Russell Henley two strokes off lead after reaching goal with 63
When Russell Henley teed off for his third round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, he did so with a number in mind.
His goal? Finish well enough that he was in double digits entering Sunday’s final round at TPC Summerlin.
The former University of Georgia star did it, getting to 13 under par after an 8-under 63 Saturday, the day’s best round. Henley is two shots behind leader Lucas Glover.
“I was thinking double digits, but you really can’t do that in golf,” Henley said. “It seems like whenever you go low, it’s when you least expect it.”
Henley, 27, said his biggest challenge playing TPC Summerlin is club selection.
“For me, it’s about getting the right number and knowing whether to take off 4 percent, 5 percent or 7 percent,” he said. “If you play early, the ball goes way shorter. I just kind of struggle with that, especially with the wedges. Day to day, I try to do it by feel, but sometimes I get it wrong.”
He got it right for the most part in the third round, and now he’s in position to win.
“I’m just going to try to do the same thing, stay patient and do the best I can on each shot,” he said.
REBELS REPRESENT
Saturday was UNLV Day at TPC Summerlin, and many fans complied and were decked out in red.
Former Rebel Ryan Moore gave the fans something to cheer about, as he shot 68 and is tied for 12th place at 202. Chad Campbell, the other former Rebel still playing, shot 69 and is tied for 46th at 207.
FIELDS MEETS PATIENTS
Henderson’s Connor Fields, who won a gold medal in the BMX competition at the Summer Olympics in Brazil, swung by the Shriners Hospitals hospitality tent Saturday and met some of the patients who were serving as standard bearers.
One of them, 13-year-old Diego Zuniga Costa of Mexico City, is an amputee BMX racer and huge fan of Fields.
“Connor is the best at his sport and has been my inspiration for a long time,” he said. “When he came into the room, I didn’t believe it was him. I had to rub my eyes again and again because I just couldn’t believe it was him. I had this totally amazing feeling in my gut, like I can’t believe this is happening.”
Fields was equally excited.
“It’s crazy for me because I think of myself as just a normal guy, and to see his face light up, it was just the coolest feeling, and it gave me a lot of joy seeing how much joy he had on his face,” Fields said. “It was a special moment for both of us.”
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.