HOUSTON – The first round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open is in the books, and a number of high-profile names are right where you’d expect them to be as the PGA TOUR’s Texas two-step begins.

Just as the pundits predicted, 41-year-old Paul Waring leads at 7-under par. Waring entered the week 0-for-3 in cuts made this season and without a sub-70 round on TOUR in 2026, making his opening-round 63 one of Thursday’s biggest surprises.

Behind him, some of the heavy hitters wasted no time asserting themselves. Sam Burns, Kurt Kitayama, Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau, Adam Scott and Sungjae Im all opened with 67 or better to set early pressure on the leaderboard in a wide field.

At the other end, several marquee names have work to do. Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark, Billy Horschel, Ben Griffin and Will Zalatoris sit at even par or worse heading into Friday, with the cut line looming on a packed sports weekend in Houston featuring the PGA TOUR, the Men’s NCAA Tournament and the Houston Astros opening homestand.

As always, post-opening-round betting presents an opportunity to capitalize on players showing early form while prices remain playable. With 54 holes to go at Memorial Park, a few names stand out. Let’s take a look at the odds board:

Outright odds to win the Texas Children’s Houston Open via DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Sam Burns (+750)
• Gary Woodland (+1200)
• Kurt Kitayama (+1250)
• Marco Penge (+1500)
• Min Woo Lee (+1800)
• Rickie Fowler (+2100)
• Michael Brennan (+2300)
• Adam Scott (+2400)
• Stephan Jaeger (+2500)
• Chris Gotterup (+2600)
• Alex Smalley (+3200)
• Sam Stevens (+3200)

With a wide-open board, three players are appearing worthy of adding to the card heading into the weekend:

Marco Penge (+1500)

Marco Penge, sitting at 3 under, immediately jumps off the page.

The rookie from the DP World Tour showed flashes last week at the Valspar Championship, earning his first serious Sunday contention and signaling he may be adjusting to PGA TOUR setups just in time for the bulk of the schedule.

His calling card is clear: elite power. Penge leads the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, and his ability to overpower courses makes Memorial Park an ideal fit. That’s especially encouraging considering he handled the tight and tricky Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course for a T4 finish a week ago.

He backed it up Thursday with a clean card with four birdies, against zero bogeys, while averaging 327 yards off the tee. At +1500, the profile and form line up. He’s worth a ticket.

Michael Brennan (+2300)

Brennan fits a similar mold to Penge in that both are aggressive off the tee and unafraid to attack.

He opened with a 5-under 65, fueled by a dominant driving performance that gained more than 1.7 strokes on the field. More importantly, he paired that with over 2.2 strokes gained on approach and a positive putting day, areas that have been inconsistent early in his rookie season.

That all-around performance is why his number remains relatively short despite limited TOUR success. The upside is clear. If the irons and putter cooperate again, Brennan has the firepower to stay in the mix deep into Sunday.

Michael Thorbjornsen (+3500)

For a longer price, Thorbjornsen is worth a look. He quietly opened with a steady 2-under 68, flying under the radar but staying within striking distance. It’s a familiar position for the young star, who has flirted with contention multiple times this season, including a near-breakthrough at the WM Phoenix Open.

Memorial Park allows for low numbers, and being five back after Thursday is far from a disadvantage on a course that can yield runs. At +3500, the number feels generous for a player trending toward that first victory.