Russell Henley storms through TPC River Highlands and ties career low to settle in second place through three rounds
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
A week ago, 72 in the third round of the U.S. Open at obnoxious Oakmont was a pretty good day.
That kept Russell Henley in the hunt entering the final round, and such a schizophrenic weekend was it that he had a brutal 6-over weekend yet finished tied for 10th.
Things sure are going better in all phases this week, the 36-year-old Maconite heading into the final round of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut off tying his career high with a 9-under 61 at TPC River Highlands.
He is three shots back of Tommy Fleetwood, whose 7-under round was highlighted by an eagle on No. 13. Keegan Bradley is tied with Henley for second.
Henley couldn’t match that, but nobody matched his round for the day, Taylor Pendrith and Adam Scott turning in 8-under days to jump more than 30 spots, but Pendrith rising up only to a tie for 14th.
“Well, I just played it really well,” Henley said in typical matter-of-fact fashion in a mid-round interview on CBS. “I hit it really well. I kind of did everything really well. I feel like I played about the same as the last couple days and the really tricky wind.
“I had a a couple things go my way, on like number four. I somehow made 30 (on the front nine).”
On that 486-yard par 4 No. 4, Henley hit the left rough off of the tee, then turned in a highlight shot, going from 214 yards away to within 10 feet of the hole.
He then drained the birdie putt on a hole when par would’ve been might fine.
A par save on 14 was big after “a terrible wedge shot.
“Other than that, it was a really solid round,” Henley said. “Hit a lot of great shots and hopefully we can continue doing that.”
Of Henley’s nine par putts, six of them were from two feet or less, an indication of how sharp he was. He had two of three and two inches, and his longest par putt three feet, two inches.
He birdied his first two holes.
“Just a chip gap wedge (on 2), about 97 yards, and just wanted to keep it under the wind,” Henley said. “Hit a great shot there.”
He birdied on No. 12, the hardest hole of the third round with a 14-footer, and had two more birdies before closing out the round with one on 18.
CBS host Jim Nantz brought up Henley’s No. 8 on Friday, initially a par.
In 2019, Henley lost eight strokes on a similar situation and missed the cut at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, when he realized after the round that he had used the wrong ball at some point late in the round. After an hour of officials discussing and researching, they came up with an eight-stroke penalty, which ended his weekend.
What happened Friday was much less painful.
“Hit a terrible shot to that spot, and as I was taking the club back, I noticed the ball moved about a dimple,” Henley explained. “You have to be completely certain that it moved, and I was.”
Nobody saw it move and there was no video of it.
It was painful, because Henley got out of the left rough, 97 feet from the pin, and dropped it within four feet and tapped it in for what would have been par.
“It definitely stung to hit a great pitch there and actually make make par, but then write down a ‘4’ on the card,” Henley said.
All’s well that continues well. Henley shot 2 under for that round before owning the course on Saturday.
“It was a good it was a good teaching opportunity for my son who was watching,” Henley said. “So, it was good.”