Russell Henley made four birdies in a row, the last in a play-off, to defeat fellow American Eric Cole on Sunday and win the PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge.<\/p>\n
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 play-off with Cole<\/a> at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n On the first play-off 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>\n “Felt like I was hitting good putts most of the day and they just went in at the end,” Henley said.<\/p>\n “Then to come back to the play-off and do that, I’m still kind of shaking. That was as nervous as I’ve been over a putt in my whole life.”<\/p>\n 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>\n “I just kept telling myself, ‘I want to win,'” Henley said. “I want to be hitting these putts and be in contention. This is why I practice hard.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Henley fired a three-under par 67, and Cole shot 70 to finish 72 holes deadlocked on 12-under 268.<\/p>\n 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>\n “It’s very disappointing,” Cole said. “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.”<\/p>\n Defending champion Ben Griffin and fellow Americans Alex Smalley<\/a> and Mac Meissner<\/a> shared third on 269 with a sixth-place pack on 270, including reigning US Open champion J.J. Spaun<\/a>, fellow Americans Gary Woodland<\/a> and Michael Brennan<\/a>, and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria.<\/p>\n Henley opened eagle-birdie, made bogeys on the next three holes, and was only lurking until his late flurry.<\/p>\n “I was feeling a little jittery or quick or something on the front,” Henley said. “I just kind of calmed down a little bit and started to hit some good shots.”<\/p>\n