Henley storms through East Lake for first-round lead in the Tour Championship
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Russell Henley lives in Columbus, but he played East Lake like his front yard Thursday.
Updated: 8:20 p.m.
The Macon native and Stratford grad owned the course hosting the Tour Championship and final tournament in the FedExCup playoff with a 61 to take a two-stroke first-round lead.
Not only was it a bogey-free round – obviously – but had only one more par than birdie or eagle.
Henley no doubt thought things couldn’t get much better on the back nine after his 4-under front night, including an eagle on No. 6. But he surpassed that with five birdies on the back nine, including the final three holes.
“You have to put the ball in the fairway, and from there you can (attack),” Henley said. “The greens were soft enough to be able to hit some close and attack. … I putted as good as I can putt.”
Any changes to the course were no problem.
“It definitely played a little longer, but on 14, they just moved the tee up and called it a par-4,” Henley told reporters. “I don't know. I felt like with it being lift, clean and place and somewhat soft compared to last year when the greens were brand new, it was a little bit softer, so it was just a little bit more gettable.”
He made a whopping 207 feet, four inches worth of putts, gaining 5.4 shots putting and 6.3 shots overall. He was even in the top 20 in driving distance, in the top half of the field, which isn’t a normal round for Henley.
“Yeah, it's probably the most I've ever made,” he said. “I just felt like I was at peace if I missed. I felt like I was clear on my reads.
“Last week, I felt like I played really well and didn't give myself a bunch of looks because I couldn't figure out how far the ball was going and struggled a little bit on the looks of those greens, getting the reads down.
“Just felt a little more clear in my mind on what I thought the ball was going to do and just felt like, yeah, at peace if I missed it. Just kind of free-wheeled it a little bit.
He hit 77.8 percent of his greens in regulation and had a driving accuracy mark of 78.6 percent.
Special to The Central Georgia Sports Report
A year ago, Henley set the course mark with a 62 in the final round, capping a huge day with an unforgettable chip for a 36-yard eagle on No. 18 that put him in a tie for fourth for the tournament.
The epic round comes days after he officially qualified for the Ryder Cup, almost a year after he was a Captain’s Pick for the Presidents Cup.
Henley leads the world’s No. 1 – and major Henley fan – Scottie Scheffler by two strokes and five more at 6 under.
He tied his career low, last shot at the Travelers in Connecticut in June. It’s his seventh round this year of 65 or better.
Henley has 13 sub-63 rounds the last four Tour seasons, second only to Scheffler.
Weather has pushed tee times to the morning, with Henley and Scheffler in the final group at 10:44 a.m.