Texas Childrens Houston Open Round 1

Paul Waring emerged as the surprise leader after the opening round at Memorial Park, carding a brilliant 7-under 63. The Englishman’s round was a display of clinical iron play, highlighted by a bogey-free performance that saw him seize a one-stroke cushion over the field. Waring credited his success to a "simplified" approach on the greens, navigating the complex slopes with ease to set the pace for the tournament. The leaderboard remained tightly packed following a day of low scoring. Gary Woodland sat in solo second at 6-under 64, putting together his best opening round of the 2026 season. A trio of players, including Michael Brennan, Tom Hoge, and Sam Burns, shared third place at 5-under 65. Defending champion Min Woo Lee opened his defense with a steady 2-under 68, highlighted by a thunderous eagle on the 16th, while world number one candidate Wyndham Clark recovered from an early double-bogey to finish at even-par 70. The highlight of the day belonged to Cole Hammer, who delighted the local fans with a spectacular hole-in-one on the 155-yard par-3 15th.