Cadence Bank Houston Open Round 1 Recap: Three golfers tied for lead as plenty of contenders linger within striking distance

The Houston Open got started bright and early Thursday morning and concluded with a stoppage due to darkness before all of the golfers in the field could complete their rounds. As it stood when Thursday concluded, four golfers were tied for the lead in round one at Memorial Park, all five under par. Swedish golfer Alex Noren is tied with Americans Aaron Wise and Tony Finau, while Tyson Alexander is also five under through just 17 holes. Alexander would eventually bogey the 18th hole, leaving three golfers tied for the lead heading into the second round. Nine players sit tied at four under directly behind the leaders, a group highlighted by Canadian Mackenzie Hughes – and a bevy of golfers, including Justin Rose, await at three under. A total of 13 golfers from the field of 132 were unable to finish their opening round, a gap in play they made up Friday morning ahead of round two.

Scottie Scheffler, the second-ranked player in the world per the Official World Golf Rankings, currently sits tied for 53rd with Hideki Matsuyama, who ranks 20th in the OWGR. Gary Woodland, Zach Johnson, Jason Day, and Si Woo Kim highlight an impressive group of players all under par and in contention as the tournament heads into round two Friday. With more than half the field still within five shots of the lead, the tournament remains almost anyone’s to win.