Russell Henley

Russell Henley

Russell Henley: A Brief Biography

Russell Henley
Russell Henley

Russell Henley's Early Life and Background

PGA golfer Russell Henley was born on April 12, 1989, in Macon, Georgia. He attended the Stratford Academy, a private school. Unfortunately, not much information is available about his early life or background.


Russell Henley's Amateur Golf Career

Henley spent four years at the University of Georgia as a golfer. Participating in the U.S. Open, he tied for the low amateur title with Scott Langley after winning the 2010 Haskins Award. The Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational and the Stadion Athens Classic at UGA were two more Nationwide Tour events that he participated in in 2010.


Henley was only the second amateur winner on the Nationwide Tour in 2011, having previously won the Stadion Classic at UGA in 2007 with Daniel Summerhays. That year, Henley competed for the United States in the Palmer Cup and Walker Cup.


Russell Henley's Professional Career

In September 2011, Henley made his professional debut in the Soboba Golf Classic on the Nationwide Tour. After a year, he triumphed over Morgan Hoffmann and Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the Chiquita Classic. He captured his second championship of the year at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open in October of 2012.


In January 2013, Henley broke a record in the Sony Open in Hawaii, becoming the first rookie on the PGA Tour to win in his debut in twelve years. He broke the Sony Open scoring record by four strokes with a final score of 256 (–24). It was two strokes behind Tommy Armour III's record from the 2003 Valero Texas Open, which was the second-lowest score for a 72-hole event in PGA Tour history. Henley received an invitation to the PGA Championship and the Masters as a result of his victory.


In March 2014, Henley won his second championship on the PGA Tour at the Honda Classic in Florida. Henley made it into a four-man playoff alongside Russell Knox, Rory McIlroy, and Ryan Palmer on Sunday under challenging conditions. He shot a two-over-par 72.


Among the four players who found the green in two at the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, Henley was the only one. Palmer, Knox, and McIlroy were unable to reach the hole in two, thus Henley had to make a three-foot putt to win. This victory put him in the world's top 50 and earned him a spot in the subsequent Masters.


Henley defeated runner-up Kang by three strokes to win his third tour tournament in April 2017 at the Shell Houston Open in Texas. With the victory, he qualified for both the August PGA Championship and the final berth in the Masters the following week.


Henley shared the lead after the first, second, and third rounds of the 2021 US Open. But he struggled in the last round, finishing in a tie for 13th place with a 5-over par 76.


Henley earned his first PGA Tour victory in five years at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship in Mayakoba. After shooting a record-tying 23-under par, he defeated Brian Harman by four strokes. After a final round score of 70, Henley tied for fourth place in the 2023 Masters Tournament, which was his greatest major finish to date.


Russell Henley's Playing Style

Henley's playing style is all about accuracy, putting skill and mental endurance under stress. It's because of these qualities that Henley has managed to be consistent on the tour and compete at the highest level of tournaments; he is also currently world no. 28, as per the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).


Russell Henley's Caddie

Henley’s current caddie is Andrew Sanders. He has previously caddied for Jimmy Walker and Jason Schultz. In fact, he claimed that winning the Frys.com in 2013 alongside Jimmy Walker was his fondest experience of caddying. Sanders stated that "it was the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination."


Sanders appears to have been quite the player himself. Sanders eventually earned a spot to compete at the 2000 U.S. Open as a 20-year-old after playing golf for college at the University of Houston. Sanders missed the cut with rounds of 77–78, while Tiger Woods, of course, memorably wiped out the field at that event.


Todd Gjesvold used to be Henley's caddie before Sanders. He attended Oregon State University between 1986 and 1988. According to his LinkedIn page, he also works as a caddie for the Pebble Beach Company, implying that he is quite familiar with the famous California golf course. Gjesvold was on the bag for one of Henley's three PGA Tour victories, including the 2017 Shell Houston Open.


Regarding other past caddies, Henley also employed Adam Hayes, who caddies for Jon Rahm at the moment. Hayes attended the University of Central Florida and Brevard Community College. He is regarded as one of the PGA Tour's most reputable caddies. His caddying career started on the LPGA Tour in 2000, and he moved to the PGA Tour four years later.


Russell Henley's Golf Journey

Russell Henley, hailing from Macon, Georgia, began his golf journey at the University of Georgia. As an amateur, he clinched a few victories, including the Haskins Award and a tie for the low amateur title at the U.S. Open.


