A frustrating 18th doesn't spoil a sterling final round and weekend at the U.S. Open for Stratford grad Russell Henley
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By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Updated
Russell Henley finally spent some time under par.
A lot of time.
Henley’s best round of the U.S. Open came on the final day at Pinehurst in North Carolina, and he headed to the clubhouse tied for sixth after a 3-under 67 to finish 1 under at 279 for the tournament. An hour and a half later, it was official, Henley tying Xander Schauffele for seventh.
He had one of the best rounds of the final day at 3 under, for awhile owning the top Sunday score at 4 under until a near-miss for par on 18, with more than a dozen players still on the course.
Nevertheless, it was a huge week for Henley on a Pinehurst No. 2 course that wasn’t very friendly for anybody. The vast majority of players who made the cut finished a 5 over or worse.
Henley tied for 14th in the U.S. Open last year in Los Angeles, and for 16th in 2010.
It is Henley’s second top-10 finish at a major, joining the 2023 Masters when he tied for fourth.
Henley has four other top 20s in majors: two in the Masters (2018, 2017), one in the PGA (2015), one in the Open Championship (2015).
The 35-year-old hit 11 of 14 fairways on Sunday, ended his day first in strokes gained putting and fifth in number of putts, but struggled on approach and greens in regulation.
Nevertheless, he’ll take a lot of momentum and confidence into this week’s Traveler’s Championship in Connecticut.
“I putted great,” he told reporters. “I had a lot of great par saves. I just felt like my chipping was really good on the back nine. Made some good 15-, 20- foot birdie putts. Made a lot of putts inside 10 feet. Really happy.
“I feel like I hit my driver just a little bit more consistent, and I putted phenomenal today.”
After three rounds with a bogey on either his first or second hole, Henley got off to a smoother start on Sunday with a birdie on 2, thanks to hitting a 14-foot putt.
Three straight pars followed before a bogey on the par 3 No. 6, courtesy of a missed chip on his second shot.
Henley got right back to it, with 11 straight pars or birdies for his second-best such stretch of the weekend, making some saves along the way.
Henley got out of the left-side bunker on 13 nicely to drop another 14-footer for a birdie that jumped him to 3-under and into a tie for fifth, five shot behind leader Bryson DeChambeau (through seven).
He found a second straight bunker off the tee at 14, and had a 31-footer for birdie from the edge of the green, and nailed it for a second straight birdie.
His only other consecutive-birdie run came in round 2, two holes after a double bogey.
By that point Sunday, Henley was having the best round of the day at 4 under, one of only 12 under par for the afternoon.
But lying in wait: the final four holes. He was 2 over on Saturday on 15, 16, 17, and 18, had bogeyed 15 twice. Henley was in contention, but of those under par at that point, he would be in the clubhouse a good bit before those ahead of him.
Henley beat No. 15 with a 3-footer for par.
But he overpowered his second shot on the par 3 16, and it scooted past the green, bounced off a sprinkler head and died in the dusty native area, 43 feet from the pin.
DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay had established a separation of three shots from Henley, Matthieu Pavon, and Tony Finau at 2 under.
Henley responded nicely from the sand and grass, leaving a 6-footer for par, which he drained for a nifty save.
But he’d need a couple birdies to have a remote shot at winning, combined with a rough back nine for McIlroy, DeChambeau, and Cantlay, which this week, was quite possible.
That appeared to become more difficult when his tee shot on par-3 17 plopped into a bunker, though he again responded with a nice chip to within a dozen feet for par.
Just before Henley made par on 17, DeChambeau took over the lead at 7 under, 5 up on Henley.
His final tee shot of the day bounced off the fairway into the left native area, 176 yards from the pin on the par 4 hole. Saturday, he was in the right side native area off the tee, and barely missed par on a 29-footer.
He overshot the green, leaving a 57-footer for birdie, and then a 6-footer for par. But he was barely left and had to settle for a frustrating bogey, ending his slim hopes for a win but basically sealing a top-10 finish.
When Henley - who took home $639,288.50 for his weekend - finished at a little after 5 p.m, eight other golfers were at even or better for the tournament. He was tied with Finau and Sam Burns with the best final rounds at 3 under 67. It tied for the third-lowest score of the tournament.
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