This year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is now history, but the city isn't taking any time off when it comes to hosting major events. Case in point, energy company executives and government officials from all over the country and beyond have gathered downtown for CERAWeek, an annual conference happening this week at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The downtown area is about to get even more crowded as three major sporting events converge on Thursday. It’s Opening Day for the Houston Astros baseball team at Daikin Park, the University of Houston is among four college basketball teams competing in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 at Toyota Center and, just a few miles away, some of the world’s best golfers will be teeing it up at Memorial Park during a PGA Tour event.
Here’s a rundown of the action:
Texas Children's Houston Open
The jam-packed sports day begins early Thursday morning with the first group of players in the Texas Children's Houston Open teeing off at 7:20 a.m.
The four-day event, which concludes Sunday, will take place at the Memorial Park Golf Course. More than 100 professional golfers will be competing for a portion of the $9.9 million purse in the event.
The Houston Open is also the second-to-last tour stop in preparation for the Masters Tournament, golf’s first major of the year that’s scheduled for April 9-12.
Scottie Scheffler, a Texas resident and the world’s top-ranked player, was set to compete in the Houston tournament but withdrew at the last minute as he and his wife are expecting their second child, according toESPN.
Tickets for the Houston Open were still available for purchase Wednesday via Ticketmaster, with daily grounds passes starting at $66.77.
The tournament will also be broadcast and streamed on ESPN Plus, NBC, Peacock, SiriusXM and the Golf Channel, according to the PGA.
Houston Astros opening day
To top it all off, sports-wise, The Houston Astros will be playing their season and home opener on Thursday. First pitch is at 3:10 p.m. at Daikin Park, where the Astros will start a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ahead of the game, the team will be hosting its Astros Opening Day Street Fest from noon-3 p.m. The event will feature live music, face painters and caricature artists, photo booths, inflatables, giveaways, food trucks and yard games.
Budweiser, the sponsor of the street fest, will also be offering $1.50 Astros-themed beer starting at 1:50 p.m., while supplies last, for attendees age 21 and up.
University of Houston plays in hometown for Sweet 16
The University of Houston men’s basketball team, seeking a return to the Final Four after losing in last year’s national championship game, will face off against Illinois at the Toyota Center in Houston for a South Regional semifinal in the NCAA Tournament.
For the Cougars, this will be their seventh consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16 round — the longest active streak in NCAA Division I history. UH is seeded second in the South Region, while Illinois is seeded third.
The UH vs. Illinois game, scheduled for a 9:05 p.m. tipoff, will be the second of two games Thursday night at the Toyota Center. No. 4 seed Nebraska and ninth-seeded Iowa play at 6:30 p.m.
The winners of each game will return to the Toyota Center on Saturday in the Elite Eight, with that winner advancing to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Tickets to the regional semifinal games in Houston are technically sold out, but resale tickets are available for those willing to pay$400 and up.
CERAWeek
If three major sporting events in one day aren't enough to bring Houston traffic to a crawl, CERAWeek is also taking place.
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CERAWeek by S&P Global is an annual gathering of energy executives and government representatives in Houston. The event includes partners such as Google, Amazon Web Services and several oil and gas companies, including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell.
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