Central Georgia Sports ReportAugust 21, 2020Comment

Thursday's Daily News 'n Notes: Henley shares lead in Northern Trust; scoreboard; Jones County change; Peach County’s Jackson;Braves, Falcons, UGA, Tech; and more

Central Georgia Sports ReportAugust 21, 2020Comment

Thursday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media. Updates will be noted, so check back.

Scoreboard

Northside’s volleyball team broke in its brand new gym on Thursday. No scores were reported.

Photo: Chad Alligood/Northside

High School

Softball

Bacon County 5, East Laurens 2

Thomas Jefferson 15, Gatewood 0

Upson-Lee 5, Crisp County 0

Volleyball

Lamar County 2, Peach County 1 (14-25, 27-25, 15-6)

Henley shares lead in the first round of PGA playoffs

There’s a Georgia Bulldog flavor atop the leaderboard at the Northern Trust, the first tournament of the first PGA playoff.

One of them is Maconite Russell Henley.

The Stratford grad is joined by former UGA teammate Harris English along with Kevin Streelman and Cameron Davis in a tie for first in Norton, Mass.

They shot a 7-under 64, for a one-shot lead over seven other players.

Top-ranked Justin Thomas is tied for 30th with a 68, as is Tiger Woods. No. 2 Collin Morikawa in a group at 85th at 71, with third-ranked Webb Simpson tied for 72nd at 70. Phil Mickelson needs to improve on his 74 to keep playing this weekend, and at No. 67, after this weekend.

The top 70 ranked players advance, and Henley will have to maintain a spot in contention, starting the tournament at 101 and moving up to 94.

Five of the top 11 players are ranked outside that top 70.

Henley turned in a rare bogey-free round, and was a steady as ever from the start, opening with a birdie. He added two more on the front nine and two on the back nine, ending the day with a birdie and eagle, that latter coming on par-5, 522-yard 18.

His eagle shot on 18 reintroduced a rare phrase to the day: albatross, aka a double eagle.

“It was right where I wanted to hit it,” Henley told reporters of his shot on 18. “Trying it hit up the middle of the green. Landed on the front of the green. I think I landed it a foot on, so that was really nice.

“That’s a tricky hole or tricky second shot in there when you hit the fairway. And I’ve hit also a lot of bad shots on that hole, too, so it was nice to hit one to a foot and get in with a 3.”

It was his second-best score of the season, sharing it with the fourth round of the Travelers, one shot behind last week’s third round at the Wyndham Championship.

He made the cut in last year’s Northern Trust and finih tied for 59 with a 2-under 82. Henley was ranked 81st, and didn’t advance.

Henley is scheduled to tee off at 8:48 a.m. on Friday, on No. 10, with Sam Ryder and Sam Burns.

Alumni Update

Peach County’s Jackson taking nothing for granted at UGA in 2020

Around/About Central Georgia

Jones County has a big schedule change

One of the nation’s top teams is just up the road, but will head south to visit Gray.

Jones County announced Thursday night that it was hosting Grayson on Sept. 4 in the season opener.

Grayson, a GHSA Class 7A quarterfinalist the last two years and 2016 champ, is among the top 10 teams nationally, according to MaxPreps and USA Today.

Around/About Georgia

The good and bad for the Braves so far

Braves mailbag: Pache, pitching, and more

Up comes Martin, out goes Wright

Atlanta gets the No. 6 spot in the NBA draft

Falcons’ Neal is leaner

Details a priority for Falcons’ run game

Yellow Jackets get a couple days of pads in the books

Different fall season for UGA baseball

Sports and COVID-19/Georgia

Georgia State freshman QB out with COVID-related heart ailment

What is the risk for fans attending a Georgia game?