Houston Open honors Harmon
Nation’s top instructor has history with Texas city from 1990s
Representatives of the PGA Tour, Houston Open and the Houston Astros Golf Foundation announced last week that this year’s Houston Open will honor Henderson’s Butch Harmon.
The tournament is Oct. 10-13 at Golf Club of Houston. Harmon operates his school at Rio Secco.
“Butch has been in golf a long time. He is tied to Houston and has been the No. 1 golf instructor for years,” said Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane. “To put his name on the tournament gives us another reason to have a successful tournament and bring us one of the best tournaments on the Tour, which is our goal.”
Harmon was director of golf at Houston’s Lochinvar Golf Club in the 1990s and his father, Claude, and brothers, Bill and Dick, taught at River Oaks Country Club.
Harmon has been ranked the top golf instructor by Golf Digest in a poll of his peers for the past 16 years. Harmon retired from traveling to PGA Tour events to teach his players earlier this year, but continues to instruct at his school.
Harmon also operates a school at Crane’s Floridian Club in Palm City, Florida, and the Astros Golf Foundation was key in creating
the honor. Brady Exber, a nine-time Southern Nevada Golf Association player of the year, is a part-owner of the Astros and a friend of Harmon.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to help this city and help this tournament,” Harmon said. “Houston means a lot to me. It is a great golf community and always has been.
“Having the Astros get involved is the greatest thing that could happen to this tournament. What Jim Crane has done with baseball in this city is incredible and I am excited to work with him, Giles and the Astros to do the same for the Houston golf community and make the Houston Open the greatest tournament on the Tour.”
Montgomery makes debut
Former UNLV golfer Taylor Montgomery competed in last weekend’s Barracuda Championship at Montrêux Golf and Country Club in Reno. It was his first PGA Tour event, and he missed the cut.