Henley leads in regular-season finale
Russell Henley shot an 8-under-par 62, his lowest round in more than two years, to take the lead Thursday in the suspended first round of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C.
Henley birdied three of his final four holes for a two-stroke lead over Sung Kang, Ted Potter Jr., Chris Kirkand, Hudson Swofford, Scott Piercy and Michael Thompson in the PGA Tour’s final regular-season event. Adam Hadwin also was 6-under, but had two holes left when darkness ended play.
A storm halted play for 2 hours, 7 minutes, with 30 players unable to finish the first round.
Past champion Webb Simpson and Kevin Kisner led a group of 10 another stroke behind at 65 at Sedgefield Country Club, where many competitors are scrambling to make it into the top 125 to advance to the playoffs that start next week.
Henley, at No. 46 in the standings, had no worries about the postseason, but came out fast with a bogey-free round in chasing his first PGA Tour victory in four years.
“I haven’t won in years, so I feel like as well as I’ve been playing, I feel like I’ve underachieved a little bit,” he said. “My mindset is I feel if I can play my game, play my normal game, then I can maybe give myself a chance and that’s kind of where I’m at.”
LPGA: Scotland’s Michele Thomson shot a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open in Fife.
Thompson, 33, a Ladies European Tour player, rebounded from an opening bogey with an eagle on No. 2. She birdied seven of her final 11 holes at Dumbarnie Links.
U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, Jasmine Suwannapura and Anne van Dam were second at 67.
U.S. Amateur: San Jose’s Eddy Lai, a Bellarmine alum who plays at UCLA, was among three players who won round-of-32 matches in Verona, Pa., before dangerous weather halted play.
Lai defeated James Piot of Canton, Mich., 4 and 3. Earlier, Lai advanced by beating Milpitas’ Brian Ma, a Mitty alum, 4 and 3 in a round-of-64 match.
Stanford sophomore Michael Thorbjornsen, who rallied to win his round-of-64 match, led Nick Gabrelcik of Trinity, Fla., 2 up through 16 holes when play was halted. Also, UC Davis senior Thomas Hutchison, a Pioneer-San Jose alum, was even with Luke Potter of Encinitas (San Diego County) after 18 holes when play was suspended.