Cook, Gooch share 1st-round lead at Houston Open
Austin Cook and Talor Gooch fired 8-under 64s to share the first-round lead at the Houston Open.
Cook hit all 18 greens in regulation at the Golf Club of Houston en route to his bogey-free performance. Gooch, meanwhile, made 10 birdies and two bogeys to earn his share of the top spot.
Russell Henley started hot with a 66 at an event he's performed well in previously. He won the Houston Open in 2017 and hasn't finished outside the top eight over his last five appearances.
Cole Hammer, the second-ranked amateur in the world who accepted a sponsor's invite into the tournament, posted a 5-under 67 during his second career PGA Tour start. The Texas Longhorn qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open as a 15-year-old.
Here's the top of the leaderboard after Round 1:
| Place | Player | To Par | R1 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Austin Cook | -8 | 64 |
| T1 | Talor Gooch | -8 | 64 |
| 3 | Sepp Straka | -7 | 65 |
| T4 | Russell Henley | -6 | 66 |
| T4 | Lanto Griffin | -6 | 66 |
| T4 | Tyler McCumber | -6 | 66 |
| T7 | Nick Watney | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | John Huh | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | Michael Gligic | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | Cole Hammer | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | Braden Bailey | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | Xinjun Zhang | -5 | 67 |
| T7 | Seamus Power | -5 | 67 |
Round 2 begins on Friday at 8:15 a.m. ET.