The American began the final round at Bay Hill at nine-under, one behind overnight leader Collin Morikawa.
Before the final pairing even began, there was drama as Keegan Bradley, who started the final round 11 off the lead, broke the front nine record with a 29 before eventually heading back to the clubhouse on seven-under with a 64.
While that left him in with a chance, most of the attention was on the players above him on the leaderboard as they got underway - namely, Morikawa, Henley and Corey Conners, who was two off the lead at eight under.
For much of the front nine, Morikawa was firmly in control. While not necessarily at his best, with a bogey at the third coming between birdies at the first and fifth, none of the chasing pack really looked like making a move, with Conners in particular coming as close as anyone with several birdie chances that all ended with par.
That continued for the Canadian on the back nine until he finally broke the sequence with his one birdie of the day on the 16th, before finishing with two more pars at nine-under.
Corey Conners was in contention in the final round of the tournament
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The first significant sign there could be a threat to Morikawa's dominance came at the 14th, when the leader missed his 13-foot par putt to see his lead reduced to two. That became one moments later when Henley held his nerve with a 10-foot birdie putt to move to nine-under.
Even then, Morikawa was playing with enough control to not set off any alarm bells, but Henley forced the issue in spectacular fashion on the 16th with a stunning chip in eagle from 54-feet to take a one-shot lead.
With the onus on Morikawa to chase for the first time all day, his birdie chance from 23 feet at the same hole only got within four feet and a victory that seemed highly likely was seriously in danger of being plucked from his grasp.
Collin Morikawa led for the first 15 holes of the day
(Image credit: Getty Images)
So it proved. Morikawa couldn't find the birdie he needed on the last two holes while Henley remained calm as he saw out a drama-free 17th and 18th, finishing with a three-foot putt to win his first PGA title since he cruised to the win at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship.
Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard
1 Russell Henley (-11)
2 Collin Morikawa (-10)
3 Corey Conners (-9)
4 Michael Kim (-8)
T5 Keegan Bradley, Sepp Straka (-7)
7 Shane Lowry (-6)
T8 Byeong Hun An, Justin Rose, Jason Day (-5)
T11 Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Aaron Rai (-4)
T15 Jacob Bridgeman, Daniel Berger, Rory McIlroy (-3)
18 Denny McCarthy (-2)
T19 Sungae Im, Si Woo Kim, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-1)
Updates from...
Mike Hall
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GOOD EVENING ALL
Hello all, and welcome to Golf Monthly's final round coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Collin Morikawa leads by three strokes during the halfway stage of the front nine.
The American looks in cruise control round Bay Hill, with Morikawa one-under for his round and well clear of fellow countryman, Russell Henley.
MORIKAWA STAYS CLEAR
Morikawa has a great chance to extend his lead at the par 3 seventh and, faced with 15-feet, the two-time Major winner sees his effort slide by on the right-side.
It's a tap-in for the American, who remains at 11-under and three clear of Henley, who gets up-and-down and stays at eight-under round Bay Hill.
BRADLEY'S FRONT NINE BRILLIANCE SEES HIM TIED FOR THIRD
It's been a day to remember for Keegan Bradley, who broke the Bay Hill front nine record with a 29 earlier to drag himself into contention. He couldn't keep the momentum going or he may have been looking at an eighth PGA Tour win, but he's just finished a round of 64 to head to the clubhouse, four behind leader Collin Morikawa in T3 - not bad for a player who started the day 11 behind the leader.
CLOSE FOR COREY
Corey Conners is three behind leader Morikawa, but it's so nearly two as his birdie putt from 16 feet at the ninth falls inches short. There's still time for the Canadian, but he'll have to make his move soon, although Morikawa's tee shot at the same hole isn't brilliant - he's right of the fairway. Just beforehand, Russell Henley, who's level with Conners, birdied the eighth. Still Morikawa's to lose at this point.
MORIKAWA HOLDS FIRM
Morikawa recovers well from his first missed fairway off the tee today, leaving his second shot at the ninth a few yards in front of the green. His third's not bad either. He'll have a great chance to make par after a decidedly dicey tee shot - and he does. He's three clear with nine to play.
