Scheffler off to hot Houston start as he seeks three PGA Tour wins in a row

Scottie Scheffler got off to a hot 5-under 65 start to move within a shot of the lead as he seeks three wins in a row on the PGA Tour at the Texas Children's Houston Open. 

Scheffler, 27, took last week off to recharge the batteries following two successful back-to-back title defences at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at The Players Championship earlier this month.

The runaway World No.1 returned to the fairways without a beard but a flawless round of 65 to move to 5-under par alongside Joe Highsmith and Davis Riley in the first round of the Houston Open. 

They trail Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one. 

With his first round of 65, Scheffler now has 28 consecutive rounds under par on the PGA Tour.

That is the most on record since 1983.

Scheffler said after the round: 

Scheffler is attempting to become the first player to win three tournaments in a row on the PGA Tour since Dustin Johnson at the 2017 WGC Match Play.

He is also looking to become the first man since Rory McIlroy in 2014 to win three straight strokeplay events in a row on the PGA Tour. 

McIlroy achieved that feat at the US PGA. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by . (@golfmagic)

A logjam group of players find themselves two strokes off the pace on 4-under par, including Beau Hossler and Aaron Rai.

Defending champion Tony Finau shot a 1-under 69.

Finau won the tournament in 2022 but there was no event in 2023. 

US Open champion Wyndham Clark is battling a back injury this week and he had a tough back nine to finish level par. 

Ireland's Padraig Harrington hit a shot from off his knees out of a tree en route to matching Clark's score of 70. 

WATCH THAT HERE

Texas Children's Houston Open R1 Leaderboard 

-6 T Moore, W Furr (US)

-5 S Scheffler, J Highsmith, D Riley (US)

-4 A Rai (Eng), B Hossler (US), A Tosti (Arg), A Svensson, M Hughes (Can)

VIEW LIVE SCORES HERE