Henley's Celebrity Golf Tournament Raises More Than $1.2 Million for Area Charities

By Lynne Schur

The Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic reached new heights in 2024. This year's charity golf event, which took place on September 16-17, was the biggest one yet, raising a record $1,245,000 for local-area charities, surpassing the $1.1 million fundraising mark from last year.

Hosted by four-time PGA Tour winner and Synovus brand ambassador Russell Henley, along with former Major League pitcher Kevin Brown, the tournament welcomed 424 golfers (the most ever) — including Olympic swimmer Steve Lundquist; Willie Mays' son, Michael Mays; LGPA Tour major champion Nanci Bowen; Atlanta Braves’ Keith Lockhart; and The Commodores co-founder and lead guitarist Thomas McClary. The event's annual auction was also the most profitable, with more than 400 people in attendance.

"Once again, the Five Star Classic was a success, and I'm always blown away by the support we get in middle Georgia," says Russell Henley. "I'm very thankful to be a part of such an awesome event."

Three Macon-area charities — Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Macon Volunteer Clinic (MVC) — are the benefactors of the tournament. These nonprofits offer vital resources to those in need in the community, and the tournament is an important lifeline to continuing those services at a higher level.

"When I go home [to the Macon area], I am encouraged and excited to see the progress made by the Rescue Mission and the Macon Volunteer Clinic," says Henley. "The goal is to focus on loving and caring for others, and these are the organizations that are doing this."

The event took place on four area golf courses — Idle Hour, River North, The Brickyard and River Forest — and hosted golfers in a four-man scramble format. There were winners at each course.

Henley and Brown didn't play but instead waited on Idle Hour's par-3 12th hole to take pictures with each group that came through. Henley also hit an autographed ball for every foursome. For tournament play, teams could use his shot or the best of their four shots — if one was better than Henley's. (Henley's shot was closest to the pin pretty much every time.) The member of the foursome that got closest to the pin on that hole could keep the signed Henley ball.

The Five Star Celebrity Classic dates back to 1989, when former professional tennis player Jaime Kaplan founded the event as a three-day tennis pro-celebrity tournament featuring superstars Hank Aaron, Franco Harris, Shirley Hemphill, Tony O’Dell and Lyle Waggoner. When golf was added in 1992, Brown, a Macon native, started playing in the tournament. In 2015, Henley — currently ranked No. 15 in the world — joined, becoming a partner with Brown.

"While it was a delight to witness Russell’s interaction with fans and fellow golfers, what's especially rewarding is seeing the young fans who came out to the tournament when school ended to say hello to him," says Kaplan. "He took time with each one, and it was so heart-warming. Russell obviously remembers how much something like that meant to him as a kid and he strives to be a great role model for the next generation, whether they are aspiring golfers or not."

Since its start, the event has netted more than $13,845,000 for charities in middle Georgia.

In 2025, the Five Star Kevin Brown Russell Henley Celebrity Classic will take place September 15 and 16.

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