There are a lot of players on the PGA Tour who have long awaited a return to the winner’s circle, and Russell Henley may be the poster child for said group of players. Arguably one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour throughout the last two seasons, Henley has been knocking on the door for some time now. His approach play has been especially over the years. Despite this, however, it had been nearly three years since his last PGA Tour win before this week.

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge presents one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour every season. Since earning its signature status, the field strength has improved, and the course has stood up to the test every time. This year was no exception. Thursday’s round produced the toughest conditions of the week, with strong winds keeping scoring in check. Henley grinded out an even-par 72 in the tougher first-round wave before carding a 4-under 68 on Friday to keep himself in the hunt. 

With momentum heading into the weekend, Henley took advantage of benign conditions on Saturday, posting 67 and vaulting up the leaderboard to sit within two of leader Collin Morikawa with 18 holes to go. 

The Georgia Bulldog struggled to gain any momentum early on during the final round, managing just two-over-par through 10 holes to fall behind by three. Then, he picked up a birdie at the par-5 12th and another at the par-3 14th that pulled him within one. His winning moment came at the par-5 16th, where he holed a chip from the thick greenside rough for eagle. He was able to protect his one-shot lead to claim his fifth PGA Tour title. The win also takes him to seventh in the official world golf rankings, the highest of his career.

Winner’s Bag - Russell Henley 

Titleist staffer Russell Henley claimed his fifth PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Henley’s bag consists of all Titleist clubs, which helped him become the first American to win a signature event on tour this season. 

All WITB information is courtesy of GolfWRX.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX

Off the tee, Henley plays the new Titleist GT3 driver (10 degrees) with a HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 TX. Of note, the GT3 driver features a more traditional shape that provides more workability than the GT2 model. Henley ranked 21st for the week in strokes gained off the tee. 

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (16.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX

Henley carries one fairway wood, also the Titleist GT3 (16.5 degrees) with a HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX. He’s another example of players opting out of a traditional 15-degree 3-wood and instead utilizing a higher-lofted option for more stopping power when needed on long approach shots. 

Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 (21 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT Hybrid 100 TX

The hybrid in Henley’s bag is an older model – the Titleist TSi2 head at 21 degrees, which is now two generations old. Of note, the 21 degrees of loft is nearly identical to his 4-iron, but the 4-hybrid offers a different trajectory that provides more versatility at the top of the bag. 

Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)

For his irons, Henley carries one T200 4-iron and a set of the original Titleist T100 irons (5-9) from 2019 with Dynamic Gold AMT and Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts. Henley has statistically been one of the best iron players in the world for the last several years, so it’s no surprise he sticks with the setup that has helped him be successful. He was 22nd for the week in strokes gained on approach shots at Bay Hill. 

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48), S400 (47)

Around the greens, Henley plays four Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges (47, 51, 55, and 60 degrees) with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. Henley’s short game made the difference this week. His clutch chip-in for eagle on the 16th hole during the final round not only helped him win the tournament, but also propelled him to first for the week in strokes gained around the green. 

On the greens, Henley rolls a Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype putter. Putting has not always been a strength for Henley, but he found some magic this week. He gained 3.613 strokes on the greens for the week, good enough for 10th in the field.