Russell Henley faced a shot he rarely practices and another where he didn’t expect the ball to stay on the green. But both shots turned out nearly perfect on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational — one for birdie, the other for eagle — key moments in a rally that would have made Arnold Palmer proud. Henley shot a 33 on the back nine, the best of anyone in contention, finishing with a 2-under 70 that earned him a one-shot victory over Collin Morikawa.
“It’s still surreal wearing this thing up here,” Henley said, referring to the red cardigan awarded to the winner at Bay Hill. “It’s crazy that it happened like that.”
The win came suddenly.
Collin Morikawa had never trailed in the final round and extended his lead to three shots with five holes remaining, a tough margin on a challenging course with thick rough and greens that appeared yellow.
Henley hit a 5-iron to 10 feet on the par-3 14th hole, recording one of just two birdies in the final round, while Morikawa missed the green and made bogey.
“That was a cut 5-iron. I can’t remember the last time… I don’t practice that shot much,” Henley said. “I’m not usually trying to hit a high, soft cut with a 5-iron. I typically go for a straight shot or a slight draw. So when that one came off and landed on the green, I thought, ‘Wow, that felt really good.’”
The deficit was now just one stroke.
Then came the critical par-5 16th hole, where Morikawa chose to lay up from a bunker and then hit a wedge to 18 feet. Henley, meanwhile, was in thick rough behind the green, facing a chip from over 50 feet away, downhill to a front pin on a green that looked almost bare, with barely any grass.
His caddie, Andy Sanders, thought the chip might roll 6 feet past the hole, but Henley had a different outlook.
“I don’t know that you can stop it,” he said.
No need to worry. The ball struck the pin and dropped for eagle, putting Henley in the lead for the first time all day, as Morikawa missed his birdie putt.
Henley finished strong with two pars, and Morikawa, who shot a 72 in the final round, couldn’t catch him.
“I was just so nervous. I can’t breathe right now,” Henley said to NBC off the 18th green. “It’s so hard and difficult around this place. I just tried to stay really tough this week.”
He made things difficult for himself at times, especially when he bogeyed both par 5s on the front nine.
“I didn’t really feel like I had a great chance at that point, and Collin was just playing so steady, like he always does,” Henley said. “So just to hang in there enough to give myself some looks is what I’ll take from this day.”
Henley started the back nine with a bogey from the fairway, falling three shots behind, but he made a strong comeback, highlighted by his chip-in for eagle, which he considered a lucky break. Breaks like that are often what decide tournaments.
“This game is just so hard,” Henley added.
For Morikawa, it was another near miss. The two-time major champion has his game back on track, but now he’s missing only a trophy he hasn’t won in 17 months.
Morikawa began the round by holing a bunker shot for birdie on the first hole. He held the lead all day and seemed in control throughout the round, which unfolded on a brutal course with fast, firm conditions.
Then, suddenly, Henley found himself in the lead.
“Hats off to Collin. He played super steady,” Henley said. “Sometimes golf is just mean like that.”
Corey Conners opened with 15 straight pars, made one birdie in his round of 71, and finished two shots behind. The silver lining for the Canadian was securing the one spot available for this week’s British Open at Royal Portrush.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley set a tournament record with a 29 on the front nine but stalled, finishing with a tournament-low 64 to tie for fifth.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler couldn’t make enough putts or birdies throughout the week. He closed with a 70 and tied for 11th. Scheffler now heads to TPC Sawgrass, two hours up the road, as the two-time defending champion at The Players Championship.
Henley finished at 11-under 277, earning $4 million from the $20 million purse. This was his fifth career PGA Tour win, though his first against a field this strong. He proved more than capable of handling the pressure, as his game has become consistently solid over the last three years.
The victory pushes Henley to No. 7 in the world, and the 35-year-old from Georgia certainly looks like a top-10 player. However, he doesn’t see himself that way.
“I guess the rankings would tell you that,” Henley said. “But I have so much respect for so many players out here, all of whom are so talented, so it’s hard for me to fully comprehend that.”
There was a lot for Henley to process on Sunday afternoon, beginning with the silver trophy by his side and the effort it took to earn it.