Russell Henley just won the Charles Schwab Challenge by beating Eric Cole in a playoff hole at Colonial Country Club.
He shot an impressive three-under-par 67 to tie Cole at 12 under, but that does not tell the full story.
Having made an eagle and a birdie in his first two holes, Henley made four bogeys on the front nine to fall out of contention.
However, the 37-year-old finished his round with three consecutive birdies to take Cole to an unlikely playoff.
Henley has now revealed exactly what was going through his mind moments before he won the tournament.
Russell Henley reveals why Charles Schwab Challenge victory meant so much
Russell Henley made four birdies in a row (three in regulation and one in the playoff) to steal the victory from Eric Cole.
The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge was Henley’s sixth win on the PGA Tour, but he felt more nervous than ever before.
“Yeah, I just kept telling myself, I want to win. I want to be here. I want to be hitting these putts and be in contention,” Henley said after the event.
“This is why I practice hard and, yeah, then to come back to the playoff and do that, I’m still just kind of shaking. That was as nervous as I’ve been over a putt in my whole life.”
Henley is considered to be one of the more stoic characters on the PGA Tour, but there was an outpouring of emotion after he made the crucial putt.
The American has since explained why he was more emotional than usual after winning this weekend’s tournament.
“Yeah, I think the longer you play this game, the more you want more, you want more success.
“I feel like I’ve just worked harder and harder, and I feel like I’ve been a little off just mentally this year, really.
“I just feel like I just fought really hard through the end, so it just felt really good to see an awesome result.”
A former world number three and Arnold Palmer Invitational champion, Henley has achieved more than most PGA Tour players.
However, his reaction to winning the Charles Schwab Challenge suggests he does not take competing at the highest level for granted.
Henley’s main objective will surely be to win a major championship before he retires, as he is one of the best golfers not to have done so already.
Similar to PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, Henley’s chances will likely depend on a course setup that suits his accurate approach rather than favouring long drivers.
Read more:
- Ben Griffin confirms his US Open plans and his approach looks very different to Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood
- What Rory McIlroy said about Bryson DeChambeau’s transformation after playing with him at Colonial in 2020
- Bryson DeChambeau says what he changed in his swing for the final round of LIV Golf Korea after using AI
