AJGA Honors Synovus Brand Ambassador Henley

By Tyler Fitzgerald, Synovus

The Russell Henley Junior Championship presented by Synovus commences at Green Island Country Club in Columbus, Georgia, later this month.

In association with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), this four-day inaugural tournament — from August 29 through September 1 — brings 78 of the world’s top junior golfers to compete in the 54-hole stroke play tournament. The AJGA is the nation’s pre-eminent junior tour, with many of the best golfers between 12 and 19 years of age competing in these events. The 36-year-old Henley, a 13-year PGA TOUR veteran, himself was one of them.

“What an incredible honor it is to bring an AJGA tournament to Columbus,” says Henley, who lives locally with his family. “Green Island is the perfect host venue and will present a great test of golf.”

Before he became one of the top golfers on the planet (currently fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking), Henley kick-started his career in AJGA events, competing in four. His best finish occurred at the 2006 Golf Pride Junior Classic, where he tied for fourth. He played in numerous Georgia State Golf Association tournaments and was named the GSGA’s Junior Player of the Year in 2005 and '06.

Up to that point, despite the early golf success, he had caught the basketball bug.

“At the time, I was playing a lot of sports growing up, from hockey to golf and basketball,” Henley said in a 2023 interview. “I was sort of a late bloomer with golf because I really liked playing high school basketball with my friends, and I was really enjoying those tournaments with them and the excitement of the games. I started taking golf a little more seriously around then and was entering tournaments to see if I could compete, and I found I could.”

While attending the Stratford Academy, Henley became a three-time state medalist. He also led the Eagles to state golf titles in 2004 and '05 before being named all-state from 2004-06. The school eventually inducted him into the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame.

Henley credited his AJGA experience with putting him on a path to winning two Georgia Amateur championships, in 2008 and 2009. From there, Henley carried that success to the University of Georgia, becoming one of college’s most decorated golfers. En route to matching the university record for wins, with seven, Henley received the 2010 Haskins Awards during his junior season as the nation’s top collegiate male golfer. In addition, he was a four-time All-American at Georgia.

Fast forward to now, Henley has racked up many professional accolades, including winning this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Last year he was named to the prestigious Presidents Cup United States team, which won, and has compiled five PGA TOUR wins.

Naturally, Henley is excited to host the upcoming AJGA tournament.

“To have my name associated with this junior event is very special to me and I want to thank all of those involved for their hard work in making it happen,” says Henley.

Adds Houston Denney, Senior Regional Director, Southeast: “This event not only honors Russell Henley’s incredible journey from junior golf to the PGA Tour but also provides young athletes with an elite competitive platform to showcase their skills. We’re excited to partner with Synovus, Green Island and the local community to make this tournament a memorable experience for all participants.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit Truth Springs, a Columbus-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational and community resources to underserved areas, and the AJGA Foundation. The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 10,000 members from 50 states and 51 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Liberty National ACE Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

Synovus is proud to sponsor this terrific event to benefit a local organization that gives so much back to the community.

In the end, Henley and the community look forward to seeing many of golf’s potential future stars take the course in Columbus and begin authoring their own story.