Russell Henley sinks four straight birdies to win at Colonial over Eric Cole

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henley-russell/4xlMJb5S/"]Henley[/a] sank 15-foot birdie putts on the par-three 16th and par-four 17th holes, then birdied the 18th from just inside 17 feet to force a playoff with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coleman-hamilton/0WA64Yo3/"]Cole[/a] at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.[/p][p]On the first playoff hole, the 18th, Henley dropped his approach just inside five feet and, after Cole missed a birdie putt from just inside 13 feet, sank the tension-packed winning putt.[/p][p][b]"Felt like I was hitting good putts most of the day and they just went in at the end,"[/b] Henley said.[/p][p][b]"Then to come back to the playoff and do that, I'm still kind of shaking. That was as nervous as I've been over a putt in my whole life."[/b][/p][embed guid="9577c6ce-a47e-4816-b069-6f2e7ede494d" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2061213477025218757?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Henley, who shared third at the Masters in April, captured his sixth career PGA Tour victory and first since last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational.[/p][p][b]"I just kept telling myself, 'I want to win,'" [/b]Henley said. "I want to be hitting these putts and be in contention. This is why I practice hard.[/p][p][b]"I feel like I've worked harder and harder and just been a little off mentally this year. Just fought really hard until the end. It felt good to see an awesome result."[/b][/p][p]Henley fired a three-under par 67, and Cole shot 70 to finish 72 holes deadlocked on 12-under 268.[/p][embed guid="c3cdd904-1185-4aa1-8e3b-a6b4dcbcf916" url="https://x.com/GolfonCBS/status/2061210962145780121?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Cole overcame a double bogey at the ninth hole with a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-five 11th to regain the solo lead until Henley's closing run, missing out on a prime chance for his first PGA Tour triumph.[/p][p][b]"It's very disappointing,"[/b] Cole said. [b]"I felt like I played pretty well for the most part. Hung pretty tough when I did miss a few shots. It's disappointing, but I played well, and I'm proud of that."[/b][/p][p]Defending champion Ben Griffin and fellow Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smalley-alex/z1h2TxzH/"]Alex Smalley[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meissner-mac/rPo8Jw41/"]Mac Meissner[/a] shared third on 269 with a sixth-place pack on 270, including reigning US Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spaun-j-j/6oUJlkde/"]J.J. Spaun[/a], fellow Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woodland-gary/lQRqur2j/"]Gary Woodland[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brennan-michael/02LilGAp/"]Michael Brennan[/a], and Colombia's Nico Echavarria.[/p][p]Henley opened eagle-birdie, made bogeys on the next three holes, and was only lurking until his late flurry.[/p][p][b]"I was feeling a little jittery or quick or something on the front,"[/b] Henley said. [b]"I just kind of calmed down a little bit and started to hit some good shots."[/b][/p][embed guid="7130a761-6717-401a-a293-7a17c76cc30f" url="https://x.com/GolfonCBS/status/2061218240731214037?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Cole, the son of South African pro golfer Bobby Cole and retired US LPGA star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baugh-laura/8C1UCnmt/"]Laura Baugh[/a], led by one stroke when the day began and made a birdie-birdie start.[/p][p]Cole found water on his approach at the ninth hole and made a double bogey, but when Spaun and Brennan made early back-nine bogeys, and Cole sank his clutch birdie at 11, he was back at the top until the last hole.[/p]