Rory McIlroy is not someone who will stay quiet if he doesn’t like something. Nor will he hesitate to take some action on it. For years, we have seen him completely ignore some events because the course wouldn’t suit his playing style. Back in the 2023 Phoenix Open, he admitted, “I struggle off the tee here.” His next move? Skipping the tournament in both the following years. He has the same view when it comes to rules as well.
The Northern Irishman is no stranger to being penalized and whether he likes it or not, he does accept it. In the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he took a two-stroke penalty on the 549-yard par-5 seventh hole for wrong drop because he didn’t know the rules had changed in 2023 that stipulated that– “A dropped ball can come to rest within one club length in any direction—even forward. But the drop has to originate on a line from the flagstick.” Of course, some of these penalties only add to the competition of the sport designed to make you lose.
So, when Rory McIlroy finally made his debut at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this year, people were curious. Would he love it? Would he hate it? Would he even come back? And while he answered all these questions, he, in pursuit of increasing the course challenges, also requested for one change.
Finishing with a tie at T5 in his debut at Memorial Park Golf Course event, he didn’t hold back on suggestions for the course setup. “I like the golf course. I wish there was a little more of a penalty if you miss off the tee. I feel like you can sort of stand up at every tee box and just hit it everywhere and be okay. If there was a little more penalty off the tee, it’s a very good golf course, but I feel that would make it a little bit better.”
The freshly minted PGA Tour winner of the event Min Woo Lee showcased grit and courage as he guarded off Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland with his consistency. However, it is hard to ignore about his stats. According to Taylor Wiliams of The 73rd Hole podcast, “Min Woo Lee, usually known for his driver being his strongest asset, only ranked 42nd off the tee this week at the Houston Open. He ranked 12th in approach, 15th in chipping, and 2nd in putting. This is a 26 year old with 190 ball speed and a great game to compliment. 🔥🔥🔥 “
Although his speed can be his ally, at times, like on Sunday, he hit his tee shot in the water at the par 5 16th hole. However, after re-teeing, he made a bogey to narrow his lead by one shot with two holes to play. With only one major slip, he eventually grabbed his maiden PGA Tour win on Sunday.
The venue has hosted the event since 2020 and returned to the Spring side of the PGA Tour since last year. In Fall conditions of the course differ from the current because of the overseeded Bermuda. For many players, it makes hitting on the green much easier. But per the world No. 2, this course is letting players off too easily. And honestly, it makes sense.
A lot of players tee up at the Houston Open as a warm-up for the Masters, using it to fine-tune their game. But for McIlroy, it doesn’t seem to have given him the kind of challenge he was hoping for. True, that he did not win at the event, but considering he has an elbow issue, his numbers did keep improving every day, ending at 64 on Sunday. And yet, the golfer in search for another win, looked for more.
Maybe narrower fairways, deeper rough, or strategically placed hazards that force players to be more precise. His comments could also point at the fact that the game of golf is only growing. And if the PGA Tour introduces innovative ideas to make the game more entertaining, there is no ceiling to the growth just like some other venues are trying. Just last week, players were battling the notorious “Snake Pit” at the Valspar Championship, where Hole 7 made even the best golfers sweat.
McIlroy, however, skipped that event. That said, Memorial Park wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either. Certain holes still caused trouble, like Hole 1 (a 522-yard par 4) saw the most bogeys, while Hole 15, a deceptively tricky par 3, recorded 61 double bogeys due to its punishing layout.
But contrasting to the 35-yer-old is Tony Finau who believes that Memorial Park is the best training grounds for Augusta.
“Anybody that asks me about my schedule, I always make sure they know I’m playing Houston and it’s a good golf course. 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.”
But from McIlroy’s perspective, it still wasn’t enough. Right now, his stance suggests that he thinks players can bomb it off the tee without facing serious consequences, which takes away some of the strategic elements he prefers in a course. Still, he has set an expectation that he would not mind coming back to the course, but is it a confirmation?
Will Rory McIlroy be back next year?
Given his history, the answer is up in the air. He’s skipped events before when he felt they didn’t fit his playing style, and he’s made it clear that his schedule revolves around how he wants to prep for the Masters. This time around, it was after 11 years that Rory landed in Houston to participate in any event. Hence, with his experience with the city, he has given a verdict on his next year plans when it comes to this event.
“I’ll definitely consider it. We’ve got that big stretch in Florida where we’ve got a couple of big ones with Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS. Then I’ve played Tampa before, I’ve obviously played here in Houston before, I’ve played San Antonio before. Each year I’ll probably play one of those three and just depending how I feel and how much time I feel I need at home and how close I need my competitive reps to be going into the Masters.”
Talking about the Masters, just weeks before the big event, Rory announced that he will be undergoing treatment to take care of the elbow that’s been an itch throughout his time in Houston. As for Houston, in typical McIlroy fashion, he’s keeping his options open. If the Houston Open toughens up its course, maybe we’ll see him back. But if not, given his history, it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to skip it next year.
