Waring leads in Houston with career-best PGA Tour round
Paul Waring made 161 feet and 10 inches of putts, the most in his PGA Tour career
- Published
Round one leaderboard
-7 P Waring (Eng); -6 G Woodland (US); -5 S Burns (US), T Hoge (US), M Brennan (US)
Selected others: -4 M Penge (Eng), M Wallace (Eng); -3 R Fowler (US); -2 N Hojgaard (Den), R Hojgaard (Den), D Willett (Eng), S Power (Ire); -1 S Lowry (Ire), H Hall (Eng), J Smith (Eng), D Brown (Eng); E J Parry (Eng); +4 W Clark (US); +5 B Koepka (US)
England's Paul Waring shot a PGA Tour career-best seven-under 63 to lead after the first round of the Texas Children's Houston Open as he continues his comeback from injury.
The 41-year-old, who is playing on a medical exemption after missing five months with a shoulder injury between July and December last year, was a late entry to the field.
Waring, who only gained his PGA Tour card after winning in Abu Dhabi in late 2024 before having his debut season cut short, was five under at the turn on his way to recording his lowest score on the tour.
Having previously made only made six cuts from 26 PGA Tour events and completed 72 holes just once in 16 starts as a tour member, Waring leads former US Open champion Gary Woodland by one shot in Texas.
Waring said: "It was a battle last year. I had a cortisone injection in my shoulder. I was playing with it taped up most weeks. I was on painkillers just trying to get through it.
"I rehabbed it well over the winter. Coming back out this year I found a bit more ball speed again and I can attack a golf course as long as this one.
"All the work has been around what I did a couple years ago to get myself sort of back in this place that I am now. So hopefully I can build on this today.
"If I get a bit of a following tomorrow, fantastic. Hopefully I can get the crowd on my side."
Americans Sam Burns, Tom Hoge and Michael Brennan are two shots behind at five under, while Englishmen Marco Penge and Matt Wallace are a stroke further back at four under.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is not competing due to the imminent birth of his second child while Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is also missing as he prepares to defend his Masters crown in April.
