Four-way tie in second at 65

HOUSTON, April 1, (AP): Charley Hoffman birdied half the holes on the Golf Club of Houston and had one bogey Thursday while shooting an 8-under 64 for the first-round lead in the Shell Houston Open.

He had a one-shot advantage over a group that included Scott Brown, the Augusta, Georgia, native who has never played in the Masters. Brown would have to win the Houston Open to get into the field next week at Augusta National.

Jordan Spieth, who will try to defend his Masters title next week, opened with a 67.

Hoffman is no stranger to good starts. It’s the finish that had held him back this year, closing with 75s in his last two events.

“I’ve shot 3- or 4-over on the back nine on Sunday when I’ve been going from winning the golf tournament to 12th or 15th place,” Hoffman said. “I’ve played fairly solidly from the start of the year to now and haven’t been missing cuts, but I haven’t been able to put four rounds together. Hopefully I can do that this week.”