Henry enjoyed time with son Connor on the bag
CROMWELL — Golf can be the cruelest of games week in and week out on the PGA Tour.
J.J. Henry knew he had to birdie his final hole of the day to see the weekend at the Travelers Championship. A 14-footer on hole No. 9 gave him that opportunity Friday afternoon.
“I really thought I made it. It hit the lip on the high side. It didn’t want to go in, but we had a great week,” Henry said.
It’s been, as Henry alluded to this week, about coming full circle. His son Connor caddied for him as his father once did when JJ played in this tournament as an amateur in 1998.
After birdieing the par-5 sixth hole to get to 2-under, he bogeyed the 7th hole, his 16th of the round. He shot a 36-hole total of 1-under 139 — which ended up being one stroke short to qualify for the weekend for the 2006 winner of this championship.
“When you don’t get a chance every week, it’s hard to come out here and really give it a go,” Henry said. “But to have my son on my bag may be even better than winning the tournament.”
The 47-year-old Fairfield native is no longer a fulltime player on tour. So he needs to get in on sponsor’s exemptions — which he did this week — or if the fields are larger or there are two events being held in the same week. He has played just four times this calendar year, only making the cut at the Canadian Open two weeks ago.
His dad, Ron Jr., has also been battling Parkinson’s Disease and he lost his mom last year to cancer.
JJ is an alternate in next week’s field at the John Deere Classic which was released on Friday.
“It’s a frustrating feeling. It’s one thing if you’re hurt or you’re game (is not good). The bottom line is I think I can still play,” Henry said. “Hopefully, I’ll get a chance in the summer to still play.”
OTHER NOTABLES HEADING HOME
Other former Travelers champions are heading home for the weekend after missing the cut.
Jordan Spieth, the 2017 champion, shot a 66 but finished three shots short at 1-over 141. Marc Leishman, the 2012 champ, shot a 140 and 2016 winner Russell Knox a 144.
Also, Kramer Hickok, who lost in the eight-hole playoff last year to Harris English, also came up one stroke short (139), Sam Burns, the No. 9 player in the world rankings (140), Rickie Fowler (143), Joaquin Niemann (143) and Jason Day (145) all missed the cut as well.
KOKRAK DQ’D
Jason Kokrak was disqualified from the Travelers Championship after failing to record a score on the ninth hole Friday, his final one of the day. He also failed to return a scorecard, leading to the DQ, according to a tweet sent out by PGA Tour Communications.