PLAYA DEL CAMEN, Mexico — Russell Henley’s game is so good that even his more conservative shots are close enough to make it easy for him to score easy birdies. He also had an 8-under-63 score and held a three shot lead in Friday’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Henley had three consecutive birdies in El Camaleon’s round. He then added three more with a bold tee shot that reached a back pin on the par-3 eight. It could have been accidental. “I didn’t try to hit it back there on Number. 8. Henley stated that it just went a bit further than I expected. Henley was 16-under 126. This is one less than his career best of 36 holes on the PGA TOUR. To start the year, Henley shot 125 (62-63) at Hawaii’s Sony Open. This tournament ended in Hideki Matsuyama winning in a playoff. Henley held a three shot lead at the Sony Open. Henley is now ahead of Sam Ryder (65) and Will Gordon (67), who are each aiming for their first PGA TOUR titles. Henley is a past winner three times, with his last win coming in the Houston Open five years ago. Collin Morikawa, a two-time major champion, finally played a great round. He was eight shots behind and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was 10 shots behind. The cut was at 4-under-138. This was a 12-shot difference from top to bottom. It was less about Henley’s playing than anything else. El Camaleon lies just above 7,000 feet at sea level (Gulf of Mexico). Players will be blown away by the tropical breeze. The greens are relatively smooth and flat. Mangroves line the fairways making them even more difficult to hit. Henley stated that he felt mentally confident and believed in the work he was doing. It starts with the tee. It can be intimidating to hit some great tee shots so I try to stay focused on what I am doing and to make sure I get it right. It’s a good idea to be in good head space when you’re taking those tee shots. A reliable putter is always a great tool, and it’s been Henley’s best. On No. 25, he rolled in a 25-footer. He also made a few momentum-saving par putsts. Gordon opened with a score of 62, and followed up with a score of 67. However, he felt that he was moving in the right direction. Gordon stated that he didn’t give himself as many close looks and didn’t convert two putts. However, it was a solid round. “I still have a long way to go, but I’ve got two solid days under my belt.” Viktor Hovland was looking for his third consecutive victory at Mayakoba. He managed three birdies in his round, which left him eight shots behind. Henley was only five shots behind the other two players going into the weekend. Patton Kizzire was back with a second straight 65, and David Lingmerth (66), was one shot behind. Henley is now eighth to have at least a part of the 36-hole TOUR lead and has only converted one of them into a win. He won the Sony Open in 2013, his rookie year.
Title: Russell Henley takes control with 63 at World Wide Technology
Sourced From: www.pgatour.com/daily-wrapup/2022/11/04/russell-henley-takes-control-63-world-wide-technology-championship-at-mayakoba.html
Published Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:00:00 -0400
Leave a Reply