Henley opens Tour Championship with huge round, only two back
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
A golfer can dig himself or herself into a hole easily enough.
Ask Russell Henley, who has opened more than one tournament with a bogey, or found some roughs and rough spots early on. Then comes the mental toughness to dig out.
But golfers start tournaments even. Except with the PGA Tour and the Tour Championship.
Henley started it seven shots back of the lead, thanks to the staggered-scores format for the PGA’s final playoff tournament, with four other players.
Hole? Yes. Problem. Not for long.
Henley birdied four holes on the back nine for a 5-under first round at East Lake, putting him at 8 under and in a tie for fifth place.
With the convoluted formula, Henley is only two shots behind leaders Collin Morikawa, who vaulted past “leader” Scottie Scheffler into the lead with a hot-as-the-Atlanta-temps 61, and Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland.
Henley had the fourth-best score of the day, behind Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, Adam Schenk, and Tyrrell Hatton, and just ahead of Sepp Straka and Sam Burns.
Already, the leaderboard has been shaken up, with only two of the top five players entering the tournament in the top five, and seven in the top 13 (four tied for 10th).
Henley got off to a wisely efficient start, with a birdie on No. 4 and then 10, pars otherwise and through 13. He traded a birdie on 14 for a bogey – his tee shot fond water and his third shot, from 64 yards, landed inside three feet for par - and then closed out with three straight birdies.
Henley is in the top 10 stat-wise after a round in nine of 14 categories, including driving accuracy and greens in regulation (tied for third), putting (fourth) and shots gained (fifth).
He came within a half foot of an eagle on 18 to go with some nice par saves.
Henley tees off at 1:38 p.m. on Friday with Adam Schenk.