Russell Henley talks with Garrett on Sunday pressure, The Open Championship, and dealing with nerves under pressure. He also shares how his caddie Andy Sanders is helpful under pressure. This interview is from May 2025 at the Truist Championship.
All right, Garrett Johnson here with Russell Hanley. Russell, I’m thinking about we’re going back to major championships, ones that you played really well in, the open championship. Obviously made a big run there last year. What was it about that week that really enabled you to play so well? Um, I think you had to hit it straight. Um, it was really tough conditions and felt like I puted pretty well, too. So, uh, anytime, you know, there’s a place where hitting it straight is a premium, I feel like I can, if I’m hitting it well, I can have an advantage. Um, yeah. And that place had some tough T- shots and just feel like I kept the ball in play pretty well. Is there something about Lynx golf that really sets up well for your eye at all? I think recently I’ve played it a little better, but I haven’t had a ton of success over there, but um I feel like my game has been in a good spot and hopefully I can, you know, play well again. Do you like the creativity that comes with some of those links courses and just kind of like playing some shots off the ground, being a little more creative with chipping and Yeah, I’ve always appreciated it. Um, and I feel like you have to be able to adapt. You know, if the wind’s blowing really hard like last year, you got to be able to sometimes, you know, hit a slice up into the wind to hold it. So, it’s just kind of feel like you can use your creativity a lot over there. Well, speaking of creativity, we got some really creative greens to work with at Oakmont and as we go to the US Open, like what are your thoughts on on that course overall? Yeah, I’ve never played it, so looking forward to checking it out. when you get to a US Open venue, you haven’t played before, like what’s typically the right way in in your experience to to kind of plot it out? Yeah, I like to go the week before the tournament so I don’t feel rushed just to play 18 and see it. Um, but I think just getting used to uh the sidelines off the TE’s and kind of figuring out um where the best place to miss it is, that’s a big part of major championship golf and pro golf is just missing it in the right places and um executing. Well, speaking of executing, when it comes to faster greens, you played well in US Opens in the past. What is it about kind of faster greens that kind of matches up with your putting stroke and your lag putting overall? Yeah, I just think I like tough courses. Um, I feel like I like courses where if you make a par, you don’t feel like you lost ground. And um, you know, I I enjoy the the grind and the the trying to to shoot under par on a really tough setup. So, um, I think I just my mentality at tournaments like that, I think I just enjoy the grind of it. Speaking of a tough setup, you obviously won there at Bay Hill, got it done in that in that group with Colin Morawa. What was it about that, what kind of pride will you take away from that kind of week for you? Um, yeah, just that I can do it. Um, that I can win a big tournaments if I play my game and things go my way. you know, I feel like um I didn’t have my best driving game the first two days there and still managed to, you know, shoot under par on a really tough course and um yeah, I just just just gives me a lot of confidence. I know you’ve talked about Andy Sanders, your caddy in the past as having a lot of strengths for you under pressure. What is it about him and his countenance or just the way he is with you under pressure that really helps you thrive? Yeah, he’s very calm and collected. uh great decision maker, knows me really well and kind of balances out my um kind of nature and high heart rate. Like under pressure, do you get like does it raise the heart rate even more? Oh, I mean I’m I mean I feel like uh I’m always, you know, I don’t think I don’t know. I think everybody’s a little bit nervous when they play, but I think he just does a good job of keeping things really simple for me and helping me focus on the task. And then lastly, just overall major championships. What’s been your favorite part now of majors? And just kind of embracing that challenge. Overall, I just like the difficult courses. I think the difficult courses, the difficult conditions, um I just enjoy the challenge of it. Great stuff. Well, Russell, always appreciate it and good luck the rest of the way here. Yeah, thank you. appreciate.
