Tour Report: Stricker comes in from the cold (PGATOUR.com)

Steve Stricker is making his first start since the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

HUMBLE, Texas – Snow on the ground. Temperature hovering in the 30s. No golf courses open for miles. And miles. Maybe a couple of states worth.

So what’s a golfer to do? Steve Stricker built a putting green in his basement. Undulations built up on the cement slab. Green carpet that’s slick. Almost as slick as the greens here at the Shell Houston Open.

What does it run on the Stimpmeter? “It’s pretty fast,’’ he grinned.

Good enough to keep him pretty sharp, even if he’s got about a 20-foot limit on lengths.

“Actually, you know, my carpet has imperfections,” he said. “It rolls perfect. These greens (at Redstone) are just like my carpet. I mean, they’re so good. The speed is pretty similar, too. Mine may be a touch slower, but it’s pretty quick and, you know, it’s just getting the feel … Out here I got to do some lag putting from 30, 40 feet just to get the feel.”

Which explains why he flew in Sunday and spent most of Monday working on his chipping and putting. And, why he came into the week with few expectations.

It doesn’t explain, however, his opening 5-under-par 67 at the Shell Houston Open.

“It was a good start,’’ he said. “I mean the weather is perfect, perfect today, hardly any wind. You know, going out there after I’ve been here the last three days with some little bit windier conditions, you knew scoring was going to be better today, and it looks like it is and the course is in great shape.

“So, guys are going to make some putts and take advantage of these calm conditions today, and I was just fortunate enough to get off to a good start, hit the driver well and hit a lot of greens in regulation and gave myself some chances.”

And, he dropped four birdie putts in a row – 12 through 16 – before dropping a shot coming in.

“Those are holes you really kind of need to take advantage of, too,’’ Stricker said. “Maybe not so much the par 3, what is that, 13 — no, 14, but you have a short iron in at 12, par 5, 13, and then another par 5 at 15. You know, you go into that stretch thinking you’re going to get some birdie opportunities, and, you know, I hit some good wedges in there and hit a good 4-iron at 14 to about 8 feet and made some good putts. They’re all in that 5-to-10-foot range. So that was a good stretch and kind of got me going.”

Not that Stricker needs much urging here. He didn’t play here last year, but he had three top-11s in the previous four times he’s played here, including a third in 2006.

“Well, it’s hard to tell because I come from Wisconsin this time of year and I don’t really know where my game is at,’’ he said. “I come down here early. Got here Sunday night. I played a bunch of holes on Monday over on the tournament course, then over on the other course. So it’s kind of always a wait-and-see, no expectations for me when I come out of the cold weather, and this is no different.

“So I just try to do as best as I can, play hard, you know, see what I’ve got at the time, and today was pretty good. I drove the ball well which sets up a lot here, you can drive it well, and, you know, that’s half the battle and I gave myself some opportunities.’”

And, yes, like everyone else, he has an eye toward next week’s Masters.

“Yeah, very much so,” he said. “I can even feel like you’re getting — I feel like I’m even on edge a little bit thinking about next week and a little uneasy. You’re trying to figure out where your game is at. You know, for me I’m kind of cramming, you know, trying to play this week, see where I’m at, you know, see what I need to work on, see what’s doing — see what I’m doing well, but you always have that in the back of your mind.

“It’s a good test here this week, too. There’s a lot of water. It makes you focus. The greens are quick like next week, so there’s some similarities there that help you prepare for next week as well.’”

Kind of like that basement putting green got him ready for this week.

Your open thread: Shell Houston Open

As Golf Channel hits the air for their broadcast (3-6 p.m. ET), discuss who you think will make a move on Thursday at Redstone. Leave your comments in the space below.

How tough is Redstone playing?

With its signature brutal ending (twin 490-yard par-4s), the Redstone Tournament Course is usually neck-and-neck with TPC Four Seasons as the tougher course in the Texas Swing. But Round 1 is playing a little easier for the field.