STILL NOT QUITE THERE FOR SCHEFFLER
For the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, this week has panned out largely like a number of others in 2025 so far. He looks excellent in spells, even threatening to find the consistency needed to recreate the form of last year, when he won seven times on the PGA Tour, but it's not quite there for him just yet. He's at three-under after 14 today, eight behind leader Morikawa, who so often had to play second fiddle to Scheffler in 2024.
TROUBLE AT THE 10th FOR THE LEADER
Morikawa has a lengthy discussion with his caddie ahead of his second shot at the 10th. The leader's 95 yards out with a poor lie left of the fairway and looking for distance. He's right to be concerned as his effort goes straight into a bunker fronting the green. From the bunker, he digs out a nice effort but it lacks distance. He'll face a tricky putt from a makeable - but missable - range to make par. From 10 feet, he misses left and drops back to 10-under and a two-shot lead,
CONNERS CAN'T BREAK THROUGH
Now it's Russell Henley to make a bogey, this one at the 11th with his third of the day. That puts him back to seven-under, three behind Morikawa. Meanwhile, Corey Conners, who is two behind, can't stop making pars. He's at the 11th too and facing a lengthy birdie putt. Once again it just misses and he makes his 11th par in succession.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
SEPP STEPS IT UP
A beautiful long putt from Sepp Straka at the 12th gives him a birdie to move to seven-under, in a pack with Jason Day, Michael Kim, Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley - not a bad situation for a player who shot 77 in the first round. He's not out of this yet.
NOT QUITE FOR COLLIN
Morikawa at the 11th faces a 12-foot putt to restore his three-shot lead. However, it just breaks left on the final leg of its journey, and that'll leave a par to keep him at 10-under, two ahead of Corey Conners.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
MORIKAWA DRIVES ON
Collin Morikawa is the top player for driving accuracy this week, although there have been a couple of somewhat wayward tee shots in his final round so far. Nothing too alarming though and, at the par-5 12th, he finds the middle of the fairway, leaving 254 yards to go and surely eyeing the chance of at least a birdie in a few minutes.
CONNERS COMES UP SHORT
Yet another chance for a birdie goes begging for Corey Conners as his longish putt falls short. That's his 12th par in a row. If he could just convert one or two of these he'd have a great chance of catching Morikawa. As it is, he's two behind with six to play. Moments later, Jason Day shows Conners how it's done with a birdie at the 12th to join him on eight under.
MORIKAWA'S LEAD BACK TO THREE
With Morikawa's second at the 12th, it just fails to land on the green and instead hops into the rough. The fine margin between near-perfection and maddening frustration. From looking like having a real eagle opportunity, he now faces a tricky task to leave himself a decent chance of a birdie.
Jim "Bones" MacKay in the broadcast booth insists Morikawa can get this up and down, and he would know. Let's see how he gets on...
A great effort to land a foot or so right of the hole. That'll be a birdie and back to a three-shot lead.
FOUR-WAY TIE FOR SECOND
We currently have Michael Kim, Russell Henley, Jason Day and Corey Conners in a four-way tie for second, three behind leader Collin Morikawa. Corey Conners then has a chance to move into solo second with a birdie chance at the 13th. He's made 12 pars in a row up to now. No prizes for guessing what's comes next - he leaves his putt just short to make it 13th pars in a row.
CHANCES MISSED FOR CHASING PACK
Collin Morikawa is taking this in his stride, although in fairness, none of the chasing pack are really pushing him. His second at the 13th lands within 15 feet to leave another birdie opportunity.
Soon after, Russell Henley is the latest to try and reduce the gap to the leader, but his birdie putt misses by 18 inches. Morikawa then also narrowly misses his chance to extend his lead. Next it's Corey Conners' chance with yet another putt for birdie. Wait for it... it fails to make it and he'll settle for par - his 14th in succession.
