Henley Articles

A Call to Action: Golfers, Celebrities to Come Together for Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Sep 08, 2025

“The tournament] is an incredible opportunity to give back, to focus on others and to love others.”

—Russell Henley

Russell Henley is coming off what could constitute as a successful 2025 on the PGA TOUR, continuing to prove that he’s among the “best of the best” on the planet — finishing second at the TOUR Championship for the FedEx Cup and moving up 11 spots from 2024 to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking.

While Henley’s professional career is certainly thriving, another achievement that has been just as satisfying is the success of the annual Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic charity tournament — which is also reaching new heights this year.

Henley and former Major League Baseball pitcher Kevin Brown have served as hosts annually; Brown first got involved in 1992 and Henley in 2015. (This year Henley will unfortunately miss the event, and for good reason: he earned a coveted spot on the prestigious USA Ryder Cup squad.)

Sponsored by Synovus, the 2025 event is on track to surpass last year’s record of raising $1.25 million to support three key Macon-area charities: the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, Macon Volunteer Clinic and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes — all of which are extremely important to Henley.

“[The tournament] is an incredible opportunity to give back, to focus on others and to love others,” says Henley. “It’s the mission of what everybody is trying to do; it's why we’re here.”

This year the golf event will take place September 15-16 across four golf courses in the Macon area — Idle Hour Golf & Country Club, River North Golf Course, Brickyard Golf Club and River Forest Golf Club. The format is a four-person scramble, with a clay shoot at the nearby Meadows Gun Club.

This year's celebrity participants include former NFL quarterback Jake Fromm, Olympic gold-medal swimmer Steve Lundquist, Commodores founder and guitarist Thomas McClary, and Michael Mays (Willie Mays Foundation), among others.

Yet the tournament's real star is the annual "Call to Action" on opening night, which features a speaker who’s gone through the 12-month residential Life-Recovery Program at the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia — the main benefactor of the event.

“We’re going to continue to raise money to support people who need help, and we are just excited to be able to do that again and again,” says Russell Henley of his involvement in the charity event.

The Rescue Mission helps men and women who are struggling with addiction, domestic violence, homelessness and other major challenges through counseling and classes. The faith-based mission serves up to 180 men and 75 women and children at a time, helping the adults rebuild relationships, find housing, land a job — and get back on their feet.

The “Call to Action” on auction night is relatable, powerful — and impossible to ignore. “There was a well-known CEO who got up to speak at a past event,” says tournament founder, organizer and former pro-tennis player Jamie Kaplan. “Everyone thought he was going to speak generally about the virtues of the Rescue Mission. But it was much more than that. As he got into his story, we all soon realized that he directly benefitted from the Rescue Mission as a child. His mother, who was caring for him and his brother, fell on hard times. The kindness, counseling and hope his family received at the Rescue Mission changed his life.”

The “Call to Action” will raise almost half a million dollars for the Rescue Mission through funds raised, and a match by Five Star Automotive. This financial support is a vital lifeline for the organization year-to-year.

“We’re going to continue to raise money to support people in need, and we are certainly proud of the positive impact we’ve been able to make through this event,” says Henley.

The tournament originally started as a three-day, pro-celebrity tennis match created in 1989 by Kaplan — then called the Five Star Celebrity Classic. When golf was added in 1992, Brown, who's a Macon native, started playing in the tournament. He soon lent his name to the event. Then, in 2015, Henley joined, and a third golf course was added to accommodate the event’s continued growth.

In 36 years, the event has netted more than $12.6 million for charities in middle Georgia.

Recent

Teil Henley: The Art of Balancing Sacrifice — and Success
October is National Women’s Small Business Month — a time for recognizing the ingenuity and resilience of women entrepreneurs across the country.
Inspiring Art Fans Through a Hands-On Approach
It's a beautiful afternoon in Columbus, Georgia — when the light is exactly right and everything has a golden tint.
A Breakthrough Year for Henley's Annual Charity Golf Tournament
This year’s event raised more than $1.3 million for Macon, Georgia charities — a record.
Henley Earns Place on USA Ryder Cup Squad
For the last few years, Synovus brand ambassador Russell Henley has been knocking on doors to enter the proverbial chambers that house golf’s top players.

Teil Henley: The Art of Balancing Sacrifice — and Success
October is National Women’s Small Business Month — a time for recognizing the ingenuity and resilience of women entrepreneurs across the country.
Inspiring Art Fans Through a Hands-On Approach
It's a beautiful afternoon in Columbus, Georgia — when the light is exactly right and everything has a golden tint.

Important disclosure information

This content is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.