J.J. Henry wins Buick Championship

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 Buick Championship | Wrap | 03 Jul 2006

J.J Henry today won his first USPGA Tour event, exactly eight years after his PGA Tour debut, when he won the Buick Championship at the TPC River Highlands by three shots from Ryan Moore and Hunter Mahan.

In July of 1998, Henry had his father caddying for him when as an amateur he made the cut and, although that was significant achievement back then, it would have been hard to imagine that it would take eight years for him to win on the PGA Tour.

It would not be until 2001 that he was able to play the USPGA Tour as a Member following a season on the Buy.Com Tour in 2000 which had included a win and enough money to secure status at the next level.

In that rookie season in 2001, Henry gave every indication that this first win would come much sooner. He was twice runner up and was perhaps the second best performing rookie that year behind Charles Howell.

Henry started his week with two solid opening rounds of 68 and as he entered the weekend he was well enough placed, albeit four shots behind the leader Darron Stiles. That changed very quickly on Saturday however when stormed through the opening nine in 31 and when he was done for the day he was two ahead of Harrison Frazar. Another brilliant start today and by the turn the tournament became his to win or lose. At that point he was at fourteen under and had the lead by five.

The challenges failed to materialize although Ryan Moore, the brilliant amateur who has been plagued by injury early in his professional career, added enough birdies to be a concern for the Henry should the he stumble. When Moore put his tee shot at the 16th into the water it became academic for Henry even considering the potential danger of the last four holes at the TPC. Moore eventually shared second with Hunter Mahan.

Moore, the 2004 US Amateur Champion and one of the greatest amateurs in the modern era of US golf, has status on the USPGA Tour via good performances in the events he was invited to play after turning professional last year. One of those was when runner up at the Canadian Open and by the end of 2005 he had enough money to have status in 2006. His season in 2006 has been curtailed to some extent by a hand injury and surgery but this performance is a much better indication of the quality of player that is Ryan Moore.

Hunter Mahan is another former high class amateur beginning to find his way on the USPGA Tour. He returned to the Tour School last year and regained full status. This finish will ensure he does not have to worry about any December examination again in 2006. Moore’s two late birdies earned him a lot of money taking moving him into a share of second rather than sharing that with Nathan Green.

Green has been the surprise packet of the USPGA Tour in 2006. He has played the tough and long courses well, as was displayed at Torrey Pines, and clearly enjoys the shorter more strategic courses such as this and the Colonial Golf Club. Green moved well past the US1 million mark with his fourth placed cheque for US$211,000.

“I really had a goal this week of just getting past the million dollar mark but things fell into place and my short putting was much improved,” said the New South Welshman not long after his round.

Other Australians also had good weeks with Peter Lonard and David McKenzie both sharing 9th although for Lonard it will be disappointment while for McKenzie he will be enjoying his best ever finish on the USPGA Tour and his biggest cheque in golf. McKenzie has made only four cuts in thirteen events on the USPGA Tour in 2006 after qualifying via the Nationwide Tour in 2005. The US$101,000 will feel like a fortune and so it should – it is.

Lonard though will perhaps rue a missed opportunity in this event having been within touch of the leaders for much of the week although he did show signs of improvement after an indifferent season to date.

Nick O’Hern had a reasonable week to follow his two great weeks at Winged Foot and the TPC at Avenel finishing 31st.

The PGA Tour now heads west to Chicago for this week’s Cialis Western Open.