Paul Waring trying to get his game
on track and leads in Houston by one shot over Woodland
[March 27, 2026]
HOUSTON (AP) Paul Waring felt he had been giving away shots and he
was in position to do that again Thursday in the Houston Open.
Instead, the Englishman made a great escape for par and opened with
a 7-under 63 for a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland.
Waring and Woodland are both in the midst of overcoming big
obstacles of a different nature.
Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, had brain surgery to remove a
lesion in September 2023, and two weeks ago opened up about his
struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder in an emotional
interview with Golf Channel.
It was a relief to share it, and some comfort to be in Houston,
where he was runner-up a year ago.
I was crying going into the interview, and I left feeling a
thousand pounds lighter, Woodland said after birdies on his last
two holes at Memorial Park for a 64.
Waring beat a strong field in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2024 that
enabled him to get a PGA Tour card through his European tour
standing. And then came a sore shoulder that required cortisone
shots, and eventually sidelined him in July for five months.
It was a tough start to his PGA Tour career, particularly not being
around familiar faces from players to caddies to golf officials.
He missed the cut in his first three PGA Tour starts, not overly
concerned because he felt he could fix the mistakes. There weren't
many in the opening round in Houston, except for a tee shot into the
water on the 17th, and even then he made an 18-foot par save.
He was 7 under when his second to the par-5 eighth went left and
into the hazard area with a small creek. The ball stayed in thick
grass on the bank and Waring chose to play it. The risk paid off. He
blasted it out to 20 feet for a two-putt par and closed out a
bogey-free round.
This week, a lot tidier, Waring said. No bogeys and ... I've just
been told I holed over 160 foot of putts today, which is massive and
gives you a massive advantage.
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Gary Woodland watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the
first round of the Texas Children's Houston Open golf tournament
Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Woodland also had a bogey-free round going until
taking on a left pin on the par-3 seventh and going into a deep
bunker. He safely blasted out to 20 feet and made bogey. But the
response was strong, 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 were at 65,
with Marco Penge in a large group at 66. Penge challenged at
Innisbrook last week and tied for fourth.
Brooks Koepka was going along fine until it fell apart on Memorial
Park he consulted on the design of the public course in the
middle of his round.
He went left into a creek on the par-3 seventh and made double
bogey. His tee shot spun back into the water on the par-3 ninth for
a double bogey. And it took him two to get out a bunker on the 10th
leading to double bogey. He wound up with a 75 and will need his low
round of the year to make the cut in his final start before the
Masters.
This is the final week for players to move into the top 50 in the
world to earn a Masters invitation. Pierceson Coody is on the bubble
at No. 51 and opened with a 70, meaning he will start Friday outside
the cut line.
Winning also gets a player into the Masters, and that would be a
dream for Waring. The 42-year-old has only played seven majors, and
he had to skip the British Open last year with his shoulder issue.
All the work has been around what I did that couple years ago to
get myself back in this place that I am now, Waring said. So
hopefully, I can build on this today. See how the week goes.
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