Russell Henry defeats Eric Cole in playoff to win Charles Schwab Challenge title Originally published on Sporting News. Click here to add Sporting News as your preferred source.
After starting the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge with a three-stroke lead over 54-hole leader Eric Cole. russell henry He made a late comeback and earned his first win on the PGA Tour of the season in a sudden-death playoff on Sunday night. Henry made a birdie on the final three holes, and after 72 holes, he was tied with Cole and made a birdie on the first hole of the playoff, making a spectacular comeback.
His final round began with an eagle on the first hole and a birdie on the second, but four bogeys on the front nine seemed to put the 37-year-old out of contention for the championship. But the Georgia native wasn’t done yet.
He pulled his third shot to under 5 feet on the par-5 11th and made the birdie putt to get back to even par for the round. There were four pars in holes 12 to 15, but Henry’s putter caught fire in the second half. He sank birdie putts from 15 feet, 15 feet, and 17 feet on the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes, respectively, and arrived at the clubhouse tied for first with a total of 12 under.
3 consecutive birdies to tie for the lead 🔥
Russell Henry is in the clubhouse at 12 under.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/c7FwHGv1Vr
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 31, 2026
Then there was the playoff, a rematch of the 18th hole. Henry’s drive hit the right side of the fairway, and Cole’s tee shot went through the left rough and bounced back into the fairway. Henry then stuffed his approach shot to less than 5 feet.
Henry applies pressure 🔥
He hung on at 4 feet 10 inches for birdie on the first hole of the playoff. pic.twitter.com/6swsQdDo7A
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 31, 2026
Cole’s approach shot ended up 13 feet from the hole, but he missed the birdie putt high, leaving an opening for Henry to capitalize.
This is Henry from Hogan’s house! 🏆
He birdied the last four holes he played today to win the Charles Schwab Challenge. can’t believe it. pic.twitter.com/1tdFeC5Way
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 31, 2026
It was Henry’s first win since the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March, and his sixth on tour. This clutch finish improved his overall PGA Tour Playoffs record to 2 wins and 1 loss.
Ben Griffin (last year’s champion), Alex Smalley and Mac Meisner rounded out the rest of the top five in a three-way tie for third place at 11 under. Other notable names in the field this week at Colonial Country Club include 2025 U.S. Open champion JJ Spaun (T6th), two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas (T13th), 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (T13th) and world No. 15 Ludvig Aberg (T17th).
The PGA Tour will hold its Memorial Tournament from June 4th to June 7th at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. This will be the penultimate signature event of the 2026 season, with world number one Scottie Scheffler aiming for his third consecutive tournament victory.
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- How Aaron Rye won the 2026 PGA Championship