With manageable wind on Thursday, the field is averaging 72.171 strokes per round. In 2010, the course played at 72.596 over the four days, making it the 14th toughest course on TOUR (out of 54).

Here’s how the four courses in Texas played in 2010:

---

No letdown for Leishman

It looks like Marc Leishman is going to get another shot at a last-minute Masters invite.

Leishman

Leishman, who finished third last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, is 3 under for the day after an eagle at the par-5 13th. It’s a nice comeback for Leishman, who double-bogeyed the sixth hole when he drove out of bounds.

Leishman is trying to get back to Augusta National for the second year in a row. He qualified in 2010 as a second-year TOUR player after playing in all four events in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

Fun fact: There are two Marcs in the top 10 right. The other? Marc Turnesa.

MARC LEISHMAN: Scorecard | Shot Tracker
TOUR INSIDER: Five players looking to punch a last-minute ticket to Augusta

Mahan: Fear the beard

Noted San Francisco Giants fan Hunter Mahan polished off a 70 in the morning at Redstone, then tweeted this picture (below), depicting Giants closer Brian Wilson.

The Giants kick off their 2011 season on Thursday against Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium.

Mahan, a favorite this week and next week at Augusta National, tied for sixth at Redstone in 2009 and tied for fifth in 2007.

HUNTER MAHAN: Scorecard | Shot Tracker

Featured Group tees off

HOUSTON — This marquee threesome certainly got hot at the right time last year.

That’s why Anthony Kim is defending his title at the Shell Houston Open this week and Phil Mickelson will do the same next week at the Masters.

In fact, the three men who are paired together in the first two rounds at Redstone Golf Club went on to finish 1-2-3 at Augusta National — with Lee Westwood three shots behind Mickelson in second and Anthony Kim another shot further off the pace. For more about the featured group this week, click here.

SHOT TRACKER: Track ‘em live
SCORECARDS: Mickelson | Westwood | Kim

Morning Movers: Round 1

Amanda Balionis delivers exclusive video of opening-round action from the Shell Houston Open at Redstone featuring Fred Couples, Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar:

---

O’Hern also making comeback

You haven’t heard a lot about Nick O’Hern in the last year or so. The man perhaps best known for beating Tiger Woods in the 2007 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship has been battling knee issues for years, and it finally came to a head last summer.

O’Hern played in the 2010 THE PLAYERS Championship and was done for the year after injuring his knee during the event.

O’Hern

He came back for the 2011 PGA TOUR opener but hasn’t finished in the top 25 in eight tries this year.

The Aussie, a left-hander who has used a long putter for years, is 6 under after 15 holes on Thursday at Redstone. He has the lead outright; Steve Stricker briefly reached 6 under before a bogey on the 16th.

O’Hern needs a big week. He has to earn $312,690 to retain full status on TOUR after being forced to take a medical extension.

NICK O’HERN: Scorecard | Shot Tracker

Crane making successful return

Ben Crane’s 2011 PGA TOUR season was off to a solid start — he made the quarterfinals at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and had finished in the top 25 in all four of his starts. But nagging back pain was becoming an issue.

Crane

Crane was forced to withdraw from the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, and he also sat out the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard for the first time since 2007. 

Rest has apparently fixed the issue.

Crane is already 4 under after 10 holes of the Shell Houston Open to take a share of the early lead at Redstone. Crane would have the outright lead, but he missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 10th.

Crane has yet to miss a green at the Redstone Course. That’s hardly surprising, because he leads the TOUR in Greens in Regulation Percentage (74.54 percent) and ranks second in Greens in Regulation from a Fairway Bunker (87.5 percent).

Here are the TOUR’s leaders in Greens in Regulation Percentage:

BEN CRANE: Scorecard | Shot Tracker

As Golf Channel hits the air for their broadcast (3-6 p.m. ET), discuss who you think will make a move on Thursday at Redstone. Leave your comments in the space below.