So-so season has Henley flying under the radar entering his seventh Masters
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By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Scores of names get thrown around as favorites and contenders in the days approaching any major golf tournament, and then there’s the list of players to watch, who aren’t quite favorites or contenders.
The buzz is quiet this year for Maconite and Stratford grad Russell Henley.
He’ll have an Augusta National course at its freshest for the first round when he tees off at 8:36 a.m. on Thursday in the fifth group, joining veteran Fred Couples and Sweden’s Alex Noren.
Henley has been considered a contender more in previous years than currently, and deservedly so. He missed the cut in his first Masters, in 2013. In the ensuing five trips to Augusta, his worst finish is a tied for 31st, in his second try. He tied for 11th in 2016-17, and for 30th last year.
In the five full Masters, Henley is one over par, with only three sub-70 rounds to go with four of 75 or higher.
This year has been a struggle for consistency, although he has maintained a consistent FedEd Cup ranking in the top 30. He’s currently 28th, and is 38th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Henley ranks first on the Tour in driving accuracy, and is third in distance from the edge of the fairway. But he’s 118th in shots gained total, and 195th in shots gained putting.
Putting has been a struggle this season. Henley has yet to record an eagle. Last year, he had nine, tying for 48th.
He has missed four cuts in 11 events, already passing last year’s total in 22 events. Henley has only three top-25 finishes, but that includes winning the World Wide Technology Championship in early November.
Bogeys have sabotaged momentum on a regular basis, and he is 58th in bogey avoidance, with 83 bogeys in 576 holes. He got through The Players Championship with none, but he stumbled through four in a fairly recent eight-round stretch.
Through 11 events last year, he had yet to miss a cut, and had eight top-25 finishes.
He recovered from a brutal 76 in the third round last year’s Masters to close with a 70 and finish in a tie for 30th.
FanDuel has him 43rd on its odds to win, at plus-18,000, which drops to plus-1900 for a top five finish. At BetMGM, it’s 12,500, and plus-13,000 in USA Today. He’s in the middle of the DraftKings list, 80-1 – along with former teammate Patrick Reed – on CBSSports.com.
Henley has a little momentum, from tying for 19th at The Players Championship to a decent weekend going 2-1 at the World Golf Championships match play tournament, pushing Lucas Hebert to the full 18 holes before losing, and then beating Ben Griffin in 14 holes and Tyrell Hatton in 16 holes.