Texas Childrens Houston Open Round 1

Date
Thu 26th March 2026 (UTC)
Thu 26th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-26T12:10:00

Time

12:10:00 UTC (07:10:00 Local)

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League
PGA Tour

Season
2026

Round
13

Status
Match Finished

Location
Memorial Park Golf Course

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Description

The PGA Tour returned to the municipal masterpiece of Memorial Park Golf Course for the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open. The primary challenge for the 144-player field was navigating the Tom Doak-designed layout, which was famously refined with input from Brooks Koepka. Known for its wide fairways but penalizing greenside runoff areas, the course required precise wedge play to avoid "daunting" up-and-downs from the tight-lie collection areas. For defending champion Min Woo Lee, the objective was to harness the momentum of the Houston crowd, while local stars and tour veterans aimed to capitalize on the unseasonably warm, 85°F (29°C) conditions.

Strategically, Round 1 was a battle of distance and angle management. The objective for the morning wave was to post a low number before the Texas humidity and afternoon breezes made the greens even firmer. With the par-5 16th hole playing as a primary scoring opportunity—yielding multiple eagles throughout the day—the tactical priority for the field was aggressive play on the long holes while remaining disciplined on the long par-3s. As play began, the goal was to avoid the "sticky" rough and keep the ball on the correct tiers of the undulating greens to ensure manageable birdie putts.

Reports

Result List

Result Description

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.

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