Hensby attempts to get back on track

2008-04-26

Share this article:  Digg |  StumbleUpon |  del.icio.us |  Reddit

By Andrew Both PA SportsTicker Golf Writer

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) -- Mark Hensby never had a coach untilrecently, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

And so Hensby, mired in a slump, decided to seek out instructorMike Bender, whose most famous client is 2007 Masters championZach Johnson.

"I always liked the way Zach swung the club, and I''d seen(Bender) work with Zach at times and liked his theories," Hensbysaid Friday at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. "He put meon a bit of a straight and narrow and told me what he thought.I made the cut in New Orleans the following week, the first cutI''d made all year."

Hensby was speaking after a second-round 67 left him one strokebehind halfway leader Adam Scott at the Four Seasons TPC.

Four years ago, Hensby - an Australian who lives in Mesa,Arizona - had a career year, securing his first PGA Tour victoryand finishing 15th on the money list.

"I played well (in 2004), but I never really had an idea of whatI was doing," he said. "I was hitting it on the fairway and onthe green and making putts."

It''s been slim pickings since as he has struggled with hisswing, an injury and a loss of confidence, all of which probablyare related.

"It''s a tough game when you have confidence, but when you loseit, it''s pretty tough," he said. "We can''t all be superstars.You''ve just got to do as best you can each week, and when youget a chance, hopefully capitalize on it."

Hensby recovered from two early bogeys Friday, picking up threebirdies on his inward half to vault onto the leaderboard.

Whether he remains there over the weekend remains to be seen,but with a swing that he at least is starting to understand, hiscareer seems to be on the rise again.

"I think it''s hard if you don''t have a teacher, and I neverreally had one," Hensby said. "I think you need a little bit ofan understanding of what you''re doing."