Gary Woodland finished his round with three straight birdies to build a multiple-stroke lead halfway through the Texas Children’s 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. Earlier 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.
