By Sean ODonnell
There's plenty at stake for the entire field at the 2015 Shell Houston Open, as players will have one last opportunity to fine-tune their games before the Masters or come away with a win in order to earn a coveted tee time at Augusta National.
Each of the event's participants will have to navigate the treacherous Tournament Course at The Golf Club of Houston. The 7,422-yard track boasts a beautiful backdrop of indigenous plant life, but it also features well-placed hazards such as green-side bunkers, large bodies of water and sharp doglegs. It's a perfect test of nerves before the year's first major.
Matt Jones will be aiming to defend his title at the Shell Houston Open; however, he'll have to contend with a strong field that includes Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and other talented golfers. Rest assured, they'll all be looking to build momentum heading to Augusta.
Before things get underway from Houston, let's take a look at the tournament's essential viewing information, the prize money and some notable Thursday tee times.
2015 Shell Houston Open
Dates: Thursday, April 2 - Sunday, April 5
Where: Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course) in Humble, Texas
Purse: $6.6 million (winning share: $1.188 million)
FedEx Cup Points: 500
TV Info:
Thursday and Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
Saturday and Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET, NBC
Tee times can be viewed at PGATour.com.
Stars to Watch
Spieth begins this week as the world's No. 4 golfer—his best career ranking. Spieth has simply been on fire to begin the 2015 season. In seven starts this year, he's accumulated a victory in the Valspar Championship, a runner-up finish in the Valero Texas Open and three other top-10 finishes.
While Spieth did find some success in 2013, he really burst onto the scene with a phenomenal showing at the 2014 Masters. With that tournament just around the corner once again, he'll be looking to gain as much momentum as possible to leave Augusta with the green jacket this time around.
A native of Dallas, Spieth is familiar with the playing conditions in Texas, and his performances within the state this year have been a testament to that. It could be argued that Spieth is at the top of his game right now, and that's bad news for the rest of the field.
If a player in this year's field is going to give chase to Spieth, it may be Reed. While he missed the cut the last time he teed up at Houston, that was in 2013—a year in which he was still developing and missed a total of 11 cuts on tour. Rest assured, the world No. 15, who is a native of San Antonio, will fare better this time around.
Reed began the 2015 season with a flourish, emerging victorious in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He slowed down soon after, earning just one top-10 finish in his next five tournaments, but he is coming off a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship.
A great striker of the ball, Reed has the ability to control his trajectory while remaining accurate—a necessary trait to play through the infamous windy conditions in Texas. Expect to see him well in the mix come Sunday.
One player to watch in this year's Shell Houston Open is Phil Mickelson. Ranked just 21st in the world—his lowest spot since 1995—Lefty continues to struggle with his health and his swing. Those woes have led to a horrid start to the 2015 season. He has entered six tournaments, missing two cuts and finishing no better than tied for 17th.
If Mickelson is going to right the ship, Houston is the place to do so. Lefty is familiar with the track and has played well there, winning in 2011 with an impressive score of 20 under par. Mickelson missed the cut at Augusta in 2014, and this former Masters champion wants to ensure that doesn't happen again.
He'll have a great opportunity to get things turned around in the Shell Houston Open.
