Houston Open To Be Played In Memorial Park Beginning 2019

HOUSTON, TX — The PGA's annual stop in Houston next year will actually be in Houston.

The Houston Golf Association announced that the Houston Open, played annually in late March, will no longer be played at The Golf Club of Houston, which is in Humble. One publication is saying the tournament will move to Memorial Park starting in 2019.

This comes one year after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he wants the tournament to return inside the city limits.

"This move would place the tournament on centerstage in downtown Houston, creating a central location for the city to rally around," it reads in the Houston Business Journal. "Houston Proud Partners of the Houston Open would have the opportunity to collaborate with the Houston Golf Association on this historic move and make a lasting statement that would be seen for generations."

The Houston Golf Association still doesn't have a sponsor for the tournament, which began in 1946. The business journal indicated the major title sponsor is valued anywhere from $8 million to $12 million. Shell was the most recent sponsor in 2016.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has a goal of releasing the complete 2018-19 schedule in two weeks at the Players Championship. The Houston Open has been the tournament preceding the Masters in 11 of the last 12 years because of the similar golf course at The Golf Club of Houston.

Golf.com has indicated that the Valero Texas Open will be the event prior to next year's Masters.

This announcement comes just one day after the Kinder Foundation said it's donating $70 million to fast track the Memorial Park Master Plan. Memorial Park is one of the largest public city parks in the country — twice the size of New York City's Central Park.

Image: A detailed view of the flag pin on the 18th hole during the final round of the Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston on April 1, 2018 in Humble, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)