Carlton Woods Invitational: Kade Stewart leads Garrett Driver by one heading into final round

Kade Stewart still leads the Carlton Woods Invitational, but the challengers behind him have made the final round a much tighter proposition.

Garrett Driver cut Stewart’s three-shot overnight advantage to one, while two-time champion Colby Harwell moved into third on the Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.

Stewart followed his opening 67 with a 71 to retain the lead. The 2025 Texas Mid-Amateur champion has already shown he can finish a close contest: he won that title at his home club, Champions Golf Club, with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Kolton Crawford and Robert Gwin.

Driver presents the most immediate threat. His second successive under-par round brought him within striking distance of another title following his Greater Houston City Amateur victory in September. The Deer Park High School boys golf coach won that championship by 11 strokes, claiming the city title for the second time.

Harwell’s second-round 68 added a proven Carlton Woods winner to the leading trio. Champion here in 2013 and 2016, he also captured the 2023 Stocker Cup and heads into the final round two strokes behind Stewart.

Bobby Massa and Charlie Holland share fourth, three off the lead. Massa, the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, improved on his opening round to stay in contention.

Another former champion, John Hunter, matched Harwell’s 68 to join Mitchell Ford and Coy Dobson in sixth. Hunter’s 2022 Carlton Woods victory remains a memorable example of recovering under pressure: he overcame a final-round quadruple bogey before defeating Chris Wheeler in a playoff. He added the Valentine Invitational title in 2025.

For Stewart, the task is to complete a tournament he has led from the outset. Driver has steadily closed the gap, however, and the presence of Harwell, Massa and Hunter leaves little room for the leader to stand still.

Round 1 - Kade Stewart takes early control with a three-shot lead

Kade Stewart, the 2025 Texas Mid-Amateur champion, leads four players, including former Carlton Woods winner Justin Kaplan, after the opening round.

Kade Stewart established an early advantage at the Carlton Woods Invitational, opening with a 5-under 67 to lead the Mid-Am division by three strokes on the Nicklaus Signature Course in The Woodlands, Texas.

Defending champion Robert Gwin faces a difficult recovery after an 8-over 80 left him tied for 53rd. He trails Stewart by 13 strokes and sits 10 behind the group sharing second.

Stewart already has experience of winning against strong Texas opposition. In September 2025, he captured the Texas Mid-Amateur at his home course, Champions Golf Club, defeating Kolton Crawford and Robert Gwin with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

That victory required patience through a lengthy rain delay and a par putt on the final hole to reach the playoff. Stewart then settled the championship with an approach inside two feet.

His closest challengers at Carlton Woods include another recent champion in Garrett Driver. The Deer Park High School boys golf coach won his second Greater Houston City Amateur title in September, finishing 11 strokes clear of the field.

Driver shares second with Mitchell Ford, Brad Mason and Justin Kaplan, whose 2017 Carlton Woods victory gives him a successful history at the event.

Charlie Holland, Coy Dobson and Rafael Abad also began under par. Bobby Massa, the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, and two-time Carlton Woods champion Colby Harwell opened at even par, leaving both with ground to recover over the remaining two rounds.

Stewart has the early cushion, but the experience among his pursuers gives the opening leaderboard considerably more depth than the three-shot margin alone suggests.