Defending champion Adam Scott and Johnson Wagner were tied for the lead on nine-under-par 63 here Thursday after the opening round of the US$5.6 million Houston Open. Australia’s Scott shrugged off the effects of strep throat to set the course record, improving by one stroke on the previous record established by Wagner and Bubba Watson last year.
A few hours later, Wagner went out and matched Scott’s score.
Charlie Hoffman was two strokes behind, while Steve Stricker was three strokes off the lead in the last tune-up event before the opening major championship of the season, The Masters at Augusta, Georgia.
Scott teed off at 10, and made a 55-footer for birdie.
“It was a nice way to start,” Scott said. “We had the good conditions early and there was no wind for the first eight holes, and I certainly took advantage of them.”
Scott had six birdies on his outward run, and added three more coming in.
“I feel like I know where to hit it and the few pins that were in tough positions, I picked a target and managed to stick to it,” Scott said. “I had a lot of opportunities and made a lot of them.”
Johnson started much later, and knew Scott was making a run at his course record. “I looked online this morning, I saw he was five-under or six-under through eight,” Wagner said.
“I said, ‘Oh boy, there it goes.’ Walking down our first hole I looked over at my caddie, we saw the board. He was nine-under with one to go,” Wagner said.
He was resigned to losing his share of the course record, but caddie Steve Hale said not so fast.
“He said, ‘Well the day’s not over yet. You still have a chance,’” Wagner said.
Wagner parred his first three holes, then birdied four of his next eight. On eight, Wagner almost made a double-eagle when his hybrid shot from 262 yards came to rest a foot from the pin. He ended his round with a six-foot birdie putt.
“I can’t say enough about the course,” Wagner said. “I think this is going to be a place that I’d love to return every time I’m out here.”
Hoffman thought the course conditions were perfect for low scores, despite the somewhat blustery afternoon winds.
“If you got it in the fairway, I think the greens are fairly big and the greens are perfect,” Hoffman said.
“You get the ball rolling out there and it’s probably got a pretty good chance of going in the hole,” he said.
Phil Mickelson, the highest ranked player in the field, shot an even-par 72. His round included three birdies, a bogey, and a double-bogey at his last hole.
“The wind made the course play tough, but because it’s set up like Augusta next week and you could miss shots and not be in heavy rough, there were some birdies out there,” Mickelson said.
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