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For two days, the 2017 Masters field dipped to 93. Tiger Woods withdrew on Friday, but there was still one spot up for grabs should somebody who was not already qualified win the Shell Houston Open on Sunday. That somebody turned out to be Russell Henley, who never shot a score in the 70s all week and closed with a 7-under 65.

Henley finished at 20 under on the week and defeated Sung Kang by three strokes after trailing him by four to start the final round.

“Last year was a little bit of a struggle for me,” Henley said. “I think I missed nine of the first 10 cuts. And as a competitor and a golfer, I feel like, you know, you’re always going to be harder on yourself than everybody else is, and ... I just didn’t know what happened. And so a year later I’m holding up the trophy here, it’s pretty special.”

Henley made 10 (!) birdies on Sunday and finished first in the field for the week in putting. He even had a chance at the final hole to set the all-time PGA Tour record for feet of putts made in a single event, per the broadcast.

He gained two or more strokes per round on the field with his flat stick in all four rounds.

“Russell just played it like great,” runner-up Kang said. “He putted really well, made almost everything. He’s been putting really well since last time, yesterday and last few days, and then I haven’t been putting really well, not like the first two rounds. That was the big key, I think, the putting.”

It was. Kang led at the halfway point of the tournament after opening with a 65-63, but Henley’s 69-65 on the weekend was too much.

For Henley, this is his third PGA Tour win and means he will play in his fourth Masters after missing the 2016 edition. 

“It will be my fourth Masters,” Henley said. “If I was in college and I was a senior in college and you said, ‘Hey, Russ, if you could say the next five years you’re going the play golf on the PGA Tour and play in four Masters, would you take that -- and you win three times, would you take that in?’ I would say, ‘Sign me up.’ I’m very thankful. It’s very tough to get in the Masters and it’s exciting.”

It is a welcome reward for the Georgia native. And now, after 12 months of waiting, the best week of the golf season is upon us. Grade: A+

Rickie Fowler (T3): Fowler had an up-and-down week. The up was really up. He shot 64-67 on Thursday and Saturday, but then he shot 71-70 on Friday and Sunday. He finished T3 behind Henley and Kang, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Only two golfers in the last 60 years have won the week before the Masters and gone on to win it. Fowler’s pal Justin Thomas noted recently how much winning takes out of you and how hard it is to recover.

Now Fowler is primed for Augusta National and hungry to follow up a strong showing in Houston. The good news for him is that he’s taking a hell of a ball-striking performance with him. Fowler finished No. 1 in the field in strokes gained tee to green and No. 19 in putting. The former wins golf tournaments, but he’ll have to improve the latter to win Augusta. Grade: A

Phil Mickelson (T55): Lefty couldn’t crack 70 on the week, but by the end of Saturday, his mind was elsewhere.

Also, he had a tasty shot from the cart path which is not very useful at Augusta National but fun nonetheless. Grade: C-

Jordan Spieth (MC): Spieth missed the cut after a poor 77 (what other kind is there?) on Friday. He was not too concerned about the outcome, and he shouldn’t be. Last time he missed the cut here (2014), Spieth went on to finish T2 at the Masters the following week. 

“Few years ago we missed the cut here and we had a chance to win on Sunday, so I’m not considering myself out of next week,” Spieth said. “I think we know and the other players that are playing next week know that we strike fear in others next week.”

Strong words from someone who still has yet to finish outside the top two at the Masters. Grade: F