On the 14th, another of the chasing pack, Jason Day, also narrowly misses right with his birdie chance and it's as you were at the top.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
BOGEY FOR MORIKAWA
At the par-3 14th, Morikawa's tee shot misses the green left, and the chip onto the putting surface then rolls beyond the hole, leaving a near-13 foot putt for par. It goes right and he's back to 10-under with his third bogey of the day.
HENLEY IN THE HUNT!
A few minutes ago, Collin Morikawa had a three-shot lead and appeared to be cruising to the title, but after a bogey at the 14th, seconds later, one of four in the chasing pack, Russell Henley, holds his nerve to hole a 10-foot birdie putt to move to nine-under, just one behind the leader. Henley has been in good form for weeks. Is this the day he converts that into a victory?
STRAKA IN CONTENTION
Another player having a good season is Sepp Straka, and at the 16th he makes his second birdie in succession to move to eight-under with Conners and Day. This would be quite some turnaround if Straka claims the title after an opening round of 77, but stranger things have happened. He has two holes left to really give Morikawa something to worry about.
Conners, meanwhile, has a birdie putt at the 15th. You could refer to any number of entries from earlier on to know what happens next - he leaves it just short to settle for par. That's 15 in a row!
MICHAEL KIM ON THE MOVE
Yet another player whose game has been trending in the right direction in recent weeks is Michael Kim, and he's at it again here. He holes a 10-foot birdie at the 16th to move to eight-under, two behind Morikawa, who misses his birdie chance from a similar distance at the 15th. Russell Henley remains the most likely to catch Morikawa at nine-under, particularly after Jason Day, two behind Morikawa, finds the water with his second shot at the 16th.
CONNERS BREAKS PAR RUN WITH BIRDIE
For the fourth round in succession, Morikawa finds a bunker to the right of the 16th fairway with his tee shot before eventually making the green with his third.
With his second at the par-5, Corey Conners, who began the day at eight-under and remains there after 15 successive pars, digs out a bunker shot right of the hole. Here's his chance to break the sequence - it's a tricky read but it goes in! He's now at nine-under and one back of Morikawa!
Jason Day, after earlier finding the water, then finishes a double bogey at the same hole to move back to six-under.
RUSSELL HENLEY MAGIC SEES HIM TAKE THE LEAD!
Wow! It's all change at the 16th. Collin Morikawa, even with a one-shot lead over recent holes, has looked largely in control of proceedings, but that was before Russell Henley, who was at nine-under, chips in with a 54-foot eagle to leapfrog the two-time Major winner!
He moves to 11-under as Morikawa can only make par.
HENLEY HOLE-OUT!! 🦅From 1 back to 1 ahead with one perfect chip.📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/UZXUvwm4HqMarch 9, 2025
HENLEY STAYS AHEAD
After seemingly closing in on his first PGA Tour win since the 2023 Zozo Championship, Collin Morikawa now could do with something to force his way back to the top of the leaderboard. He has a long birdie chance at the 17th, but it's not quite got the legs and he makes par. Russell Henley then faces a par putt to stay in the lead and makes it comfortably. He's one ahead of Morikawa with one to play.
HENLEY AND MORIKAWA ON THE GREEN IN TWO
Leader Henley and Collin Morikawa, who is one behind, are on the par-4 18th, but if Morikawa is relying on a slip from Henley it's not looking likely if his tee shot is anything to go by, which finds the fairway. Morikawa does the same and it's all coming down to the last few shots.
Morikawa's second shot is on the green - just - but that will be a tricky one for birdie. Henley's next, closing in on the biggest win of his career. It's on the green too but about 40 feet away from the hole. Regardless, he's not the one who needs to make something happen. Morikawa is, and it's now or never.
RUSSELL HENLEY WINS ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL!
Henley's first putt gets within four feet, and Morikawa needs to birdie here to have a proper chance. It misses, and now he goes again. In it goes for par to remain at 10-under. Now it's Henley's chance to wrap it up. He's three feet away from the par he needs to clinch it. It rattles the cup and goes in! Russell Henley has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational!
