2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches: Top 10 power rankings at PGA National
OWGR: 29th. FedEx Cup: 49th. Russell Henley. CognizantClassic/PowerRank/5. 5
Russell Henley has a sparkling resume at the Cognizant Classic.
The former University of Georgia star debuted at PGA National in 2013 with T-13th (68-71-70-70).
Henley came right back a year later and won (64-68-68-72) while outlasting his fellow Russell, Russell Knox, as well as Rory McIlroy. He’s since made five of six cuts, including T-24th (68-70-74-71) in 2018, T-20th (69-72-70-68) in 2019 and T-8th (70-69-70-69) in 2020.
He grew up playing on Bermuda, so he’s comfortable at a venue like this.
“I think you have to drive it really well and I feel like you have to drive it long,” Henley said of PGA National in 2015 as transcribed by ASAP Sports. “I feel like hitting it long really helps out here and being able to hit it out of the thick rough. I feel like if you hit it a long way and you're tough, I feel like that's a good combination for this place.”
Henley has the ability to rack up birdies quickly. With that said, he’s proven at this tournament he can grind it out, too.
He is coming off a T-24th finish in his last start a couple weeks ago at the Genesis Invitational. Henley also took T-4th at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He ranks 17th on the PGA Tour this season in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (.503). Last season, he was 29th (.249). Also last season, Henley was 25th in SG: Total (.882), 17th in SG: Off-the-Tee (1.003), and 18th in SG: Approach (.556).