• Houston Open

Harrington and Westwood chase Houston lead

Padraig Harrington will rue a late bogey on day one at the Houston Open © Getty Images

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Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood all fired themselves into contention on day one of the Houston Open in Texas, but it was Kevin Stadler and Cameron Percy who claimed a share of the clubhouse lead with five-under-par 67s.

Harrington, Mickelson and Westwood all finished on three-under-par to begin the second round two strokes behind Stadler and Percy. Justin Rose meanwhile, started magnificently with four birdies on the outward nine but finished with two bogeys to card a two-under 70.

Stadler turned pro back in 2002 but has sparkled only in glimpses throughout his career, most notably winning the Johnnie Walker Classic in 2006. He appears to have found some form over the past 12 months though, losing a play-off at the 2009 Wyndham Championship, and he certainly appeared to be in control of his game at the Redstone Golf Club on Thursday.

The American's first round score could have been even better but for a bogey at the par-four 18th, which spoilt an otherwise flawless display. Two birdies on the front nine were bettered by four more on his way back to the clubhouse, taking him one stroke clear of a clutch of players tied for second.

Vaughn Taylor, Kevin Sutherland and James Driscoll all returned to the clubhouse with four-under 68s to keep the pressure on Stadler, while Anthony Kim and sits on the same score.

Then come a whole host of players on three-under, including Harrington and Westwood, who sit alongside Mickelson and Adam Scott. All four players will be slightly disappointed not to have fired themselves higher up the leaderboard, although Westwood was the most impressive as he avoided conceding a bogey all day. Mickelson bogeyed the relatively tame par-four second and the 17th to leave himself wondering what might have been, while Harrington and Scott also dropped bogeys at the 18th and 17th respectively.

The inward nine are undoubtedly the holes that will decide where the title goes on Sunday, and Rose was another victim as he followed four birdies on the front half of the course with two bogeys at 14 and 16 to leave himself three shots off the pace. Rose is joined by Chad Campbell among others, while recent WGC-CA and Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Ernie Els was also battling away on the same score as he approached the climax of his round.

Els finds himself one stroke ahead of former Masters and US Open winner Angel Cabrera, who carded a one-under 71, where he is tied with Ryder Cup hopeful Soren Kjeldsen, who was another to fall victim of the tricky 18th hole.

Meanwhile, it was shaping into a bad day for English pair Luke Donald and Simon Dyson, who both sat way down the leaderboard on one-over and even-par respectively, while Brian Davis fared even worse by finishing on four-over. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy also struggled for form, completing the course with a two-over 74.

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