Central Georgia Sports ReportComment

Henley turns in a career performance with four steady rounds at the Masters, adds a new memory to an Augusta trip

Central Georgia Sports ReportComment
Henley turns in a career performance with four steady rounds at the Masters, adds a new memory to an Augusta trip

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 By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

 

          In the hunt on Sunday at the Masters is a dream for any golfer, more so for those from Georgia.

          Such was the final round in Augusta for Russell Henley.

          Amid a season in which he’s battled for more consistency, Henley spent the fourth round among the leaders at the 87th Masters tournament, never falling out of the top five en route to a 2-under par final round and 7-under tournament.

          The Stratford grad shot 70 on Sunday, and tied with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed for fourth, behind winner Jon Rahm, and second-place Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka.

          “Growing up, coming, watching this tournament, and then being a part of it like that, on a Sunday and playing well was the best memory I’m gonna have,” he told reporters after finishing. “It was so cool to kinda be in the mix a little bit.”

          He thought he could have been more in the mix.

          “I was a little off on my wedge game today,” he said. “Otherwise, I might’ve been able to get a little closer to 10 under or so.

          “Overall, made some great par saves, and (I) feel like I was really committed to what I was doing, and fought hard.”

          Henley’s game kept flowing Sunday morning.

          He finished up No. 10 – where he was when Saturday’s play ended – with a par, and remained steady with a birdie on 16 interrupting another streak of pars.

          That gave him a 1-under 71 for the third round.

          He was less than a half-foot from birdies on 12 and 13, and within three feet for birdie on 11, 14, 15, 17, and 18, racking up a birdie on par-2 16.

          “The greens I feel like picked up a little speed from (Saturday) when we were playing until this morning,” Henley said. “Great par save there (on 10), great par save on 11. To par those two holes, get off to a good start there was great, and then just kind of was pretty steady the rest of the way, besides had a good break on 17.”

          Through three rounds, he had 38 pars, 11 birdies, four bogeys and one double. He was bogey free for the entire second round, that run ending on No. 5 Saturday.

          The final round’s first group teed off at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, about an hour or so after the third round’s completion.

          He started the final round six back and 5 under, his best Sunday starting position in a major, tied for fifth.

          “You can attack this place if you're in the right position,” he said between rounds. “I don't know what the wind is going to be this afternoon. I'm sure it's going to be similar. Hopefully will be a little warmer.

          “I'm just going to try to take what the course gives me. You can't really get ahead of yourself out here.”

          And he followed up on that.

          A birdie on No. 2 put Henley - who picked up $744,000 for the weekend - in sole possession of fourth place, six under and five back. Soon, he was within four shots of the lead, and then tied with Gary Woodland for fourth.

          The lead was fading from Koepka’s hands as Rahm continued rising, both with 73s in the third round. And Henley remained as steady as anybody.

          He countered a bogey on No. 5 with three birdies on the front nine, as the names around him on the leaderboard changed, Victor Hovland and Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama being overtaken by Mickelson and Spieth, among others.

          As the leaders came back to the pack a little bit, especially Koepka, Henley maintained. The only remote frustration was that Henley couldn’t quite get that birdie that might lift him and put some pressure on those above him.

          For awhile, he was only three back, but unable to gain any ground. On other hand, he didn’t lose any, not flinching with Mickelson slipping past him. And as was the case pretty much all weekend, Henley –who is in the field for this week’s RBC Heritage at Hilton Head - barely missed a number of birdie tries.

          “As I started to play, I looked up and realized I was only three shots off the lead at one point,” he said. “I knew that I could make some birdies on the back if I just executed, and I didn’t do that.

          “I didn’t hit those wedge shots when I had a chance to be aggressive. I didn’t hit ‘em close.”

          He thought he had a chance to put some pressure on those ahead of him, but couldn’t quite do it. Nevertheless, it was very much a Masters to remember for somebody who remembers visits to the Masters.

          “I remember watching Mike Weir made like a six-, seven-footer on No. 18, so that was in '03, and then watching the playoff with Len Mattiace, coming and watching Vijay (Singh) hit a wedge shot into 2, just all these random memories. I think I fell asleep in the grandstands one year on 15, it was so hot.

          “But yeah, I just have a lot of memories from coming every year, and it's just cool to be a part of the tournament like that.”