Georgia native Russell Henley ready for first Masters

It’s a common sight: Patrons craning their necks to get a peek at a player or a shot. But sometimes a golfer will be the one searching, at least for a bit.

Russell Henley, a 23-year-old Macon, Ga., native and former Georgia Bulldog, played a practice round Monday, and some of those watching from the gallery were friends.

Henley did some of his own looking – and listening.

“I heard a lot of ‘Go, Dawgs!’ That was cool. Heard a ‘Go, Jack­ets!’ I didn’t really get that one,” Henley said with a smile. “I have a lot of friends here today; a lot came into town – some I haven’t seen in a while. It was pretty special seeing them. I was just kind of looking for them here and there. I just wanted them to enjoy as much as I did, and I think they did.”

In January, Henley won the Sony Open in
Hawaii in his first start on the PGA Tour. He also had three wins on the Web.com Tour.

Henley is getting his first Mas­ters Tourna­ment experience as a player, but he has played Augusta National Golf Club about 10 times. Monday’s round helped him get used to the history and tradition of the Masters. He played with two-time Masters champion Tom Watson and Nathan Smith, a grouping Henley said will be repeated for the Par-3 Contest.

Henley, who drove in Sunday night from Charleston, S.C., got Wat­son’s number in the pro shop. Asked whom he would like to play a practice round with, Henley answered Watson and Ben Crenshaw.

Henley stood right behind Crenshaw on Sunday when they were registering. He also chatted with Jim “Bones” Mackay, Phil Mickelson’s caddie.

“I still feel like a kid when I pull in looking at those guys, and obviously I’m very confident in my ability to play the game, but I’ve been coming here and watching the tournament when they were playing and Phil was playing,” Henley said.

“I dream about it every day, winning here,” Henley said. “I mean, I’ve dreamed about playing in this tournament. I’ve dreamed about winning on the PGA Tour, and I’ve accomplished both of those dreams. I’ve got a lot more on the list, but, yeah, I dream about it every day, and try not to get ahead of myself. But you know, it would be very special.”