With Mark Brooks on his bag, a re-energized J.J. Henry has high hopes for Colonial
J.J. Henry wants to keep the plaid jacket in Fort Worth this week.
Henry feels re-energized. He feels ready. And he feels he’s got the best caddie — former PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks — on his bag for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.
“I’ve never been as excited for a tournament as this year’s Colonial. It’s a similar anticipation like my first Masters in 2007,” said Henry, who will become the active leader in consecutive starts with his 19th this week at Colonial.
“I’ve been working hard. I’ve been playing a lot. My oldest son, Connor, has really re-energized me and my golfing career. He’s become a pretty good player and it’s really brought back the enthusiasm that I have for the game.”
The importance of this event can’t be overstated for Henry.
From a personal standpoint, this is his “fifth major.” Henry is a Fort Worth resident and proud TCU alum, frequently attending games. He lived in the Stonegate Apartments next to Colonial his senior year of college, dreaming one day of walking down the 18th fairway with a lead.
From a professional standpoint, this tournament has a chance to provide Henry more opportunities this season. The 20-year veteran doesn’t have fully-exempt status on the PGA Tour. Starts will be more difficult to come by for a player such as Henry as the PGA Tour shut down for three months amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Henry, a three-time PGA Tour winner who last won in 2015 at the Barracuda Championship, hasn’t had much success at his hometown tournament. His best finish is a tie for 22nd in 2009 when he shot a career-best 66 on Sunday.
However, Henry said, this year feels different. As much as he enjoys family and friends watching him play, maybe the tournament being closed to the general public will take pressure off him.
“Selfishly, I’m trying to turn this into a positive,” Henry said. “I won’t be worrying about saying hi or giving this guy a fist bump. I can just go out and play golf.”
That’s the approach Brooks will be preaching throughout the week. Brooks has caddied for Henry in the past, but this will be the first time at Colonial.
Brooks, a Fort Worth native and three-time All American at Texas, played in 28 Colonials with a career-best tie for fourth in 1992. He shot in the 60s all four rounds (69-66-68-67), finishing three shots back of eventual champion Bruce Lietzke (who defeated Corey Pavin in a playoff).
Brooks had one more top-10 finish in 2004 when he was in his 40s. He’d love nothing more than to help Henry, 45, have that sort of tournament in his 40s. The oldest Colonial champion was Tom Watson, who won it in 1998 at age 48.
“Father Time is generally not that kind to athletes,” said Brooks, who splits his time between Fort Worth and Austin and plays on the Champions Tour.
“It’s tough. You can feel younger sometimes even though you may not be younger. But thinking younger is the key.”
Brooks said his mindset whenever he’s on the bag with Henry is to caddie as though he’s playing. Brooks also isn’t scared to provide some tough love and tough coaching to Henry.
At the end of the day, though, it’s because Brooks knows Henry still has the game to contend with the best players in the world.
“There’s going to be 148 players teeing off this week and the truth is that not 148 have a chance to win,” Brooks said. “But 140 of them do and J.J. is one of those guys. He can hit the ball good enough. There’s no question about his ball-striking. Now he’s just got to do all the other stuff.”
For Henry, Brooks will serve as a security blanket and sounding board throughout the week. Henry has always played well when Brooks is on the bag.
“His strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa,” Henry said. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He tells me how it is. I’m very lucky and grateful that he’s a mentor and a friend.”
Time will tell how well this partnership performs this week at Colonial. But it’s hard to bet against a duo that has played in a combined 47 Colonials with 142 tournament rounds between them.
“I really do have a good feeling,” Henry said. “You’ve got to start out being confident and believing in yourself. I’m getting older and I don’t know how many more chances I’m going to have. I’m starting to run out of chances.
“But I feel like my mind and my body are in a good place. It’s just about going out and executing this week.”
