J.J. Henry fares well at Cromwell

By ROB SULLIVAN
Some might not call it a triumphant return, but Fairfield’s own J.J. Henry played four solid rounds of golf and acquitted himself quite well during the recently played Traveler’s Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.
Henry shot a 10 under par 270, good for a tie for 23rd place and a $57,600 paycheck. The Fairfielder bookended 66’s in the first and fourth rounds, and shot 70 and 68 in the second and third rounds respectively.
Henry could not have gotten off to a better start in the tourney. At the first hole on Thursday, he opened his first round by drilling an eagle. After smashing a 300-yard plus drive straight down the fairway, Henry promptly holed a shot from better than 100 yards from the pin for a quick -2. Not a bad way to start a tournament.
The Fairfield High graduate had a storybook year on the PGA Tour in 2006, beginning with his only tour win in Cromwell in front of the hometown fans and ending with a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
At the time Henry told Golf Today News, “It was a breakthrough event for me. It’s definitely been pretty special.”
Henry is probably the most popular professional golfer to tee off each year at TPC River Highlands. That is due to both his local roots and his willingness to give back to the community.

After returning to his home state for the lone PGA Tour stop in Connecticut in 2007, Henry stuck around for a few days to help promote an excellent cause, Bridgeport First Tee. This organization was created to help introduce golf to inner city youngsters, who otherwise would not have the opportunity to enjoy the sport. Obviously, money is the biggest factor for these kids, which is why organizations such as Bridgeport First Tee are crucial to the sport’s growth.
The local First Tee chapter is jointly operated by the MGA Foundation, Met PGA and First Tee of Connecticut. Aspiring young golfers in the Park City are fortunate that they have the D. Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course to learn their craft. The course, located on Park Avenue at the Bridgeport/Fairfield border, was in woeful disrepair some years ago, but has sprung back to life in recent years after the city’s Parks Department took over its operations.
And it was at Fairchild Wheeler where Henry used his clout as both one of the top professional golfers in the world and as a local celebrity, to help put some much-needed money in the organization’s coffers.
The event  was billed as “Breakfast with JJ,” and celebrated Fairchild Wheeler’s 75th year in operation, and included breakfast Henry, followed by an instructional clinic for the young Bridgeport golfers who participated in the local First Tee program. And although tables for 10 at the breakfast went for $1,000 a pop and assuredly raised a great deal of money for the youth golf program, receiving pointers from J.J. Henry was something these youngsters will most likely remember for the rest of their lives.
And although he is now living near Fort Worth, Texas, in the shadow of his alma mater Texas Christian University, it’s evident that he is still very much the kid who grew up on Fairfield Beach Road and cut his golfing chops at The Patterson Club.
And he is having a banner year in 2009. To date he has played in 19 events and earned $835,147. Henry’s best finish this year was a second place finish at the Mayakoba Classic at Riviera Maya in Mexico. He is rapidly closing in on the $10 million earnings mark for his pro career.