Despite being a top-five player in the world, Russell Henry is as unassuming as they come. Most sports fans wouldn’t recognize him if he walked into the same restaurant as them, and he probably would pass through the airport without a second thought. This despite being at the peak of his craft in a sport that is only growing in popularity.
Henry’s personality may not be flashy or showy, but his game is. To reach the highest level of his career, the 37-year-old has resisted the temptation to chase distance and stuck to what he knows best: precision, precision and a tireless work ethic. There’s something admirable about sticking to your beliefs and being proven right.
“I think there’s a temptation (to chase distance),” Henry told CBS Sports. “Let’s say I’m trying to get more distance and I gain 8 yards. I think that’s important in terms of stroke gain, but I don’t know exactly if that’s true. Let’s say I gain 8 yards, but I miss the fairway by another 1.5 yards. Did I really get anything out of it? And that’s my fight.”
“And I’m starting to try and lift weights and work out a little bit and put on a little bit of weight, but the problem is, it’s three weeks into the season. It’s hard to consistently lift heavy weights and gain muscle, so it’s hard to eat a lot. I feel like I’m eating a normal amount, but I mean, when it’s like 95 degrees and you’re sweating and it’s hard not to lose weight, you think you should be eating enough, really, you know?” So, that’s where I’m at with it.
“I definitely think at this age you need to do something to counter the situations where the game is going to go. But I still don’t know how to do that when I swing up. I don’t feel like it promotes my best face control. So I think the first thing I need to do is get a higher launch. But I like to see the flat. I like to see the ball flat.”
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Henry didn’t need more pop on his bat last Sunday at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he won his sixth career PGA Tour title. The Georgia Bulldog continued to roar, making three straight birdies from outside the regulation 15 feet to cross the finish line, then making the deciding birdie on the first hole of the playoff against Eric Cole.
Known for being stoic and rather emotionless on the golf course, Henry instead unleashed everything within him at Colonial Country Club. He gave a fist pump, shouted to the heavens, and puffed his chest out.
As for why he was so fired up, Henry reflected on Sunday’s lack of success as a team in the Masters and the Ryder Cup, when he was competing for the green jacket.
Henry found himself in the unlucky position of being tied with Shane Lowry for the 2025 Ryder Cup on Sunday, the crucial half-point the Europeans needed to retain the cup. Henry made putts from within 10 feet on both the 17th and 18th holes, winning even though they fell short of the holes.
The putter continued to be a problem for him at Augusta National this spring. With big names like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young and Justin Rose on the leaderboard, Henry meandered his way into contention. A series of quality golf shots followed, but once again his putter left a stroke on the table, and by the time his final putt fell, he was two short of McIlroy’s winning score.
“I felt like I was in a really good position (in the final round of the Masters),” Henry said. “I feel like God gave me peace that Sunday. Whether it worked or not, I was very happy. But, you know, I was also frustrated that I didn’t make some putts. I mean. , the 17th putt was a little tricky, but just the fact that I gave myself a lot of putts and some of them were 20 feet, obviously the 11th putt and the 16th putt could have gone in if I hit it a little harder.
“So when I look back at that tournament, I’m a little frustrated that I didn’t make more shots because I felt like I was in the right mindset. And then not being able to finish that match against Shane Lowry in the Ryder Cup, I mean, that match hurt so much. And I think some of that emotion came out on Sunday when I made that putt.”
“And I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it again, or that I could. And I’d made clutch putts before and just not been able to execute the putts that I was competing with, which was a little frustrating. And, you know, it meant a lot to me to be able to hole in when I needed to.”
What may have been a low back then is now helping to fuel Henry’s new highs. It was the first time since his rookie and sophomore seasons that the American had consecutive winning seasons. Despite ceding distance and height to his colleagues, he is back in the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings.
In a game that is fast, long, and often ego-driven, Henry continues to work at his own pace, unbothered, unpretentious, relentlessly improving his craft and standing out in his own unique way.
