Masters final surprises, disappointments: Henley ties for third on birthday
Russell Henley came close to getting a green jacket for his 37th birthday.
The birthday boy from Macon continued to establish himself as a big-game hunter, coming up just short in the final round of the Masters.
Henley shot 68 on Sunday and was in the title picture all day. He finished 10-under 278 and tied for third, his third consecutive top-10 finish in a major championship.
“I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well,” Henley said. “It was tricky out there. Really thankful for a good finish. Wish I would have made some more putts and got a little closer to the lead, but overall very thankful.”
The Georgia graduate and two-time Georgia Amateur champion began the day five shots behind the leaders. He made the turn in 32 and got to within one shot of the lead, but missed numerous birdie putts on the second nine and shot 36.
Henley had his momentum sidetracked at Amen Corner. He took an aggressive line at No. 11 and found the green, but he missed the 20-footer for par. He hit his tee shot at No. 12 over the green and failed to get up and down, dropping three shots off the lead. He birdied 13, but finished the round with five straight pars.
“I hit it amazing today,” Henley said. “I gave myself a bunch of good looks. Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on those looks on the back like I would have liked to.”
Henley was trying to become the third native Georgian to win the Masters and join Larry Mize (1987) and Tommy Aaron (1973).
“I feel like I handled it well, like of like, I can do this,” Henley said. “I handled the nerves well. Really happy with how I competed.”
Surprises
Tyrrell Hatton was the top finisher from LIV Golf and made a fourth-round charge. The Englishman began the day five shots off the lead, but got to within one shot of the leaders when he reeled off four straight birdies at Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16. A wayward tee shot led to an outstanding par save. He finished with his second 66 of the week and wound up at 10-under 278.
Everybody loves Max Homa, so the patrons were happy to see him shoot 67 on Sunday and finish tied for ninth at 8-under 280. Homa has been in the top 15 for the last three Masters. He was especially dialed in with an eagle at No. 13 and at No. 16, where he hit his tee shot on the par-3 to about a foot away for a kick-in birdie.
“I would like next time to be in contention earlier,” Homa said. “But for having it all and feeling like I left some out there, I’m really proud of just the game. My brain was good.”
Everybody loves Jordan Spieth, too. The 2015 champion shot 68 on Sunday, his best round at the Masters since 2023. He made only one bogey and scored an eagle at No. 13. The 32-year-old secured his seventh top-10 finish in 13 starts at Augusta.
“I feel like I’m playing great golf,” Spieth said. “I don’t feel like my results are showing it. All you’ve got to do when that happens is stay the course. The results end up coming. Sometimes, the game takes a while to pay off.”
Disappointments
Shane Lowry began the day two shots off the lead, but his hopes went south in a hurry. Back-to-back three-putts at Nos. 4 and 5 dropped him six shots off the lead. It extended the trend of poor Sundays for Lowry, who shot 81 on Sunday a year ago and dropped from a tie for sixth to 42nd place. This year, he shot 80 and dropped into a tie for 30th.
Jason Day was three shots behind the leaders when the day began. He was marking time until a double bogey at No. 7 doomed his chances. He had an awkward lie in the bunker there and left the shot in the sand. Day shot 75 and tied for 12th at 283.
Sergio Garcia shot 75 in the final round, but he took the tournament lead in destroyed equipment. He smashed his driver into the ground after hitting a poor tee shot at No. 2, then broke it by further venting on a cooler and leaving the club head dangling. Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, received a warning for breaking the code of conduct.
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
