Weekend: Henley Wins The API
Hill takes the Joburg Open, Garcia wins in Hong Kong, Wong is major bound after capturing the WAAP, and Trump Turnberry is vandalized.
Bay Hill provided the year’s most compelling match-up of top players, course and familiarity. Minus the beach bunker on 17.
Unfortunately for Masters prognosticators, high rough and the lack of uneven stances makes it tricky to view the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard as an Augusta National precursor.
This should not in any way undercut Russell Henley’s one-stroke win over Collin Morikawa in the API. The 35-year-old survived an intriguing back-and-forth with Bay Hill’s robust rough harvest and came out of Orlando with his fifth career win.
“I've grown up watching this event and just seeing all the amazing finishes coming down the stretch, and you never really think you're going to get that opportunity to come down the 18th and make a par to win,” Henley said. “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.”
Henley’s final round 70 featured an odd mix of two (!) bogeys on the front nine par-5’s and a chip-in eagle at the three-shot 16th. The surprising hole-out vaulted the five-time PGA Tour winner into the lead. But Henley dared to hole the shot when NBC was showing a minute-long Rolex commercial. Fans were not kind.
Henley’s dogged style of play has suited him in recent majors and works particularly well at places like Bay Hill, where he recorded his fourth top 10 in six 2025 starts. The former Georgia golfer had gone 854 days since his last win. But he’s been knocking on some big doors and should be a fun betting option come April—for those who partake in such rank filthiness.
Runner-up Collin Morikawa held a three-stroke lead early in the day until Henley chipped away and then chipped in at 16.
Here is the all important hole-out in case you missed it while NBC was selling luxury timepieces made by a company other than the title sponsor, to the chagrin of just about everyone.
Also…
Henley is projected to move from No. 14 to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking. It makes a new career-high rank.
Corey Connors has qualified for Royal Portrush through the API’s Open Qualifying Series spot. The Canadian finished third place, one shot ahead of Michael Kim and will make his sixth successive appearance in The Open.
API week started with an announced plan by the PGA Tour, Mastercard and NBC to show more player-caddie conversations in lieu of commercials. But as Monday Q noted, commercial breaks went from 2:30 to 3 minutes. The concept was a notable effort, however, most of the conversations I heard were not particularly interesting or easy to hear. Mastercard would have been better off sponsoring a commercial-free final hour to prevent missing, like, I don’t know, maybe the key shot of the week.
Tiger Woods will pass up his final year of Players eligibility. (Harig/SI)
Karl Vilips finished 26-under par to win the Puerto Rico Open and gained entry into this week’s Players along with May’s PGA at Quail Hollow. The 23-year-old former Stanford golfer posted a final round 64 to claim his first PGA Tour win.
Hill Comes From Eight Back To Win Joburg Open
Scotland's Calum Hill captured his second DP World Tour title, taking the Joburg Open in a playoff over home country favorites Jacques Kruyswijk and Shaun Norris. Starting eight shots back of 54-hole leader Norris, Hill closed in 31, including a birdie at the last from five feet for a 62 and 14-under-par total.
Hill only needed a par on the second playoff hole to seal the win over Kruyswijk and Norris.
Hill entered the week off three missed cuts and ranked 286th in the world. The 30-year-old has taken an unusual route to success. He attended Western New Mexico University from 2012 to 2016 where he finished runner-up in the NCAA Division II individual championship. Hailing from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, Hill graduated with a degree in accounting and spent two years as a graduate assistant while completing an MBA degree. He turned pro in 2017 and is now a two-time DP World Tour winner.
I can’t think of any other pro golfers with an actual MBA. Though there are plenty these who pretend like they have one.
Anyway, for those tracking such things, Sunday also marked the conclusion of the International Swing and Englishman Laurie Canter finishing top of the standings.
Garcia Wins In Hong Kong
