Adam Scott, Johnson Wagner share first-round lead in Shell Houston Open at Redstone

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Even illness couldn't keep Adam Scott from picking up right where he left off in the Shell Houston Open.

The defending champion began his day by sinking a 55-foot birdie putt on No. 10 — his first hole of the day — and went on to card a course-record 9-under-par 63 at Redstone Golf Club's Tournament Course in Humble, Texas. Scott, who enters Friday's second round tied for the lead with Johnson Wagner, is 22 under par in his last 54 holes in the event and hasn't made a bogey since the final hole of his second round last year.

"I just feel really comfortable on this golf course," Scott told reporters. "A lot of the shots really fit my eye."

Scott couldn't have asked for a better start, playing an early round in calm conditions. After making a bomb on the 10th hole for birdie, he added birdies on 12, 13, 15, 17 and 18 to make the turn at 6-under 30 - one shot off the tournament's nine-hole record.

"It was a nice way to start," Scott said. "We had the good conditions early this morning. There was no wind for the first eight holes and [I] certainly took advantage of them.

"The wind picked up on our back nine and I managed to hit plenty of good shots."

Amazingly, Scott didn't feel well upon his arrival in Houston and said he had a difficult time even getting out of bed to make his tee time Thursday.

"Pretty lousy," Scott said when asked how he felt early in the morning. "But certainly once I got going a little bit started, the body loosened up a little bit and felt better. So I kind of dragged myself around."

Scott said he was just focused on trying to keep his round as low-stress as possible. The Australian hit 17 of 18 greens and needed just 28 putts.

"I was just about conserving energy and thought about hitting the fairway and hitting the green and not having to work too hard," Scott said. "Fortunately, that's kind of how today went. I need to keep going that way. It would be nice for the week."

In fact, Scott joked that he wished he could feel poorly again next week — if it meant playing as well in the Masters.

"I'd like to stay like this for about another two weeks - it'd be good," Scott said. "Maybe I shouldn't get the antibiotics."

Scott and Wagner are two shots ahead of third-place Charley Hoffman, who finished at 7-under 65. Steve Stricker (66) is fourth, while Briny Baird, Geoff Ogilvy, Dean Wilson and Steve Elkington are tied for fifth at 67.

Phil Mickelson, who was making just his fourth career start at the Shell Houston Open, had a double bogey on the par-4 18th hole and finished with an even-par 72. The two-time Masters champion missed the cut in his first appearance in 1995, finished tied for 30th in 1998 and tied for 28th in 2003.

Wagner, who interestingly shared the previous course record of 8-under 64 with Bubba Watson in 2007, matched Scott's score late in the day. However, Wagner said he noticed right away that his course record - the only one he said he possessed - had been wiped out by Scott.

"Walking down our first hole No. 10 today, I looked over at my caddie (Steve Hale), we saw the board and he was 9 under with one to go," Wagner told reporters. "I said, 'There it goes. It's gone.'

"[Hale] said, 'Well, the day's not over yet. You still have a chance.'"

April 4, 2008