“It was crazy,” Russell Henley told GolfWRX after his victory in a four-man playoff at the Honda Classic. “The emotions were crazy.”

Anyone watching would agree. Battling nerves and a course with major championship qualities, Henley birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff, which included Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox and world No. 7 ranked Rory McIlroy to capture his second PGA Tour win.

The Florida sun was setting over the Champion course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., when the playoff began, threatening to force a Monday finish. Much to his pleasure, however, Henley made quick work of it. He was low-ball of the sudden death foursome at the par-5 18th hole after hitting the green in two shots and two-putting his way into the winner’s circle.

“I was definitely hoping it would end as quickly as possible,” Henley said. “You never want it to go into the morning. I was trying to make the first eagle putt and just end it right there.”

His 70-foot eagle attempt didn’t drop, but it nestled within 3 feet of the cup to make for an easy birdie while his competitors failed to match.

When Henley holed out, it ended a display of poor golf from the leaders during the closing couple hours of play. Johnny Miller, in his on-air commentary, called them down the stretch, “a group of players basically just out there flailing.” Ryan Palmer was expecting the leading score to come in around 11- or 2-under, but the leaders stumbled back to him after he posted 8-under in the clubhouse.

Knox, McIlroy and Henley each had double bogeys on the back nine, sending them sliding down the leaderboard. Henley believes the conditions were the culprit for such late round missteps.

“With the wind and the course set up, it was just really hard out there,” Henley said.

McIlroy seemed poised to complete the wire-to-wire victory, but struggled over his closing 12 holes, playing them in 5-over. His playing partner, Henley, recognized McIlroy’s vulnerability and struck before the appropriately named “bear trap” of holes Nos. 15, 16, 17.

Russell Henley put in a new Nike VR Forged 59-degree for this week’s event in order to have “fresh grooves,” which he used to chip-in with at No. 14, propelling him to victory.

“I was just trying to hang in there early, really hanging tough,” Henley said. “But with the birdie on No. 13, I knew I really had a chance to win it.”  He then chipped in on No. 14, but followed back-to-back birdies by dunking his tee shot in the water at the par 3, No. 15.

McIlroy also sent a ball swimming with his approach from a fairway bunker on No. 16, leaving the tournament open for his pursuers. He needed a birdie on No. 18 to match Palmer at 8-under, and almost did him one better.

McIlroy put it to 12 feet from 245 yards with a 5-wood to the tucked right pin location on a sliver of land protected by water on the last hole, a shot that Johnny Miller called one of the best he’s ever seen,

“He’s an impressive golfer to watch, and that was a hell of a shot,” said Henley.

McIlroy’s eagle attempt missed the cup, but the birdie was good enough to make it into the playoff. Henley had his own opportunity to end the tournament, ultimately needing just an up-and-down for birdie on No. 18. His second shot left him nearly pin-high, but the ball settling on what Henley called a “goodie bag.” After the free drop, Henley left his chip woefully short of the pin, leaving him only an outside chance of making the putt.

“It wasn’t the best lie, and it was sitting really tight underneath the ball,” Henley said of his fluffed chip on No. 18. “I hit a lot of good chips today and all week that saved me, but I could have hit a better chip there.”

Nerves were setting in, but Henley embraced the atmosphere.

“I wish I could play in front of that type of crowd all the time,” he said.

Henley played with less hesitance and more urgency on No. 18 the second time around, hitting the green in two with his Nike Covert 2.0 5-wood, and ending the tournament with relative ease after his competitors could only muster pars.

Henley, who plays with the Covert technology in his fairway woods, has stuck to the Nike STR-8 Fit in his driver, saying “It’s definitely just a comfort thing, I’m weird like that.” He’s expecting to put a Covert 2.0 driver in the bag shortly, saying he’s currently “getting one dialed” because he likes the feel and look.

The win gave Henley his second tour victory, which he contributes to motivation from former teammates and competitors in the NCAA ranks, and solidifies him as a winning threat on tour.

“Winning once is pretty cool, but there’s not a lot of guys that have won twice,” Henley said. “Guys I’ve played in college with have won multiple times, which definitely motivated me to get my second win.”

Not only did the victory place Henley among multiple PGA Tour winners, but it qualified him for The Masters. In his 2013 Masters debut, Henley missed he cut, but is excited to improve on his performance and get to know the coveted grounds of Augusta a little better.

“I can’t wait to get back to Augusta,” Henley said. “I’m going to treat it differently this time. I’m going to play a lot of practice rounds.”

With another win under his belt, Henley has reassurance and confidence for the season ahead, succinctly saying of his place on tour “I do belong.” The golfing world is beginning to understand.

See all clubs in Russell Henley’s bag here.