HOUSTON — If Pierceson Coody wants to make it to Augusta National, he’s going to have to win the Valero Texas Open next week.
The 26 year old withdrew Friday morning ahead of the second round of the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open due to a back injury. After missing cuts in two of his past three starts, the WD is significant because Coody sits 51st in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Every player inside the top 50 after this week gets invited to the Masters. As for Coody, his only chance to earn a spot in the field now is winning next week. Coody’s grandfather, Charles Coody, won the Masters in 1971, and Pierceson grew up attending the tournament and has caddied in the Par 3 Contest.
Coody is the second WD from the Houston Open since play began Thursday. Although Aaron Rai didn’t begin his first round, he withdrew about an hour before his tee time due to a neck injury. Taylor Moore replaced Rai in the field and shot 3-under 67 in the opening round.
This season, Coody has a pair of top-10 finishes, including a T-2 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He made six straight cuts to begin the year but missed the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship before a T-55 finish at the Valspar.
And now, he’ll have six days to work on his back to have a shot at playing his way into the Masters next week in San Antonio.
