Weddington, NC (Sports Network) - Russell Henley parred the first playoff hole
on Sunday to win the Chiquita Classic.
Henley posted a 2-under 70 in the final round to get in at 22-under-par 266.
Morgan Hoffmann and Patrick Cantlay both fired 7-udner 65s in the final round
to force the extra session at The Club at Longview.
In regulation, Henley was in control on the 18th tee, but found a fairway
bunker off the tee. He flared his second shot way right into the water.
However, after his drop, Henley did get up and down for bogey to get into the
playoff.
"After I hit that ball in the water, I just kind of told myself this doesn't
define who I am if I win this or don't win this, this is just fun," Henley
said on TV. "Now, I feel like I've got nothing to lose. Sometimes those putts
go in. I guess it was just my week."
In the extra session, Cantlay found a fairway bunker and had a tough stance.
He came up well short in the fairway. Hoffmann, from the fairway, played an
aggressive shot that came up short and right in the water.
Henley, also from the short grass, knocked his approach to 30 feet.
Hoffman got up and down for bogey after dropping, and Cantlay chipped to 18
feet. After Henley's birdie effort stopped within two feet of the cup, Cantlay
tapped in for his bogey and it was all up to Henley.
Last year's Stadion Classic winner tapped in for par and his second win in two
years on the Web.com Tour.
"My whole body is shaking right now. Everything was just great the whole
week," Henley said in a televised interview. "I just have great friends and I
keep things in perspective. This is just a bonus and doesn't define who I am
or anything. It's just icing on the cake. I'm speechless. It doesn't feel
real."
Brad Fritsch, who shared the third-round lead with Henley, closed with an
even-par 72 to end alone in fourth at minus-20.
Scott Dunlap (68) and Robert Streb (67) shared fifth at 17-under-par 271.
In regulation, Henley birdied the sixth to grab a 2-shot lead over Fritsch.
After five pars in a row, Henley birdied the par-5 12th to move two ahead of
Hoffmann.
After Hoffmann and Cantlay grabbed a share of the lead, Henley got up and down
for birdie at the par-5 17th to regain the lead, but he found water at the
last to force the playoff.
Hoffmann birdied the fourth and sixth, then also birdied the ninth to make the
turn at minus-18. Around the turn, he poured in three birdies in a 4-hole
stretch from the 11th to get to 21-under. He grabbed a share of the lead with
a birdie on 16 and parred the last two to end there.
Cantlay had four birdies on the front nine to climb up the leaderboard. On the
back nine, he rolled in three birdies in a 4-hole span from the 12th to get to
22-under. He parred the last three to end there.
NOTES: Henley earned $99,000 for the win and easily jumped into the top 25 on
the money list...Last year's winner Russell Knox carded a 2-under 70 to share
seventh at 15-under 273...The tour heads to Maryland next week for a new
event, the Neediest Kids Championship.
The Sports Network