Houston Open Final Round Preview: Woodland and Højgaard Are About to Play the Most Emotional 18 Holes of the Year
Gary Woodland leads Nicolai Højgaard by one heading into Sunday at Memorial Park. A PGA Tour win, a Masters invite, and one hell of a comeback story are all on the line.
Kyle Reierson 
Forget everything else happening in golf right now. Sunday at Memorial Park is appointment television, and if you don’t watch, you’re going to regret it.
Gary Woodland sits at 18-under par. Nicolai Højgaard is one back at 17-under. Nobody else is within shouting distance. This is a two-man cage match for a PGA Tour title, a $1.78 million check, and — most importantly — a ticket to Augusta National in two weeks.
The Leaderboard Going Into Sunday
| Player | Score | R3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Woodland | -18 | 65 |
| Nicolai Højgaard | -17 | 63 |
| Michael Thorbjornsen | -12 | — |
| Min Woo Lee | -12 | — |
| Sam Stevens | -11 | — |
| Jason Day | -11 | — |
| Sahith Theegala | -10 | — |
That’s a five-shot gap between the top two and third place. Barring a catastrophic collapse from both leaders, this is match play.
The Woodland Storyline Is Absurd
I’ve already written about Woodland’s comeback and I don’t think I was dramatic enough. Let me recap:
- Brain surgery in 2023 to remove a lesion near his brain
- Diagnosed with PTSD
- Hasn’t won since the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach
- Shot rounds of 64-63-65 this week — three of the best rounds of his career back-to-back-to-back
He’s leading the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Putting. That’s not a fluke. That’s a man playing with house money who has absolutely nothing to lose.
The most interesting thing about Woodland on Saturday was his start. He bogeyed the 1st hole, looked shaky with his full swing early, but scrambled his way to 1-under on the front nine through sheer willpower and short game wizardry. Then he uncorked a 2-iron on the par-5 16th that found the green in two and set up birdie. He shot 4-under 31 on the back nine.
That’s what makes him dangerous Sunday. He knows how to grind when the swing isn’t there.
Højgaard Is Playing the Best Golf of His Life
Nicolai Højgaard’s last two rounds: 62-63. That’s the best back-to-back scoring in the 78-year history of the Houston Open. Read that again.
The 25-year-old Dane has won multiple times on the DP World Tour but is still searching for his first PGA Tour victory. He’s got effortless speed — ball speeds over 190 mph — and he’s been leaving himself wedges and short irons all week on a course that rewards bombers.
He’s top-20 in all four Strokes Gained categories this week. That’s not a one-dimensional performance. That’s elite, complete golf.
The question is whether he can handle the Sunday pressure of a PGA Tour final round with a Masters invite on the line. His European experience helps, but this is a different animal.
Masters Implications Are Massive
Both Woodland and Højgaard need this win (or at minimum a strong finish) to secure their Masters invitations. Woodland is currently outside the top 50 in the OWGR, and Højgaard has been hovering around the bubble all season.
A win here doesn’t just mean a trophy and a fat check. It means walking down Magnolia Lane in 13 days. For Woodland — coming off brain surgery, PTSD, and six years without a win — that would be one of the greatest sports stories of the decade.
Behind them, Michael Thorbjornsen (-12) and Min Woo Lee (-12) are also fighting for Masters positioning. Sahith Theegala (-10) is safely in the field already but could use the FedEx Cup points. Jason Day (-11) is quietly lurking as well.
How to Watch
The final group of Woodland, Højgaard, and defending champion Min Woo Lee tees off at 12:55 PM ET (11:55 AM CT).
- Golf Channel: 1-3 PM ET
- NBC/Peacock: 3-6 PM ET
- ESPN+: 8:15 AM - 6 PM ET
My Pick
I want to pick Woodland so badly it hurts. The storyline is perfect. The vibes are immaculate. But Højgaard has been the better ball-striker over the last 36 holes, and he’s got the kind of effortless power that thrives under pressure because there’s less tension to disrupt.
I think Højgaard shoots 64 or better and wins by two. But I also think there’s a very real chance Woodland does something magical on Sunday. Either way, we all win.
Don’t miss this one.
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