SEVEN-UNDER-PAR 65 JOINT BEST AT HUMBLE, TEXAS

HAAS AND HOFFMAN SHARE FIRST

 ROUND LEAD AT HOUSTON OPEN
 

By Sean Martin, PGATOUR.COM

• • Bill Haas is currently 33rd in the FedExCup standings, but is poised for a big jump. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
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  SHELL HOUSTON OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times | Daily Wrap-up | Rd. 1 highlights | FedExCup
  
  HUMBLE, Texas – Bill Haas is back in contention at the Shell Houston Open, shooting 7-under 65 on Thursday to tie for the lead after the first round.
  Haas was in the final group last year before shooting a Sunday 72 to fall to 10th place. He’s tied with Charley Hoffman for the lead after this year’s first round. Hoffman needs to win to get in the Masters.
  Haas made six birdies, one eagle and a single bogey Thursday. He’s 33rd in this year’s FedExCup after finishing in the top 25 in eight of 10 starts this season.
  “I feel like I’m hanging around, playing okay,” Haas said. “I certainly haven’t knocked on the door on Sunday quite yet. But I feel like I’m doing a lot of good things. It’s not like I’m just lost out there. I feel like I’m close. I think you just have to stay positive, and hopefully one week it all clicks and you find yourself in the mix on Sunday and then try to take advantage of that.”
  Hoffman was bogey-free Thursday. He’s 31st in the FedExCup thanks to seven top-25s in 11 starts this season, including three top-10s.
  

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  BACK ON TRACK: Phil Mickelson wondered whether he'd be able to play the Masters after pulling a muscle in the third round of last week's Valero Texas Open. Those concerns are gone after a first-round 68 on Thursday at the Shell Houston Open.
  "I feel a lot better," Mickelson said. "I travel with a light therapy machine, and I got on it right away, and I think that made a world of difference as far as expediting the healing process to where it doesn't hurt anymore. 
  "It just feels sore like I was working out, as opposed to kind of a painful experience."
  Mickelson did occasionally twist his torso between shots as if he was trying to stretch his back.
  Mickelson spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Augusta National as he prepares for next week's Masters. He said he hit mostly iron shots Tuesday and played nine holes the next day.
  "I was able to spend more time with short irons, chipping, putting as opposed to driving the ball, but even that was pretty good today," Mickelson said. "I hit the ball well off the tee and didn't miss very many fairways."
  He played Thursday with Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley. Bradley shot 66, while Simpson matched Mickelson’s 68. No one in the group made a bogey.

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  TEXAS TWO-STEP: Matt Kuchar is one of just a handful of players, most of whom have Texas ties, who are playing these two Texas tournaments before the Masters.
   Kuchar was born in Florida and lives in Georgia, but his instructor, Chris O'Connell, is based in Dallas.
  "We spent back-to-back weeks together. Things started clicking really well," said Kuchar, who's coming off a fourth-place finish at last week's Valero Texas Open. Kuchar has finished in the top 10 at Augusta National in each of the past two years, but didn’t play two consecutive weeks before either of those Masters. He is trying the new schedule to get more time with O’Connell before the year’s first major.
  “I’ve had pretty good success the past two years in the Masters, so it was strange to change up the formula but I figured we were on to some pretty good things,” Kuchar said. 
  He’s traditionally played well in May when he sees O’Connell during the TOUR’s back-to-back Dallas-area events, so he wanted to try a similar schedule in advance of the Masters.
  Kuchar was tied for the lead with Steven Bowditch with nine holes remaining at last week’s Valero Texas Open, but shot 39 on the final nine. Bowditch went on to earn his first PGA TOUR victory.
  "The great thing out here is you start all over the next week regardless whether you win or miss the cut," Kuchar said. "I think you kind of need a bit of a short memory out here because every week you just start over fresh."
  

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  SHORT STUFF: Rory McIlroy’s driving statistics were impressive in Thursday’s first-round 70. He averaged 307.5 yards per tee shot and hit 11 of 14 fairways. His putting stats weren’t as strong, though. His strokes gained-putting was -1.613.
  “The greens weren’t quite as fast as we’re used to here, so I struggled getting the ball to the hole,“ said McIlroy, who hit 14 of 18 greens Thursday. 
  “I just need to work on my speed a little bit, but I’m very encouraged with how I hit the ball. I just didn’t score particularly well.”

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  WIN TO GET IN: Four of the top seven on the leaderboard are not yet in the Masters: Charley Hoffman, J.B. Holmes, Erik Compton and Jim Renner. The Shell Houston Open is the last opportunity to qualify for the year’s first major. A player not yet exempt must win to get in to Augusta National.
  

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  OUT OF ACTION: Dustin Johnson withdrew after a first-round 80. No reason was given. He was 9 over after six holes, but made four birdies to return to 5 over through 15 holes. He made bogey on No. 16 and double-bogey on 18 to shoot 80, though. Johnson finished fourth at last year’s Shell Houston Open.
  

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FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72.  Players from USA unless stated
65 Bill Haas, Charley Hoffman.
66 Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, J B Holmes, Erik Compton, Jim Renner.
67 Stewart Cink, Michael Thompson, Ben Curtis, Camilo Villegas (S America), Justin Hicks, Sergio Garcia (Spain), Charl Schwartzel (S Africa)

SELECTED SCORES
68 Ernie Els (S Africa), Phil Mickelson (T18)
69 Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Matteo Manassero (Italy) (T38)
70 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland), Jordan Spieth, Ian Poulter (England), Lee Westwood (England)
71 Jimmy Walker, Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Luke Donald (England), Martin Kaymer (Germany) (T76).
72 Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) (T97)
73 Paul Casey (England) (T114).
74 Brian Davis (England) (T124)
75 Darren Clarke (N Ireland) (T131)
76 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) (T140)

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