2012 Web.com Tour Graduate Russell Henley Wins Sony Open, Breaks Scoring Record
Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Executive Director Jeff Sanders and 2012 Champion Russell Henley
(PORTLAND, OR – January 14, 2013) – In his first career start as a PGA TOUR member, former Web.com Tour player Russell Henley fired a final round 63 to win the Sony Open by three shots over Tim Clark. Henley’s 24-under par total for the four days, including three rounds of 63, shattered the Sony Open scoring record by four shots. Henley birdied the last five holes and broke a number of tournament records, including becoming the youngest player ever to win the event. The victory gets Russell Henley an invitation into the Masters, The PLAYERS Championship, and PGA Championship. After his win at the Sony Open, Russell Henley is now tied for the lead on the PGA TOUR money list with Dustin Johnson as he heads into next week’s Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California. When asked on the 18th green what prepared Henley best for the win, he answered, “A year on the Web.com Tour.”
Russell Henley was a member of the 2012 Web.com Tour graduating class, finishing third on the 2012 money list. Henley won the 2012 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters at TPC Sawgrass in October, an event managed by Portland-based Jeff Sanders Promotions (JSP). JSP, who has produced 26 events on the Web.com Tour over the years, and manages the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft, is working with community leaders to bring a Web.com Tour event to Portland, Oregon, as early as Summer 2014. Jeff Sanders, President and CEO of JSP, commented on Russell’s win and this exciting opportunity: “Russell’s record-breaking 24-under par performance at the Sony Open just three months after winning on the Web.com Tour showcases the level of play on the Web.com Tour. Russell joins a long list of Web.com Tour graduates who have won on the PGA TOUR and are rising stars in professional golf. We believe Portland can absolutely support a first-class Web.com Tour event that will give a substantial amount to charity.”
Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Raises $1.85 Million For Local Charities
(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – OCTOBER 26, 2012) – Executive Director Jeff Sanders announced at the culmination of this year’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters Web.com Tour event that the 2012 tournament surpassed the record-breaking $1.8 million dollars raised for charity in 2011. With the help of the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program, the 2012 event broke last year’s record with $1.85 million generated for charity.
“We’re thrilled to exceed last year’s remarkable contribution to charity and provide even more financial support to charities in the Jacksonville community. We could not have done it without the tremendous support of our sponsors, media partners, volunteers, spectators, and the local charities selling our tickets through the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program,” said Sanders. “Charity is the true winner this week.”
Proceeds from the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters benefit the Winn-Dixie Foundation, which supports hundreds of non-profit organizations in the communities Winn-Dixie serves. The Winn-Dixie Foundation focuses on giving back in the areas of health, women & children, education and hunger. The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open generated over $5.2 Million for charity in the past three years. Contributing to the total was the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program, which offers local non-profits the opportunity to sell tournament tickets and keep 100% of the sales they generate.
Jeff Sanders pointed out the remarkable effort of the participating charities, saying, “The non-profit organizations that participate in the PepsiCo TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program work extremely hard selling our tournament tickets and the partnership with the tournament is truly a win-win. The charities benefit from the revenue they earn from selling our tournament tickets and keeping 100% of the dollars generated and the tournament benefits from increased attendance.”
“The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters is a prime example of what can happen when the PGA TOUR partners with a great sponsor like Winn-Dixie and receives the backing of so many dedicated volunteers,” said Web.com Tour President, Bill Calfee. “This one week of golf will have a significant impact on a great number of organizations and individuals throughout the year.”
Russell Henley sunk a 30-foot birdie putt on his final hole of regulation to send the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open into a playoff. Henley, a native of Macon, Georgia and alumnus of the University of Georgia, defeated B.J. Staten on the first playoff hole to capture the prestigious title at TPC Dye’s Valley, one of the toughest tests on the Web.com Tour.
The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters was produced by Jeff Sanders Promotions, Inc. Portland, Oregon. www.jspgolf.com
