Waring in front, Woodland one stroke behind at Houston Open on PGA Tour
HOUSTON — Paul Waring believed he had been relinquishing shots and found himself in a similar situation on Thursday during the Houston Open. However, the Englishman executed a remarkable escape for par and began with a 7-under 63, taking a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland.
Both Waring and Woodland are currently navigating significant challenges of different kinds.
Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, underwent brain surgery to remove a lesion in September 2023, and two weeks ago, he spoke candidly about his battles with post-traumatic stress disorder in a heartfelt interview with Golf Channel.
It was a relief to express his feelings, and he found some solace in Houston, where he finished as the runner-up last year.
“I was crying going into the interview, and I left feeling a thousand pounds lighter,” Woodland remarked after making birdies on his final two holes at Memorial Park for a 64.
Waring triumphed over a competitive field in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2024, which allowed him to secure a PGA Tour card through his European tour ranking. Subsequently, he dealt with a painful shoulder that necessitated cortisone injections, ultimately sidelining him for five months starting in July.
His entry into the PGA Tour was challenging, particularly due to the absence of familiar faces among players, caddies, and golf officials.
He missed the cut in his initial three PGA Tour appearances, remaining relatively unconcerned as he believed he could rectify his errors. There were few mistakes in his opening round in Houston, aside from a tee shot that found the water on the 17th, where he still managed an 18-foot par save.
He was 7 under when his second shot on the par-5 eighth veered left into a hazard area with a small creek. The ball remained in thick grass on the bank, and Waring opted to play it. The gamble paid off as he blasted it out to 20 feet for a two-putt par, concluding a bogey-free round.
“This week, a lot tidier,” Waring stated. “No bogeys and … I’ve just been informed that I holed over 160 feet of putts today, which is significant and provides a considerable advantage.”
Woodland also maintained a bogey-free round until he faced a left pin on the par-3 seventh and ended up in a deep bunker. He successfully blasted out to 20 feet and made bogey. However, he responded strongly with a nice pitch to 6 feet for birdie on the par-5 eighth and a 10-foot birdie to finish.
Sam Burns, Michael Brennan, and Tom Hoge all recorded scores of 65, while Marco Penge was part of a larger group at 66. Penge had a strong showing at Innisbrook last week, tying for fourth.
Brooks Koepka was performing well until things unraveled at Memorial Parkβwhere he contributed to the course designβmidway through his round.
He went left into a creek on the par-3 seventh, resulting in a double bogey. His tee shot on the par-3 ninth spun back into the water, leading to another double bogey. Additionally, it took him two attempts to escape a bunker on the 10th, resulting in yet another double bogey. He finished with a 75 and will require his best round of the year to make the cut in his final appearance before the Masters.
This week marks the last opportunity for players to break into the top 50 in the world rankings to secure a Masters invitation. Pierceson Coody is on the cusp at No. 51 and began with a 70, placing him outside the cut line as he heads into Friday.
Winning also grants a player entry into the Masters, which would be a dream come true for Waring. The 42-year-old has participated in only seven majors and had to miss the British Open last year due to his shoulder issue.
“All the work has been focused on what I accomplished a couple of years ago to get myself back to this position,” Waring said. “So hopefully, I can build on this today. We’ll see how the week unfolds.”
