The Texas Children’s Houston Open is here, and for many players, it’s the perfect warm-up for the Masters. Memorial Park may not be as brutal as TPC Sawgrass or Bay Hill, but it’s no walk in the park either—it’s challenging enough to make the pros sweat. With a $9.5 million purse and some of the biggest names in golf, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.2 Rory McIlroy, plus defending champion Stephan Jäger in the mix, everything seemed set for a thrilling week. But, of course, things don’t always go as planned.
Out of the 156 players on the field, there’s already one notable withdrawal. Taylor Moore had to pull out due to injury! And this one stings a little more than usual because he wasn’t just another name on the list, he was a serious contender. Just last year, he finished T2 at Memorial Park with an impressive 11-under. This time around, he was expected to put up a strong fight, but a rib injury forced him out. The PGA Tour’s official X handle broke the news, stating:
Taylor Moore (rib injury) is a WD from the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 27, 2025
A bummer, right? The 31-year-old is currently ranked 82nd in the Official World Golf Ranking and has one PGA Tour win under his belt, which came in 2023 at the Valspar Championship. As for his season so far? It’s been a decent one. Out of 10 events, his best finishes came at The American Express (T7) and the WM Phoenix Open (T9), along with three Top-25 finishes. His last outing at the 2025 Valspar Championship didn’t go as planned, though—he missed the cut after two rounds. And now, this withdrawal takes away another chance for him to make his mark.
Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game. Remember when Xander Schauffele had to take a break after his T30 finish at the Sentry due to—you guessed it—a rib injury? He was out for about two months before returning at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. This week, he’s sitting out again, most likely gearing up for the Masters. He last played at Valspar, where he finished T12.
Coming back to Moore, his absence does shake up the field a little. However, the tournament is still stacked with talent. And as Round 1 gets underway, it’s the rookies who are stealing the spotlight.
So how is the Houston Open going so far after Taylor Moores’ exit?
Well, Thursday’s round got cut short due to darkness. However, we still got a solid preview of what’s in store—and so far, it looks like the rookies are running the show.
By the time the play was suspended, four guys were sitting at the top at 5-under 65—Ryan Gerard, Keith Mitchell, Taylor Pendrith, and Alejandro Tosti. Not exactly household names, but they’re definitely making their presence felt at Memorial Park. Pendrith had himself a day, shooting a career-best 65 at this event. He could’ve grabbed the solo lead, but a bogey on 18 held him back. Tosti, who tied for second last year, had a bogey-free round, showing he’s pretty comfortable on this course.
Then there was Jackson Suber—he was actually leading at 6-under before a rough three-putt on 18 dropped him to 4-under. One missed par putt turned into a bogey, then a missed bogey putt turned into a whole mess before he finally tapped in. Definitely not the way he wanted to finish, but he is still in a good spot.
Now, what about the big names? World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler kept things clean with a bogey-free 67, putting him at 3-under and tied for 13th. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, had a quieter day, finishing even-par 70 and tied for 57th. Defending champion Stephan Jaeger also wrapped up at even par, mixing in a double bogey with two birdies.
So, while we started off with a few surprises—Moore’s withdrawal and Schauffele sitting this one out—it’s clear the competition is still fierce. And with the rookies making a strong statement in Round 1, we’re in for an exciting weekend ahead. So who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments!
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