HUMBLE, Texas — Kevin Stadler and Cameron Percy shot 5-under-par 67s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Houston Open.
Vaughn Taylor and James Driscoll — Stadler’s playing partners in a morning threesome — were a stroke back along with fellow morning starter Kevin Sutherland and Anthony Kim, who played in the afternoon when the wind picked up and gusted to 30 mph.
Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and 2007 champion Adam Scott topped a group two strokes back at 69.
Stadler, Taylor and Driscoll said they fed off each other, and they finished with six birdies apiece.
Taylor birdied five of his first eight holes, sinking a 47-footer on No. 3 and a 23-footer on No. 6. Driscoll made the turn at 2-under, then birdied three of his first five holes on the back nine to move within a shot of Taylor’s lead.
Stadler, a graduate of Kent Denver, surged to 6-under with four straight birdies on the back nine. He settled for a 67 after a bogey on the last hole.
“We had a good time out there,” Stadler said. “I was kind of kicking back, watching those guys make putts most of the day. I made a few late to kind of catch up to them.”
Ernie Els, coming off consecutive victories at Doral and Bay Hill, opened with a 70. Fred Couples, who has won three straight starts on the Champions Tour, shot a 71.
Defending champion Paul Casey withdrew because of a left shoulder injury. The Englishman called it “just a one-week thing” and said it won’t keep him out of next week’s Masters.
Vijay Singh withdrew with a back injury after playing nine holes.