After turning professional in September 2011, Henley played on the Nationwide Tour and had victories there too. Notably, he set a rookie record on the PGA Tour in January 2013 when he won the Sony Open in Hawaii. He won at the Shell Houston Open in 2017 and the Honda Classic in 2014.


It was Henley's first PGA Tour victory in five years when he won the World Wide Technology Championship in Mayakoba in 2022. Henley, renowned for his accuracy and mental toughness, is ranked 28th in the world right now.


Russell Henley's Achievements

Since joining the tour in 2013, Russell Henley has participated in 274 tournaments and made the cut in 193 of them. He has won 4 PGA Tour events. Moreover, in four events, he came in second, and in four more, third. In addition, he has placed in the top 10 in 42 events and the top 5 in 21 events.


Russell Henley's Majors

Sl. No.TournamentsYears
1.Master TournamentT4 (2023)
2.PGA ChampionshipT12 (2015)
3.U.S. OpenT13 (2021)
4.The Open ChampionshipT20 (2015)


Russell Henley's Awards and Honors


Awards Years
Haskins Award2010


Russell Henley's Net Worth

Russell Henley's net worth is estimated to be $15 million as of February 2024. His wealth results from prize money won through golf tournaments and a myriad of endorsements. According to Spotrac, his total career earnings are $28.6 million, including his 2023 $7.1 million earnings. His most recent 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii's T4 finish earned him $373,500.


His yearly salaries are:


  • 2013: $2,008,026 (additional - $62,500) - total earnings $2,070,526

  • 2014: $2,590,493 (additional - $80,000) - total earnings $2,670,493

  • 2015: $2,110,774 (additional - $75,000) - total earnings $2,185,774

  • 2016: $1,228,347 - total earnings $1,228,347

  • 2017: $3,413,876 - total earnings $3,413,876

  • 2018: $1,516,438 (additional - $83,750) - total earnings $1,600,188

  • 2019: $1,133,773 - total earnings $1,133,773

  • 2020: $1,195,378 (additional - $155,000) - total earnings $1,350,378

  • 2021: $2,545,330 - total earnings $2,545,330

  • 2022: $2,837,505 - total earnings $2,837,505

  • 2023: $6,332,282 (additional - $780,000) - total earnings $7,112,282

  • 2024: $466,250 - total earnings $466,250

Russell Henley's Ventures

Reportedly, Henley has endorsement agreements with NetJets, Syngas and Titleist. He also had a deal with Nike in the past. But there is no information available about his earnings from them.


Russell Henley's Assets

Henley resides in Columbus, Georgia, with his family, which is the only property known about; however, its value or information regarding any other asset is not yet publicly known.


Russell Henley's Family

Henley is the only child of his parents, Chapin and Sally Henley, but no further information is available about them besides their names.


Russell Henley's Wife

Henley and Teil Duncan got married in October 2015 in South Carolina. They reportedly met at Teil's sister's wedding to one of Henley's teenage pals. They began dating as time went on, and in 2014 they got engaged on the Pitt Street Bridge in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. They are parents to Robert Russell (2018), Ruth Teil (2019), and Jane Edith (2022).


Born in Columbus, Georgia in 1988, Duncan attended Auburn University in Alabama. She earned a bachelor's degree in art after graduating. She has her own website and is currently employed full-time as a painter in South Carolina. Her net worth is estimated to be $2 million as of February 2024.


She has also written a book titled "Color Teil: Life, Work and Inspiration." Although Golf Monthly believes she has only attended one of her husband Russell's four PGA Tour victories—the 2017 Shell Houston Open—she is frequently spotted on the circuit supporting him.


Russell Henley's Cars

There is no information available regarding any of the cars owned by Russell Henley.


FAQ's On Russell Henley

A. Russell Henley tied for the low amateur title in the U.S. Open and won the 2010 Haskins Award.

A. Russell Henley turned professional in September 2011.

A. Russell Henley triumphed in two Web.com events: the Chiquita Classic in 2012 and the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open in 2012 as a professional.

A. Russell Henley became the first rookie on the PGA Tour to win in his debut in twelve years, breaking the scoring record by four strokes in January 2013.

A. Russell Henley won the Honda Classic in Florida in March 2014 and the Shell Houston Open in Texas in April 2017.

A. Russell Henley has achieved top-ten finishes in 42 PGA Tour events.

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