England's Paul Waring Leads Houston Open After Bogey-Free Round 1

Waring shoots 7-under 63 to take one-shot lead over Gary Woodland

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:54am

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England's Paul Waring shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 63 to take the lead after the first round of the Texas Children's Houston Open on Thursday. Waring is one stroke ahead of Gary Woodland, who had just one bogey in his round. Sam Burns, Michael Brennan, and Tom Hoge are tied for third after shooting 65s.

Why it matters

The Houston Open is an important PGA Tour event that serves as a tune-up for the upcoming Masters Tournament. A strong performance here could help players like Rickie Fowler, who is trying to qualify for the Masters, gain momentum heading into the first major of the year.

The details

Waring had six birdies on par-4 holes and made a 40-foot putt on the 18th hole and a 31-foot putt on the 5th hole. Woodland played without a bogey until the 7th hole but bounced back with birdies on the next two holes. Burns overcame one bogey on both the front and back nine. England's Marco Penge, Germany's Stephan Jaeger, and England's Mike Wallace are tied for sixth at 4-under.

  • The first round of the Texas Children's Houston Open was played on Thursday, March 26, 2026.

The players

Paul Waring

An English professional golfer who shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 63 to take the lead after the first round of the Houston Open.

Gary Woodland

An American professional golfer who shot a 6-under-par 64 to sit one stroke behind Waring after the first round.

Sam Burns

An American professional golfer who shot a 5-under-par 65 to tie for third place after the first round.

Michael Brennan

An American professional golfer who shot a 5-under-par 65 to tie for third place after the first round.

Tom Hoge

An American professional golfer who shot a 5-under-par 65 to tie for third place after the first round.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

The takeaway

This strong opening round by Paul Waring sets him up well to contend for the title at the Houston Open, which could be an important momentum boost for him heading into the Masters Tournament next month.