Gary Woodland finished his round with three straight birdies to build a multiple-stroke lead halfway through the Houston Open on Friday at Memorial Park Golf Course.
Woodland followed an opening 64 with a 7-under-par 63 to reach 13-under 127. After tapping in a birdie at the par-5 16th hole, he got out of position on each of the final two holes, missing the fairway left each time.
And each time, Woodland hit splendid recovery shots, setting up a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 17 and an 11-footer at No. 18.
He’s not the only player to capitalize on the scoring conditions at the Houston municipal course. Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard shot an 8-under 62 for the round of the week thus far, catapulting him into second at 10 under in a tie with Jackson Suber (63).
Min Woo Lee, the defending champion, and fellow Australian Jason Day posted rounds of 63 to share fourth place at 9 under. Michael Thorbjornsen (64) and Sam Stevens (65) are tied for sixth at 8 under.
Woodland is closer than ever to what would be an emotional victory. He hasn’t won on tour since capturing his first major at the 2019 U.S. Open, but moreover, he underwent surgery to remove a lesion from his brain in September 2023.
He’s come close to winning since his return to the tour — most notably tying Scottie Scheffler for second in Houston last year, one stroke behind Lee — but he’s continued to fight more than his share of personal battles. This month, he said in a Golf Channel interview that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as he continues to fight symptoms more than two years post-surgery.
Champions
Paul Goydos enjoyed something like a home game as he opened the Hoag Classic with a 9-under-par 62 to set the pace at Newport Beach (California) Country Club.
A native of nearby Long Beach, Goydos ripped off nine birdies without a bogey in the opening round and is in good position to make a run at his first PGA Tour Champions title since 2017.
“It’s nice to play well at home. I mean, sleep in my own bed,” said Goydos, 61. “My backyard’s not quite this big. But yeah, I never really played well in my home — L.A. Open or even Palm Springs or here, I’ve had some decent finishes here but nothing spectacular. Maybe it’s the law of averages to have a good round at home.”
Goydos holds a one-stroke lead over Zach Johnson and Brian Gay, while Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson and New Zealand’s Steven Alker are another shot back at 7-under 64.
Johnson, who turned 50 on Feb. 24, is enjoying his first season on the senior circuit. He won his PGA Tour Champions debut, the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, then tied for third last week at the Cologuard Classic.
Johnson’s early dominance will challenge Alker, who has been one of the tour’s top players with 11 wins and two Charles Schwab Cup titles since he joined in late 2021.
Alker beat Irishman Padraig Harrington in a playoff on Sunday to win the Cologuard Classic and brought some of that good form to California.
“I think the energy was pretty good, so I just kept focusing on trying to make some birdies,” Alker said. “The greens are soft so you could throw it at the pins. Yeah, I was pleased just to carry that form on.”
Reigning champion Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain opened with a 1-under 70.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Golf roundup: Gary Woodland takes lead at Houston Open
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