Henley's Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament Raises Awareness — and Hope —for Local Macon Charities

By Lynne Schur

Pro golfer and Synovus brand ambassador Russell Henley has had an exciting year. He’s currently ranked No. 15 on the planet, according to the Official World Golf Ranking, and came in fourth in the FedEx Cup standings on the PGA TOUR. Making the U.S. Presidents Cup team for the first time — with Jim Furyk choosing him with one of his captain's picks to fill out the 12-player roster — satisfied a longtime career goal.

Despite all the professional accolades, there is one tournament in particular that is monumental to Henley, that being the Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic, of which Henley and former major league pitcher, Kevin Brown, are host celebrities. 

The two-day annual event — which draws major participation from players associated with the NFL, NBA, NHL and University of Georgia football — occurs this year on September 16 and 17 and supports three local-area charities: the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Macon Volunteer Clinic (MVC). The tournament, of which Synovus is a local sponsor, can help triple the impact of the charities' own fundraising efforts for the year, enabling these nonprofits to serve their communities at a higher level than they could otherwise.

"The Five Star Celebrity Classic in Macon is an opportunity to narrow our focus to what really matters — loving and caring for others,” says Henley. “One way we can do that is by giving to charities that support and love people."

This year at least 425 golfers making up 107 teams will descend on four golf courses in the Macon area — Idle Hour (which Henley grew up playing on), River North, the Brickyard and River Forest — in hopes of surpassing last year’s $1.1 million fundraising mark and making it the biggest tournament to date. 

Professional golfers Stewart Cink, Chris Kirk and Brandon Todd, as well as musician Darius Rucker, have all competed in the past. This year, celebrities include Olympic swimmer Steve Lundquist; Willie Mays' son, Michael Mays; LGPA Tour major champion Nanci Bowen; Atlanta Braves’ Keith Lockhart; and Thomas McClary (founding member and lead guitarist of The Commodores), among many other pro athletes and entertainers.

Henley doesn't play in the tournament but instead greets foursomes on a par-3 course to hit a shot with them and take a picture. The golfer who hits closest to the tee receives an autographed ball.

“The tournament originally began in 1989,” says Five Star Celebrity Classic’s event manager, Jaime Kaplan. "It was on only one golf course when it started and grew to four for the first time last year. We had to scramble a few weeks before the event to accommodate all the teams!"

The Five Star Celebrity Classic has raised more than $13 million for charities in middle Georgia, surpassing the $1 million mark every year since 2015 (the year Henley and Brown got involved in the event).

"This event is one of my personal highlights every year,” says Henley, who's also a Synovus brand ambassador. “The participation and collaborative effort to give back and support multiple charities is what makes it so rewarding for me and my family.”

This year, the tournament will be even more personal for Henley, since the event will include a dedication to his father, Dr. Chapin Henley, who passed away in July. A retired physician, Chapin founded the Macon Volunteer Clinic, one of the three benefiting charities of the tournament. The clinic provides free medical and dental care for working, uninsured, low-income residents in the area and has been a lifeline for many. The event is an opportunity to remember Chapin's years of service to communities in need — an effort the Henley family will hopes to carry on.

Lynne Schur is a freelance writer who has written extensively about finance and business.