In the 2025 PGA Tour season, Russell Henley has already made a powerful impression, racking up one victory and positioning himself fourth in the US Ryder Cup rankings. The event, set to occur at Bethpage Black in September, is on the horizon, and Henley is a player to watch.
Henley’s rising star can be traced back to his triumphant performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this month. In a nail-biting finish, he clinched the title by just one shot, outpacing Collin Morikawa. Despite Morikawa’s three-shot lead in the final round at Bay Hill evaporating, Henley has faith in his competitor, forecasting a win for him in the near future.
This year, Henley has made his presence felt in seven PGA Tour events, boasting one win and four finishes in the top 10. His last win at the PGA Tour prior to this was back in 2022, but he was part of the victorious US Team at the 2024 Presidents Cup.
Henley’s collaboration with Scottie Scheffler at the Presidents Cup was a memorable one. On The Smylie Show, Henley recalled how he was approached two weeks before the tournament by Kevin Kisner, asking if he’d be comfortable playing alongside Scheffler. Henley’s response was an unequivocal yes.
In a heartening revelation, Henley spoke about how well he gets along with Scheffler and his team. He praised Scheffler’s personality, and his impressive record of eight wins the previous year made the prospect of teaming up with him even more appealing.
In the run-up to the tournament, Henley shared that he practiced with Scheffler’s golf balls, and the two had the opportunity to play against other pairs during practice rounds. Henley’s chemistry with Scheffler was evident, and it was a pairing that he thoroughly enjoyed.
At the Presidents Cup, the US Team, to no one’s surprise, continued their reign, defeating the International Team for the tenth consecutive time. Despite playing on their home turf in Montreal, the hosts succumbed to a 18½ – 11½ defeat. Both Henley and Scheffler contributed three points each to the US Team’s score.
Throughout the week, the pair teamed up three times, clinching victories in their Thursday fourball and Saturday foursome, though they faced a setback in their Friday foursome. Henley credits their success to a perfect combination of Scheffler’s long iron game on the par threes and his own accuracy in hitting balls in the fairway.
The Scheffler-Henley duo was instrumental in the US Team’s dominant performance on the opening day, securing a 3 & 2 win over Im Sung-jae and Tom Kim. The pair faced a minor setback on Friday against Kim Si-woo and An Byeong-hun but bounced back on Saturday, defeating Im and Hideki Matsuyama. While Scheffler lost his Sunday singles clash with Matsuyama, Henley triumphed against Im, contributing to the visitor’s victory.
Henley had nothing but praise for Scheffler’s consistent and confident demeanor throughout the tournament. He likened Scheffler’s steady pace and unchanging approach to the game to the habits of golfing legends like Jack Nicklaus. He also noted the fierce competitiveness that pervaded the team, especially during practice rounds.
In conclusion, Russell Henley’s performance so far in the 2025 PGA Tour season and his successful partnership with Scottie Scheffler at the Presidents Cup are indicative of his rising stature in the world of golf.
