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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

March 31, 2017

Russell Henley

Humble, Texas

Q. Russell, 10-under par for two rounds. We look back at your scorecards yesterday, 6 birdies with a bogey at the 18th. Today, 6 birdies with a bogey at the 18th. Very similar scorecards. What about the play, did it compare similar?
RUSSELL HENLEY: I think so. I hit a lot of good wedge shots last two days, something I've been working on a lot. Just felt really good with the putter. The greens are perfect. So, we're just trying to hit in the middle of the green. If I can hit a lot of greens, then I can avoid bogey a lot and maybe roll a couple long ones.

Q. What about conditions -- players were talking about getting a lot of mud in the ball in the fairways yesterday.
RUSSELL HENLEY: I could have made a couple bogies because of the mud yesterday, but made a couple par saves. There's a couple holes where I got a ton of mud and I've -- I hit a couple way off line but recovered well, so it is -- it's almost better to hit it in the rough on some of the holes, but that's only a couple holes. I'd say the majority of them were okay.

Q. You mentioned the greens. Look at a putt here you holed on 13. These are some of the Tour's best greens.
RUSSELL HENLEY: I feel like the greens are -- don't break a ton in most cases, so if I can just hit the ball in the fat side of the hole and not play a lot of break, it has a good chance of going in. I felt that frees me up a little bit, too, knowing it's not going to break and all I got to do is take it straight back and through.

Q. Have a look at the stats at this tournament, 5th, 4th, and 7th. What is it about this place, is it the greens or more to it than that?
RUSSELL HENLEY: I think kind of coincidental. I do love the greens. I feel comfortable with a lot of these shots off the tee. There's a lot of room. I feel when I miss it, I know it. I don't make a lot of bogies and roll a couple extra putts in. Yeah, I really love the greens and I just feel like I can hit most of them and I'm pretty confident.

Q. Good luck over the weekend.
RUSSELL HENLEY: Thank you.

Q. You have to be happy with the start?
RUSSELL HENLEY: I am. I'm playing well. I've been working a lot on my wedge game. Tim Clark has been helping me a lot. Trying to learn from him. He's one of the best wedge players that I've ever seen and trying to copy kind of what he does, and I've hit a lot of wedges close. Give me good birdie putts. The greens are perfect. I'm confident with my lines.

Q. Talk about that, because I saw the wedge shot at 15, the par 5. You put it in there a few inches. What is it that he's tried to show you how to do?
RUSSELL HENLEY: I think just kind of a couple things. Just trying to play with a little more feel. And I feel like in the past I would kind of feel like I had a certain swing that went a certain distance. Instead of doing that, kind of saying I'm going to try to hit it this distance and feel the shot. Kind of shoots very similar, but just trying to use my feel and athleticism a little bit more.

Q. Did you look at the scoreboard out there as you're playing through? You put a little run on the back-9. You saw what Sung Kang did. Did that factor into anything throughout for you?
RUSSELL HENLEY: It did. I think I saw him at 16 under. I don't know what he finished at. I'm starting to believe in myself, and I have played well here most of the years that I've played the tournament, but starting to believe in myself a little bit more and starting to feel there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to win some golf tournaments out here. Just trying to believe in myself and whoever is in front of me, chase them down.

Q. You're going to be in one of the final groups on Saturday. You've won before. You have to have the confidence you can do it again.
RUSSELL HENLEY: Absolutely. It would be nice to win again, if not here, then another time. I'm just happy to have made some putts and be in contention.

Q. Thanks.
RUSSELL HENLEY: Yes.

Q. Aside from happened on 18, you played a pretty solid round.
RUSSELL HENLEY: I played the hole pretty well. There's not much room for error on 18. I hit a chip I thought was going to break left and it broke right. I putted a putt that came all the way back to me. I did a lot of great things on that hole and not too worried about it. The whole game feels good. I feel like I believe in it and was able to roll in some putts. Anytime you can do that, that keeps your round going.

Q. You have a strong round, near the top of the leaderboard. You were looking at the top of it, the guy is 6 strokes ahead of you. Do you not think about that at this point?
RUSSELL HENLEY: I am. I think you definitely are. I'm trying to just keep making birdies. He's at 16-under because he's attacking the golf course. I'm just trying to keep hitting greens and keep giving myself chances at birdies and see what can happen.

Q. Because of what you did today and what he did today, is that how you approach the weekend?
RUSSELL HENLEY: Depends on the weather. If it comes out tomorrow and blowing 25, it might rain tomorrow I think, might rain Sunday. It all depends on the day. Today I feel like there was a little breeze, light breeze, and the greens were receptive and rolled really true. I feel like that's going to permit some good scoring.

Q. The way you played and how it fits on this course, did you think it would lead to a score like this?
RUSSELL HENLEY: You do the best you can on every shot. I think you could start the first seven holes and there could be no wind and the last 12 there would be or 11 there could be a ton of wind. You kind of change your strategy. I kind of try to go one shot at a time, as cliche as it sounds.

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