Scottie just two off four-way tie at top in Houston
HOUSTON—Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy wanted a final tuneup before the Masters and spent parts of Thursday at the Houston Open under an umbrella in wind and rain that prevented anyone from getting too far away.
Keith Mitchell made a late eagle and Ryan Gerard let a good start slip away by finishing with two bogeys. They both wound up at five-under-par 65, tied for the lead with Alejandro Tosti and Taylor Pendrith when play was suspended by darkness.
Scheffler didn’t dazzle. He just didn’t do much wrong, one of his best attributes. The world’s No. 1 player played bogey-free and made a pair of long birdies on the back nine that added to a 67, leaving him two shots behind.
“Conditions were pretty tough out there today with the rain and the wind, so overall, nice to keep a clean card,” Scheffler said.
McIlroy, coming off his second victory of the year at The Players Championship two weeks ago, played in the morning and that was no picnic. The rain was steady as he stood on the 10th tee and it eventually stopped long enough for him to enjoy the end of his round.
He had two birdies (both on par 5s), two bogeys and 14 pars for a 70 that he described as “a little pedestrian.”
“Couldn’t really find the middle of the club face for the first few holes,” McIlroy said. “Once it brightened up and as the conditions got a little better, I felt like I drove it pretty well.”
Tosti contended late in the Houston Open last year. He also played bogey-free, and he made birdie on all three of the par 5s at Memorial Park. Mitchell got his mistakes out of the way early—two bogeys in four holes, and finished strong.
Pendrith had the lead to himself until he found a bunker left of the green on the 18th and missed a 10-foot par putt. Jackson Suber was poised to join the group at 65 until a four-putt double bogey on the 18th.
