ORLANDO — There Russell Henley was, sitting on a podium with the red cardigan that goes to the winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational over his polo, and he was alerted to the fact that when the Official World Golf Ranking is updated on Monday, he’ll be No. 7 in the world.
So, it was asked of the man who had not won in close to 900 days, does he feel like a top-10 player in the world?
“I definitely don’t feel like it. I mean, I guess the rankings would tell you that, but I have so much respect for so many players out here who are all so talented, and so it’s hard for me to kind of comprehend that,” Henley said.
It’s an unassuming answer from an unassuming man — Henley, a 35-year-old Georgia native, could not carry himself with less ego around a golf course. But it’s also the reality of the world Henley inhabits after winning his first tournament since the November 2022 World Wide Technology Championship.
Beyond the world ranking, he’s coming off a 2024 Presidents Cup appearance and, with this win, becomes a likely selection for captain Keegan Bradley at the Ryder Cup this fall. If he’s not an automatic pick by being top six in the rankings.
It’s now all happening for a man who won his first PGA Tour event — the 2013 Sony Open — but then went through prolonged droughts without a trip to the winner’s circle.
“I’ve just tried to focus on trying to be really, really good at what I’m good at, try to put myself in the best situation and try to knock on the door as much as I can and get as close to the lead as I can. And kind of have the intent to play to win and put myself in that position, but I haven’t really put a lot of pressure on myself to win, just because I know it’s just so hard,” Henley said.
Henley finally broke through in fairly dramatic fashion. He went to the par-3 14th down three strokes to Collin Morikawa, the window of opportunity threatening to shut. Only Henley hit a dramatic 5-iron shot to 10 feet, then made his birdie putt — as Morikawa bogeyed. A two-stroke swing.
“I had to hit a cut shot because the wind was off the right, and I couldn’t hit a straight to a draw. It would bounce out and just wasn’t the right club. That’s what these tough courses do. They force you to hit shots that maybe you don’t practice a lot,” Henley said.
Then came the par-5 16th, which required a tee ball into the fairway to have any chance of reaching the green in two. Henley pulled it off, while Morikawa found a fairway bunker and needed to lay up. Again, an opportunity found Henley, who had 54 feet from just off the green for eagle. His chip came in fast on Bay Hill’s glassy greens, only to hit the flag stick and fall in.
A new ballgame. Henley in the lead, with Morikawa now needing a birdie on one of Bay Hill’s final two holes — which had given up a combined 10 all day. Morikawa, a top-five player in the world himself, went par-par, and that was it.
“I was very nervous. That was as nervous as I can remember ever being,” Henley said.
There’s a way that Henley talks about the other best players in the world, your Scottie Schefflers and Xander Schauffeles and Morikawas. Like he’s not sure he belongs in the group text.
Maybe that’ll start to change after Sunday.
“These guys who I’ve just literally watched YouTube videos of different parts of their game and watch ’em practice and try to get better and learn from what they’re doing, how they’re handling themselves, because they’re beating me,” Henley said. “To be on their team and them feel like — I really felt like they wanted me to be on the team. It gave me confidence in my game and just to keep doing what I was doing.”
Required reading
(Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
