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On Wednesday, the Astros Golf Foundation and the PGA Tour announced Texas Children's, the largest pediatric and women's health system in the nation headquartered in Houston, will serve as title sponsor of the Houston Open in a new five-year agreement, beginning in 2024 and running through 2028. ABC13 has learned the deal is worth $13 million per year.
The Texas Children's Houston Open will return to the PGA Tour's FedExCup schedule in spring 2024.
"We are excited to announce our partnership with Texas Children's as the title sponsor for the Houston Open," Jim Crane, Houston Astros owner and chairman, said. "We couldn't have asked for a better partner as we continue our mission of giving back to the greater Houston community. Aligning their values with the efforts of our Astros Golf Foundation provides a special opportunity for both organizations to continue to give back to our community, to grow the game of golf, and to provide a platform to help those most in need."
The Texas Children's Houston Open, which was most recently played in November 2022 and last won by 12th-ranked world golfer Tony Finau, will return to a spring date, March 25-31, 2024, for the first time since 2018. As the PGA Tour returns to a calendar-year schedule in 2024, the event will not be held in 2023.
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"As we embark upon our landmark 70th anniversary, Texas Children's is incredibly proud to extend our longstanding partnership with Jim Crane, the Houston Astros and the Astros Golf Foundation as the title sponsor for the Houston Open," Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children's, said. "We are beyond excited to be a part of this monumental sporting event and want to thank Jim and his team for all they've done to make this dream a reality. We can't wait to see the wonderful impact the Texas Children's Houston Open will have on the City of Houston."
The Crane-led Astros Golf Foundation has operated and served as the host organization for the event since 2018. The Astros Golf Foundation completed a $34 million renovation to Memorial Park Golf Course and has hosted the tournament in the heart of the city since 2020.
"On behalf of the PGA Tour, we are thankful to Texas Children's for their commitment to one of the Tour's legacy events in the Houston Open, a tournament that dates back to 1946," PGA Tour President Tyler Dennis said. "The Houston Open has played a significant role in shaping the PGA Tour's history through its competitive lineage with golf's greats playing and winning the event as well as an unwavering commitment to bettering the community. This partnership between the Astros Golf Foundation and Texas Children's has the opportunity to take the tournament to new heights, most notably in its ability to impact the lives of families in Houston and throughout Texas."
The PGA Tour's Houston Open is the single largest fundraiser for the Astros Foundation, which also benefits the City of Houston, the Memorial Park Conservancy, the First Tee of Greater Houston, and countless local charities. The Houston Open was first played in 1946 and has been won by golf legends, including Texas-native Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Payne Stewart, and Fred Couples. Memorial Park Golf Course hosted the Houston Open for the first time in 1947 and again from 1951 to 1963, before returning as host in 2020 after a major renovation led by the Astros Golf Foundation.
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