Henley Now atop McGladrey Classic


Russell Henley fired a 7-under 63 to take over the leaderboard's top spot in the McGladrey Classic. The $5.6 million PGA Tour event got underway Thursday on the Seaside Course at Sea Island, Ga.

Henley, a native of Macon and a University of Georgia graduate, carded eight birdies and a bogey to reach 9-under 131, a stroke ahead of Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge (64) and Americans Brian Harman (67) and Andrew Svoboda (66).

Beginning the second round on the 10th tee, Henley got off to an inauspicious start with a bogey on his first hole. But from there, the two-time Tour winner got rolling with three birdies on his front nine and five more on the back.

"After the first hole, I was just thinking, 'All right, you've got to hang in there and just be patient and hopefully get something going.' And I did," Henley said.

Trailing Henley by two are Will MacKenzie (68), Mark Wilson (66) and Argentina's Fabian Gomez (66). Tied for eighth at 134 are Kevin Chappell and Scott Piercy, who each shot 67s.

Sharing 10th at 135 are Chris Kirk, Mark Hubbard, David Lingmerth, Carl Pettersson, William McGirt, Robert Streb, Bill Haas, Derek Ernst, Shawn Stefani, Eric Compton and Andrew Putnam.

Kirk, another Georgia graduate and a three-time Tour winner, is the defending champion.

Harman and MacKenzie were tied for the 18-hole lead with Compton and Michael Thompson after each opened with 65s. Thompson had a 1-over 71 Friday to drop into 21st at 136 with six others.

Sea Island resident Davis Love III followed up his opening 71 with a 68 and made the 36-hole cut of even-par 140. Also advancing is Ben Martin, winner of last week's Shriners Hospital for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. He enters the weekend at 2-under 138.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.