Russell Henley’s strong finish gives him a 62 and a 1-shot lead at Wyndham, Canada’s Svensson tied for second

Henley was helped by avoiding the light but steady rain that fell most of the morning, the weather Scott, Thomas and other early starters had to face. Henley missed only two fairways and rode a hot putter, a good recipe for this course.

Two years ago, Henley had a three-shot lead going into the final round and still had control on the back nine when he made four bogeys over the last eight holes, including the 18th to miss out on a playoff by one shot. It still bothers him.

“I think about it a lot,” Henley said. “I was leading by three going in the final round a couple and was leading the tournament by a few going into No. 11 … and didn’t get it done,” Henley said. “That’s a good learning experience, and feel like I’ve gotten better as a player because of it. But all I can do is just one shot at a time right now.”

The top 70 who qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs is down from 125 players in recent years, a change announced in the summer of 2022. Scott doesn’t like being in this position, but he understands how to fix it.

“I’ve had a lot of years having a go at the FedEx Cup playoffs, and all these kind of things come to an end at some point,” Scott said. “But for sure, I want to win this tournament, and if I do that I can have a really good run right through to East Lake, I believe.”

A year ago, Scott parlayed a tie for fifth in two postseason events into a trip to East Lake.

Andrew Novak holed out from off the 18th green for birdie and a 64. The group at 66 included Thomas Detry and Ludwig Aberg of Sweden, the former Texas Tech star who topped the list on the PGA Tour University ranking to earn membership. Because he didn’t turn pro until June, Aberg is No. 146 and would have to win to advance.

Thomas had a round that matched the dreary day of light but steady rain. He had two birdies, two bogeys and the rest pars, some of them valuable. But he needs a high finish — 18th place at a mathematical minimum, though something around 10th might be more safe — to get into the top 70. He currently is at No. 78.

Adding to the importance is that Ryder Cup qualifying ends in three more tournaments, and then six players are added as captain’s picks. Without any more tournaments, Zach Johnson might have a tough time considering a player who has gone 15 months without a win.

“I played fine. I didn’t really do anything well, I didn’t do anything terribly,” Thomas said. “When I woke up and looked at it this morning, didn’t think I was going to be playing 16 holes in rain. So that’s a bummer, especially in the position that I’m in and the scores that I need. But who knows what will happen the rest of the day? I just wish I would have taken advantage of a couple more scoring clubs.”

Stephen Jaeger, at No. 64 in the standings, had a good start to protect his position. He opened with a 67, along with a large group that included Billy Horschel and Brendon Todd.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., both finished even par. Meanwhile, Adam Hadwin of Abbostford, B.C., had a 73 and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., had a 74.

Most of the players who don’t reach the postseason will have the fall to make sure they stay among the top 125 who have full cards for 2024.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Russell Henley’s strong finish gives him a 62 and a 1-shot lead at Wyndham, Canada’s Svensson tied for second

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