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Russell Henley tied his career low round on Thursday at the Tour Championship. Nice timing.
Setting the pace at East Lake Golf Club with a bogey-free 9-under 61, the Georgia native felt “at peace” with his game even if he had world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler hot on his heels just two strokes behind.
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Of course, anyone would be at peace after holing more than 200 feet of putts (207 to be exact, most in the FedEx Cup playoffs thus far). His round featured an eagle and seven birdies, including birdies on the final three holes that covered 42 feet at 16, 35 feet at 17 and a relative tap-in, by comparison, from 12 feet at the par-5 home hole.
“Yeah, it’s probably the most I’ve ever made,” Henley, 36, a native of Macon, ranked fourth in the world, said with nonchalance.
Taking advantage of preferred lies in the fairways after heavy rains Wednesday evening by hitting 11 of 14 fairways, Henley noted that the softened course was more “gettable.” So he got it. Which isn’t new for him. He closed last year’s Tour Championship with a 62 to finish T-4.
Without a doubt, the putter did the real damage for the five-time PGA Tour winner.
“I just felt like I was at peace if I missed [a putt]. I felt like I was clear on my reads,” said Henley, who gained 6.267 strokes on the greens. “Last week [at the BMW Championship, where he ended up T-15], 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,” he added, and just felt like, yeah, at peace if I missed it. Just kind of free-wheeled it a little bit.”
This is the 10th time Henley has had a lead or co-lead after 18 holes. He has yet to win after any of the previous nine. He better keep that wheel rolling if he has designs on the $10 million first prize.
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Main Image: Jared C. Tilton
