PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Russell Henley lastly made a bogey, and that is about all that went unsuitable for him Sunday as he closed with a 1-under 70 for a four-shot victory within the World Extensive Know-how Championship at Mayakoba.
Henley, staked to a six-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical at El Camaleon, had the lead decreased to a few when he missed a 5-foot par putt on the par-5 fifth gap.
He responded with three straight birdies, and nobody obtained nearer than 4 pictures the remainder of the best way.
Henley gained for the fourth time on the PGA Tour, and the primary time because the Houston Open 5 years in the past.
The earlier 5 instances Henley had no less than a share of the 54-hole lead, he didn’t convert the victory. The newest was the Sony Open in January, when Hideki Matsuyama made up a two-shot deficit and beat him in a playoff.
“I simply tried to study from my previous and my screw-ups,” Henley stated with a smile. “All these occasions I did not shut out, they harm. You by no means know should you’ll win one other. To return down 18 with a four-shot lead was actually cool.”
Henley completed at 23-under 261 to tie the match report. He got here into the ultimate spherical as the one participant who had not made a bogey all week.
Brian Harman closed with a 66 to complete alone in second, whereas the group 5 pictures behind included Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Seamus Energy of Eire, who was coming off a victory final week in Bermuda.
Scheffler misplaced the No. 1 rating he had held since March when Rory McIlroy gained the CJ Cup two weeks in the past. Scheffler closed with a 62 at Mayakoba, leaving him probability to reclaim the No. 1 rating subsequent week on the Houston Open.
McIlroy shouldn’t be enjoying once more till the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Energy shot a 68, and his tie for third with Scheffler, Joel Dahmen, Troy Merritt and Will Gordon put the Irishman atop the FedEx Cup standings and moved him to No. 29 on the planet, his highest rating ever.
Henley moved to No. 33 on the planet and is assured of returning to the Masters. Final time, he did not safe a spot at Augusta Nationwide till transferring into the highest 50 every week earlier than the Masters.
Henley misplaced three-shot leads on the Wyndham Championship in 2021 and the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in 2020. The opposite instances he was both tied or led by one or two pictures, which isn’t a lot of a lead on the PGA Tour.
This was a six-shot margin, and it is uncommon for somebody to not win from there. That did not make it any simpler.
“It is robust. I do not sleep properly on a lead. I want much more observe,” Henley stated. “I do not know how Tiger did this 80-some instances. It is robust for me simply to sort of relax. You positively do not feel the identical as once you’re practising at residence, however that is the enjoyable of it. That is why we play.
“We wish to see what we’re fabricated from out right here and get examined beneath strain.”
The victory additionally sends Henley to Kapalua in January for the Sentry Match of Champions, the primary elevated occasion in a brand new 12 months of huge purses.
