features 10 par four holes, playing hugely into the hands of the 30-year-old.

Rai is not known for his putting, though he has performed extremely well with the flat stick in his last two visits to the Houston Open, suggesting he feels very comfortable on the greens here.

Best odds: 25/1 (8EW, 1/5) with Paddy Power

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