Union Jacks Flying High In The Lone Star State.

2 hours ago by 0

The Union Jack is currently flying first and fifth mid-round on day one of the Texas Childrens Houston Open.

Paul Waring brilliantly grabbed seven birdies in a blemish-free 63 to enjoy the clubhouse lead by two shots on the host Memorial Park host course in America’s fourth largest city.

The 41-year-old is contesting only a fourth PGA Tour event this season, having missed the halfway cut in all three appearances over the past three weeks.

However the brilliant winner of the 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner made a mockery of that of his indifferent recent form with two outward birdies ahead of five closing ‘birds’.

Though he’s playing the PGA Tour on a medical this year having undergone shoulder surgery in the off-season, so in the bigger 2026 playing picture he has just six ‘starts’ remaining on the ‘medical’, so a good result this week would be so helpful for the very affable Brit.

“Yeah, back to full fitness now, able to go at it a little bit more with a driver, which is good. It was a battle last year. I had a cortisone injection in my shoulder,“ he said.

“I was playing with it taped up most weeks. I was on painkillers just trying to get through it.“

And helping Waring’s healing is the presence of a number of Brits currently competing on the PGA Tour.

“It’s just that normalcy really. We have a good camaraderie and I wouldsay a good laugh on DP World Tour“, he said.

“I found the PGA TOUR, it’s a little bit more intense, and rightfully so. The standard, in all honesty, I think is better. The courses are more difficult. So you have to sort of eke every last percentage out of your golf game, and it’s just something I
didn’t expect honestly.

“Now, as I say, I turned a corner, I feel much better about my own golf game, and I can have a bit of fun and a bit of a laugh and enjoy myself on top of that. It’s a great mix for me.

Also sending the UK flag high was Marco Penge and also not dropping a shot in now father of two sons round of a four-under 66.

Penge had brilliantly won three times last year on the DP World Tour ending the year as No. 2 on the Race to Dubai behind Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy.

In contrast to Waring, the now US-based Penge is teeing-up this week having finished in superb share of fourth place five days ago at the Valspar Championship, a result that has lifted him to World No. 36 and the comfortable assurance of a maiden Masters.

And Penge found himself being asked about having his family in attendance last week at the Valspar.

“Yeah, I think it was great to have my family there last week and see me have kind of my best result on the PGA TOUR, kind of first time being in contention on a Sunday“, he said.

“It’s great to kind of just watch my family while I was playing, if you know what I mean. See what my little boys were up to. Kind of took my mind off golf a little bit. Yeah, it was cool“.

Lying in between the two Brits is the three at Sam Burns, Tom Hoge and Michael Brennan.

 

 

​



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *