No place like home for Henry

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CROMWELL, Conn. -- J.J. Henry felt he had been playing well but not getting the results, as shown by no top-25 finishes this year and four missed cuts in his last five starts.

So during two weeks off at home in Fort Worth, Texas, Henry watched DVDs of the final two rounds of his Buick Championship victory and playing for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2006.

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J.J. Henry is right at home in Connecticut -- the place where he grew up and a place where he earned his first TOUR win.

REALTED

The Henry House Foundation
Video: J.J. Henry profile
Video: Henry's first win
More: Henry's 4-under 66

It paid instant dividends Thursday with a bogey-free, 4-under-par 67 that was his second lowest score in 51 rounds this year and put him near the top in the first round of the Travelers Championship.

"I was trying to get myself going a little bit and try to feel that momentum and see how I was swinging," Henry said of his DVD viewing. "To be honest, it still looks very similar. [In the Buick Championship] I made a lot of putts, and that's what I want to try to do the next three days."

The "very easy round" in near perfect scoring conditions was two strokes lower than the opener in his only TOUR victory. But it wasn't all easy for Henry, who grew up an hour away in Fairfield and often watched the tournament with his father, Henry, an accomplished player.

"This course just suits my eye," Henry said. "Arguably I know this course better than anybody in the field. I've played it probably as much, if not more, than most guys in the field. So I feel very comfortable playing this golf course, and I think that adds to being stress-free: Just go out and hit the shots, know where you have to hit it, know where you can kind of feed it off some of the mounds and know where to take advantage.

"But I'll be honest with you. I was a little tense starting out because I wanted to try to get off to a good start. I haven't played great this year, and obviously this tournament means a lot to me. Starting off the 10th hole isn't the easiest hole to start on at 7:30 in the morning, especially with it still being wet [from a Wednesday downpour]. I was kind of timid, maybe steering it around early, but for the most part, once I kind of settled in and played three or four holes, I felt pretty good most of the day."

Henry, who has missed eight of 16 cuts, hit 8-iron shots to 15 and 5 feet at Nos. 16 and 18 to make the turn in 33. He hit a 9-iron to 10 feet at No. 3 and wedge to 5 feet at No. 7 for his final two birdies.

"It seems like clockwork every year. I start playing golf again this time of year," said Henry, whose best finish is tied for 26th in the Shell Houston Open. "I guess it's because I grew up around here."

And Henry hasn't lost his attachment to Connecticut. After Henry won the Buick Championship and played in his only Ryder Cup, he used some of the funds to establish the Henry House Foundation. In May, at the PGA TOUR's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth, he helped open the Henry Teen Room at Cook Children's Hospital.

Wednesday, Henry announced he's donating a minimum of $150,000 over three years to the First Tee of Connecticut, which starts using River Highlands' new driving range as its home base June 28, and the First Tee of Metropolitan New York, located near where he played as a kid.

"I've always wanted to give back to where I grew up and where I live now," said Henry, whose wife, Lee, is due to give birth to the couple's second child in August. "We've been excited helping support youth, the growth of the game through children and life skills, so we couldn't think of a better way to help parallel than with the First Tee.

"The new range just blew me away, so we're delighted to have a chance to build the nicest First Tee in the country. Our mission at Henry House is not just hand out a check and a handshake but to also have a tangible, see-feel-touch thing. All this is kind of neat and rewarding. It's one thing to make a putt on the last hole to win a tournament, but it's kind of cool and rewarding to look back and remember the smiling faces on the kids' faces."

First Tee of Connecticut president and CEO Bruce Wilson had a smile on his face. Tuesday, he announced AT&T will sponsor the First Tee of Connecticut. A day later, Henry offered a helping hand.

"It's exciting to have the opportunity to have a partnership with J.J.," Wilson said. "He's wonderful with kids, and his values are consistent with the nine core values of the First Tee. We still need another $1 million to complete our project, but he's pledging to be there with his funds and his services to help raise more money."

Contributions can be made to henryhousefoundation.com.