Dogwood golf advance

By Stan Awtrey

For the AJC

No one would blame Russell Henley if he decided to take a week off.

He’s been gone so much over the last four weeks that he’s likely a gold-level member of his favorite hotel awards program. But a desire to fulfill his commitment and the drive to make the 2011 Walker Cup team are enough reasons to bring Henley to the 43rd Dogwood Invitational.

The globe-trotting Macon native, No. 3 in the R&A's World Amateur Golf Rankings, will be among the favorites when the Dogwood, among the county's preeminent amateur championships, begins Wednesday at the Druid Hills Golf Club.

"I wouldn't think about missing it," Henley said. "It's one of my favorite events. I love the golf course, it's always in such great condition and I know almost everybody in the tournament. It's a lot of fun and I love being back in Georgia."

It’s been quite a month for Henley, a rising senior at the University of Georgia. He recently received the Fred Haskins Award for college player of the year, an award won by the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Stewart Cink and Ben Crenshaw. Henley was then named National Player of the Year by Golfweek magazine. He was also first-team All-American and chosen to the All-Nicklaus Team, which recognizes the best players in all divisions, as well as the NAIA and NJCAA.

Lately, he's been playing a lot of golf too. Henley’s marathon began the first week in June, when he placed 18^th while competing as an individual at the NCAA championships outside Chattanooga.

Henley next moved on to the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at the Ansley Golf Club at Settindown Creek, where he was the medalist at the 36-hole qualifier. He won by five shots after a 64 in the afternoon round.

That earned Henley a spot in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he outplayed many of the best players in the world and tied for 16^th. Henley’s finish was the sixth best by an amateur since 1970.

"It's just hard to believe," he said. "What a great experience."

The last putt had barely settled in the cup at Pebble Beach when Henley was whisked away to Northern Ireland to represent the United States in the annual Palmer Cup. He was awake 32 straight hours on that trip, but quickly got his bearings, went 3-1 in his matches and helped the U.S. defeat Europe 13-11.

"It's been a blur. It was a ton of golf and it's gone by so fast," he said.

Henley will have plenty of company with his Bulldog brethren this week at Druid Hills. Harris English of Thomasville, who is ranked No. 14 in the world, and Hudson Swafford of Talahassee, Fla., who also qualified for the U.S. Open and missed making the cut by just one stroke, are also in the field. Swafford won the Dogwood in 2006. Other Bulldogs competing include Rob Bennett, Keith Mitchell and Brian Carter.

The field also includes two members of the Augusta State team that won the NCAA championship (Mitch Krywulycz and Taylor Floyd) and the newest member of the squad, former Marist standout Derek Chang, who last week announced he was transferring from the University of Minnesota. Chang is playing well. He recently won the Southeastern Amateur in Columbus for the second straight year.

Four-fifths of the Georgia Tech golf team that reached the match-play round of the NCAAs is also in the field, including No. 57-ranked John-Tyler Griffin, Kyle Scott, James White and Paul Haley.

The field took a hit last week when No. 1-ranked amateur Jin Jeong of South Korea withdrew after becoming the first Asian to win the British Amateur. The win qualified Jeong, who lives in Australia, to play in the Scottish Open and the Open Championship at St. Andrews, opportunities he couldn’t pass up.

Dogwood Invitational

When: Wednesday-Saturday

Where: Druid Hills Golf Club

2009 champion: Brian Harman

Admission: Free