Henley: With 2026 Season, Goal is to Keep Momentum Going

By Ken Klavon, Synovus

Russell Henley felt the figurative vise tightening as the 2019 PGA TOUR season wound down. The pressure was as heavy as the Monterey Peninsula coastal fog at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The Synovus brand ambassador’s dreams, goals and profession were veering toward an uncomfortable dark off-ramp instead of staying on a flashing path toward securing his card for the following season. Henley sensed he needed to take action, and quick.   

“I was like 165th in the FedEx Cup with only a [few] tournaments to play and I knew I had to have a very good finish,” says Henley recently. “I didn't know exactly what it was, but just a top 10 was really not going to do it for me to keep my PGA TOUR card.”

Securing a tour card simply means a player has earned the right to compete in official PGA TOUR events – featuring the top competition and access to significant award purses, among the perks – primarily by finishing in the top 125 in the FedEx standings (since changed in 2026 to the top 100). There are exemptions to consider, too. Tournament and major victories, for instance, lead to multi-year status. Hall of Famers also gain exemptions. In other words, some players don’t have to earn their cards annually due to past achievements.

At the time, Henley confided in wife and fellow Synovus brand ambassador, Teil Henley. She sensed tenseness.

“At that point, he was early in his career, really trying to become established and we all know how tough it is to make it as a professional golfer,” says Teil Henley. “I don't think the average fan understands how tough it is; how it's razor thin; how good these golfers are; and to stay within that profession. I gave him a pep talk, some of it as constructive criticism, which he takes really well, and told him to lean into our faith and trust his ability.”

With four tournaments to play, Henley turned in a runner-up finish at the John Deere Classic and followed that with a T15, T31 and T59 in the last three events. It catapulted him to No. 87 in the FedEx standings – and what amounted to a golden ticket (his card) for the next season.

As Henley embarks on 2026, he has never forgotten how his life could have changed if not for the late rally. It also represented a turning point.

“I will always look back at that as a confidence booster because when my game wasn't there, when I knew I had to have it to keep my job, I was able to dig deep and I found a way to finish second and almost win the [John Deere]. That locked up my PGA TOUR card for that year, and I feel like since then I've gotten a little bit better every year.”

He’s not kidding.

Since turning professional in 2011, he has improved markedly. Case in point: he stood 428th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at the end of 2011. When the 2025 season concluded, he ranked as the third best player on the globe. He currently is fourth (as of January 28) with the new season underway.

It’s more than a ranking, though. While food connoisseurs may only focus on the appetizing dish in front of them, there’s so much a chef must do behind the scenes to create the savory meal. That metaphor applies to golf. Television viewers and on-site gallery, in most cases, are exposed to the polished player, who can make golf look effortless. What they don’t see is all the sweat and arduous work to be one of the world’s best.

During his prime on the PGA TOUR Vijay Singh was known for his endless practice hours. As he prepared for the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., he once said he practiced so much to “develop work ethic and discipline, leaving no excuses” on the course.  

A similar commitment pervades Henley’s motivation. Last year, en route to winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his fifth career victory, Henley posted the most top 10 finishes he’s had in a season.

Crunching the numbers, 2024 may have been his best statistical year. He finished first on the PGA TOUR in putts per round, bogey avoidance and led much of the season in par breakers (high percentage of birdies/eagles). He’s always been an elite ball-striker with the type of game predicated on pinpoint accuracy and precision.

“I would just attribute the consistent play to the consistent work ethic,” Henley says. “I feel like I'm putting a good, consistent amount of work to every part of my game the last six years – with the main emphasis being that I want to play in the biggest tournaments against the best players as much as I possibly can; I want to see what I'm made of.”

Henley also cited certain unsung heroes as crucial to his performance. Caddie Andy Sanders, coach Phil Kenyon and physical therapist Joel Stenslie have been pivotal. Since 2022, Sanders has been on Henley’s bag. The two have developed a comfortable rapport borne in mutual trust, critical to any successful player-caddie combination.

It helped that Sanders knows the game from looper and player perspectives. A two-time All-American and individual conference champion as a player at the University of Houston, Sanders qualified for the 2000 U.S. Open but soon retired from competition after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He remained connected by shifting to caddying.

Last year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Sanders provided Henley with a perfect read on No. 16 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, leading to a clutch eagle that pretty much sealed the win.

Kenyon, who also works with Scottie Scheffler and, at one point, had seven players in the top 40 under his tutelage, has been a consequential presence since 2023. Henley says Kenyon’s feedback has allowed him to think less and just perform. Kenyon attributed some of that to working with him on clubface control. When they joined forces, Henley stood 30th in the OWGR before gradually moving up.

“I've improved my putting stats a ton, and I just feel like my overall plan has been really good,” says Henley. “Joel Stenslie has worked with me since I had back trouble when I moved to Columbus [Georgia] to now feeling really healthy the last six years, and I think it's a combination of a lot of people in my life and their support that has allowed me to get a little bit better every year. I've just gained a lot of confidence.”

What’s in store for 2026?

The goals remain the same as they were three years ago when he said he wanted to be in a position to win the TOUR championship, add a major to his victory list and make a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup team. He made both squads the past two years.

“So I'm still striving after the same things,” he says, “and I'm still excited to do it.”

It just so happens that Henley’s 37th birthday will fall on the final day of this year's Masters. A victory would be the perfect gift. It’s also a marker that reminds Henley that he’s in his peak playing years. Not that he has eyes on retiring any time soon. He’s encouraged by the upward arc of his career, circling back to the 2019 adversity with his card.

“I'm definitely not recovering like I used to when I was 23, but I'm still not 46,” Henley says. “I'm still feeling pretty good. With the help of my physical therapy and the more work I put into my recovery while trying to be healthy, I see and feel the benefits. The big one for me going forward is to remain consistent but also be willing to make sacrifices to stay in good shape. If I do that, it gives me a better change to continue competing at the highest of levels.”