Scottie Scheffler Rory McIlroy Joaquin Niemann Nelly Korda Golf Logan McAllister Keita Nakajima Bernhard Langer Viktor Hovland Stephan Jaeger David Duval Rose Zhang Nelson Ledesma Arizona Houston Arizona Wildcats Houston Cougars Ben Griffin Laurie Canter Maria Fassi Akie Iwai Stewart Cink Charles Schwab Sports Masters Golf Tournament Miguel Angel Jimenez Cristie Kerr Guy Playoffs Series Jonathan Broomhead Retief Goosen Cameron John A Lim Kim Peter Thomson Rio Takeda Eugenio Chacarra Jimmy Walker Troy Merritt Blair Atholl Golf Doral Richard Mansell Singapore Hank Lebioda Michael Kim Brandon Wu Wyndham Clark
# Scheffler and McIlroy add star power to the Houston Open. LPGA resumes its US schedule in Arizona

By The Associated Press  
March 25th, 2025 01:19 PM

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## PGA Tour

TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOUSTON OPEN

Site: Houston.

Course: Memorial Park GC. Yardage: 7,475. Par: 70.

Prize money: $9.5 million. Winner's share: $1.71 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Stephan Jaeger.

FedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last week: Viktor Hovland won the Valspar Championship.

Notes: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy headline the field, the first time the Houston Open has the Nos. 1 and 2 player in the world since the ranking began in 1986. ... Both players are making their final starts before the Masters. ... Scheffler was runner-up in the Houston Open last year. McIlroy last played the tournament in 2014. ... The field has 19 of the top 50 in the world ranking. ... This is the final week for players not already eligible to move into the top 50 and become eligible for the Masters. Among those just outside the top 50 and playing in the Houston Open are Ben Griffin and Michael Kim. ... Wyndham Clark is playing, giving the field three of the top 10 in the world. Clark withdrew in the second round of The Players Championship with a neck injury. ... Former PGA champion Jimmy Walker is playing on a sponsor exemption. He has been primarily playing on the European tour since last fall.

Next week: Valero Texas Open.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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## LPGA Tour

FORD CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Chandler, Arizona.

Course: Whirlwind GC (Cattail). Yardage: 6,661. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.25 million. Winner's share: $337,500.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 6-7 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Nelly Korda.

Race to CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim.

Last tournament: Rio Takeda won the Blue Bay LPGA.

Notes: Nelly Korda plays for the first time since the Founders Cup on Feb. 9. She skipped the first Asia swing on the LPGA for the second straight year. ... The field features all top 10 from the women's world ranking. ... Korda has two top-10 finishes to start the season. She has six straight top 10s, including a victory in Florida last November, since the Olympics in Paris. ... Rose Zhang is in the field. She is playing for the first time since the season opener in Florida, spending the last two months working on her degree from Stanford. ... This is starts a stretch of three tournaments in four weeks in the West for the LPGA, one each in Arizona, Nevada and California. ... Cristie Kerr is in the field, playing for the first time since the Women's PGA last year. She qualified with 20 career wins. ... Chisato and Akie Iwai, twin sisters from Japan, are in the field. ... Maria Fassi of Mexico is playing on a sponsor exemption.

Next week: T-Mobile Match Play.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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## European Tour

HERO INDIAN OPEN

Site: New Delhi.

Course: DLF Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,416. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.25 million. Winner's share: $375,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3:30-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-8:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2:30-7:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Keita Nakajima.

Race to Dubai leader: Laurie Canter.

Last week: Richard Mansell won the Porsche Singapore Classic.

Notes: The field features five winners from the European tour season, including Richard Mansell, coming off his first European tour title last week in Singapore. ... Keita Nakajima, who picked up his first European tour title a year ago in Indian Open, was runner-up by one shot last week in Singapore. ... Eugenio Chacarra is in the field. He was the No. 2 amateur in the world when he joined LIV Golf, and then he was left off the rosters this year. ... Brandon Wu and Troy Merritt are in the field under the category of PGA Tour players who finished from Nos. 126 to 200 in the FedEx Cup last year. ... Peter Thomson won the inaugural Indian Open in 1964. The tournament did not become part of the European tour schedule until 2015. ... This will be the fifth time the Indian Open is held at the DLF Golf and Country Club. ... The European tour will stay in Asia after the Masters with the Volvo China Open.

Next tournament: The Masters.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

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## PGA Tour Champions

THE GALLERI CLASSIC

Site: Rancho Mirage, California.

Course: Mission Hills CC. Yardage: 7,165. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.2 million. Winner's share: $330,000.

Television: Friday, 4-6 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 10 p.m. to midnight (Golf Channel-tape delay); Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Retief Goosen.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Last week: Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Hoag Classic.

Notes: This is the third and final event of the West Coast swing. The PGA Tour Champions will not return until Pebble Beach in September. ... Miguel Angel Jimenez is the only multiple winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year. ... Mission Hills was the longtime home of the LPGA Tour's first major of the year known as the Dinah Shore. It has since moved to Houston, which created a spot filled by the PGA Tour Champions. ... David Duval had the most famous stop in the California desert when he shot 59 to win the old Bob Hope Classic in 1999. ... Jimenez now has five multiple-win seasons on the PGA Tour Champions and 15 career victories. ... Players in their 60s now have won 48 times in the history of the senior circuit. Jimenez is 61. ... Stewart Cink has finished in the top 10 in all four of his Champions starts this year. ... Bernhard Langer is coming off his worst finish in Champions Tour history. He tied for 68th last week.

Next week: James Hardie Pro-Football Hall of Fame Invitational.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions

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## LIV Golf League

Last tournament: Joaquin Niemann won LIV Golf Singapore.

Next week: LIV Golf Doral.

Points leader: Joaquin Niemann.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

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## Korn Ferry Tour

Last tournament: Logan McAllister won the Astara Chile Classic.

Next week: Club Car Championship.

Points leader: Hank Lebioda.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/

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## Other tours

PGA Tour Americas: 93 Abierto del Centro, Cordoba GC, Cordoba, Argentina. Previous winner: Nelson Ledesma (2023). Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas

PGA Tour of Australasia: The National Tournament, The National GC (Gunnamatta), Cape Schanck, Australia. Defending champion: Cameron John. Online: https://pga.org.au/

Sunshine Tour: DNi Tour Championship-The Courier Guy Playoffs Series, Blair Atholl Golf and Equestrian Estate, Gauteng, South Africa. Defending champion: Jonathan Broomhead. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

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