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Jaeger earns his first PGA TOUR win as he tops a deep and elite field of competitors that came down to the final hole.
HOUSTON, Texas – With nine consecutive pars on the back nine on Championship Sunday, Stephan Jaeger won the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, his first PGA TOUR title in his 135th TOUR start. 2024 represents the fifth year the Astros Golf Foundation has hosted this premier PGA TOUR event and fourth at its permanent home, Memorial Park Golf Course in the heart of Houston.
Born in Munich, Germany, Jaeger moved his way up the leaderboard this week to become the first German player to win on TOUR since Alex Cejka won the Puerto Rico Open in 2015. In round one, he finished one-under at 69, tying for 35th. After round two, he shot an impressive 66, finishing four-under to vault up the leaderboard to tie for fourth. After the cut on Saturday, Jaeger shot another 66 to tie for first at nine-under. On Championship Sunday, Jaeger shot a 67 to finish three-under and held a one-stroke lead at 12-under overall as he waited to see if world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was going to birdie hole 18 and force a playoff. Sheffler missed the putt to par the hole, finishing tied for second at 11-under, as Jaeger took home his first career PGA TOUR win by one stroke. Overall, on the week, Jaeger, who played his college golf at UT-Chattanooga, finished 12-under 268 (69-66-66-68).
Jaeger, who resides in Chattanooga, Tenn., was presented with the Texas Children’s Houston Open trophy on the 18th green by Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, his wife, Whitney, and Mark A. Wallace, CEO of the title sponsor, Texas Children’s, and his wife, Shannon.
“First, I’d like to congratulate Stephan Jaeger on his victory today,” said Crane. This was four incredible days of golf from a really deep field. The leaderboard was crowded all week and it came right down to the last hole, really the last shot to see if we were going to need a playoff. Secondly, I want to thank all the golfers who came to compete this week. We will continue to make this a premier tournament for all golfers to enjoy and compete in.”
“Finally, I want to thank the Houston community and our great fans who came out to support the golfers and this tournament. We are incredibly grateful to our fans, our title sponsor Texas Children’s and our community partners for their support. Our ability to continue to give back to this community is truly thanks to the continued and consistent support.”
“Congratulations to Stephan Jaeger, our 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Champion.” Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation said. “Thank you to the PGA TOUR, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, our Astros staff and our volunteers for the role that they all played in making this year’s tournament such a big success. I also want to thank Texas Children’s for their partnership and commitment as the title sponsor, it was an incredible first year of a five-year commitment. This tournament is a long standing and important tradition in Houston. We are proud to continue to give back to our community through the game of golf.
“Our team at Texas Children’s has been proud to take part in the Texas Children’s Houston Open and support this premier sporting event that has made such a big difference in the Houston community,” said Mark A. Wallace, CEO, Texas Children’s.
Our mission of serving children, women & the community aligns perfectly with the great work being done by Jim Crane and the Astros Golf Foundation. This week you saw that on display with the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Thank you to the fans, the City of Houston, the golfers and congratulations to the champion, Stephan Jaeger.”
The reigning 2022 Texas Children’s Houston Open champion, Tony Finau, was one of five players to tie for second at 11-under 269 for the week. Joining him was world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Alejandro Tosti, Thomas Detry and Taylor Moore.
ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN’S
Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.
ABOUT THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION
The Astros Golf Foundation was formed in 2018 after Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane agreed to take control of the long-standing Houston Open tournament. The Astros Golf Foundation was established with three key objectives: to ensure that the PGA TOUR event remained in Houston; to bring the tournament back to its glory and into the heart of the city; to provide much-needed resources and funds to the citizens and community of Houston through park improvements, charitable fundraising, and investment in youth programs.
The Astros Golf Foundation’s goal is to make the Houston Open a premier tournament on tour by engaging more fans, creating memorable experiences beyond the game of golf, enticing a competitive field of elite golfers to compete annually, and delivering up to $90 million annually in a positive economic impact to the city of Houston.
To bring the course up to PGA TOUR standards and provide the improvements for the general public to enjoy, in January of 2019, the Astros Golf Foundation began work on a $34 million renovation of the Memorial Park Golf Course and related facilities. World renowned golf course architect Tom Doak oversaw the renovation with consultation from golf superstar Brooks Koepka. In 2020, for the first time in 57 years, the Houston Open was held in the heart of Houston at Memorial Park Golf Course.
In addition to completely rebuilding the golf course, the renovation included the creation of an environmentally sustainable water re-use and irrigation system that utilizes captured storm water for golf course irrigation, a re-designed and expanded driving range with a two-tiered hitting structure, a new maintenance facility, construction of a short course for First Tee participants, a new STEM education center for kids, and a new tennis complex.
As stewards of the Houston Open, Jim Crane and the Astros Golf Foundation are committed to growing the Houston Open, celebrating the game of golf, and serving the community and the people of Houston.
-ASTROS GOLF-
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