Former AJGA player Russell
Henley won his first PGA TOUR start as a member at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He began the final round tied for the lead with fellow rookie and AJGA alum Scott Langley, and claimed the title
with a 7-under-par 63. The win guarantees him a spot at the 2013 Masters.
With a tournament total of 24-under-par 256, Henley broke the Sony Open in Hawaii scoring record set by Brad Faxon in 2001 by four shots. It was also the second-lowest score for a 72-hole tournament in PGA TOUR history, two shots behinds Tommy Armour III at the Texas Open in 2003.
Henley becomes the
first PGA TOUR rookie to win his debut since Garrett Willis at the Touchstone Energy Tucson Open in 2001.
In 2011, Henley won the Stadion Classic as an amateur,
becoming only the second amateur to win on the Web.com Tour following Daniel
Summerhays who won at the 2007 Nationwide Childrens Hospital Invitational.
He won the Chiquita Classic in September 2012, defeating Patrick Cantlay and Morgan
Hoffman in a playoff.
During his junior career, Henley
competed in four AJGA events, including the 2006 FJ Invitational. His AJGA
career was highlighted by a T4 finish at the 2006 Golf Pride Junior Classic. He
won two Georgia Amateur titles (2008 and 2009), finished fourth at the 2010
Porter Cup and posted a seventh-place finish at the 2010 Southern Amateur.
Henley found success at the University of Georgia, where he matched the
school record for college wins (seven) and received the 2010 Haskins Awards
during his junior season.