Russell Henley claims 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational crown

In his first PGA Tour win in more than 850 days, Russell Henley captured his first red cardigan — and the $4 million winner’s prize — in dramatic fashion over 54-hole leader Collin Morikawa by one stroke at the Tour’s annual stop in Southwest Orange: the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I’ve grown up watching this event and just seen all the amazing finishes coming down the stretch,” Henley said about winning his first API title. “You never really think you’re going to get that opportunity to come down (here) on the 18th and make a par to win. It’s really just hard to take in right now. It’s a tremendous honor, and that’s what’s so cool about this game, is to go play where all the legends have played. … It’s still surreal wearing this thing up here. I’ve tried to just work really hard at all aspects of my game and to try to put myself in a position to win tournaments and compete at the highest possible level on the biggest and best courses. It’s just crazy that it happened like that and just hard to take in; I can’t explain it.”

After 54 holes of play, Henley entered Sunday, March 9 one shot behind Morikawa, but after a tough front nine for Henley, the deficit extended to three, however that wasn’t enough to keep him down.

“My attitude,” Henley said when asked what he was most proud of from his victory. “When I bogeyed both par fives on the front — (which were) real momentum killers — 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. So, just to hang in there enough to give myself some looks was what I’ll take from this day.”

He did just that. By the 14th hole — on which Henley birdied and Morikawa bogeyed, the breaks started to go Henley’s way, and he was just one stroke behind the leader. After both made par on 15, Henley flipped the script again on 16 and knocked Morikawa from the leader’s perch for the first time on championship Sunday. After hitting his second shot over the green on the par-five hole, Henley slung himself ahead of Morikawa with a ridiculous chip that hit the flag pole and fell in the hole for an eagle.

“It was probably going to be 5, 6 feet by (the hole), but I don’t know that you can stop it,” Henley said. “I think Collin hit his a couple of feet by, and that’s just kind of golf. Sometimes you get a good break like that, and it hits the pin and goes in.”

Despite taking a one-stroke lead with two holes to play, Henley knew he couldn’t relax if he wanted to take home “Arnie’s” red cardigan. 

“The pressure of knowing that Collin was going to play so steady and knowing that I had to play steady — it almost kind of made me realize it was just so far from over,” he said. “I knew he was going to hit great shots coming down the last two holes, as well. … I didn’t feel like there was much to smile about at that point just because I go to the next hole and hit it in the water and then hit it in the water again on 18, then I’m not sitting here. (I knew) there was just a lot of really tough golf ahead of me, so I didn’t really feel like it was a time to smile. I felt like (after the 16th) it was time to get really focused on what I needed to do on my next shot.”

Henley matched Morikawa, making par on the final two holes and sealing the one-stroke win. Henley finished with a total score of 277 (-11), followed by Morikawa (-10) and Corey Conners (-9) in third.

Not only is this Henley’s first victory since his 2022 win at the World Wide Technology Championship — the fifth win of his career — but also he was a +5000 underdog to win the API. Translation: If you bet $100 on Henley to win, you would have received $5,000. This win also snaps Henley’s streak of 10 finishes in the top 10 without a victory, the most on the tour.