In many ways, the game of golf mirrors life itself. To many, the game might appear as a leisurely pursuit, but for those who live and breathe the game, it is anything but easy. But resilience and grit have always favored the brave, and Mark Hensby’s journey is testament to that. His road has been steep, strewn with challenges that would break many. Yet he has endured, not merely surviving, but carving out a place in the sport with grit and determination. So, who is the resilient Mark Hensby?
Mark Hensby lived a resilient childhood
Mark Adam Hensby was born on June 29, 1971, in Melbourne, Australia. He first stumbled upon golf when he was 12 years old, like every other teen stumbling onto unlikely activities. But Hensby’s reason was different.
He needed respite from his troubled childhood home, where he grew up in the small town of Tamworth. “It was to an extreme that people wouldn’t understand. To go home every afternoon thinking something bad is probably going to happen is a hard way to live as a kid. I took it upon myself to make sure I wasn’t home very often,” Hensby confessed to a journalist in 2023.
Things got worse as he grew older, and Hensby felt sorry for his older brother, Darren, who was treated worse than Hensby and his other brother, Jason. The situation was so gruesome. He would wake up every day at 4:45 am and would only return home once he was sure of his father’s absence. However, he still had to be back home at a certain time—”I “did have to be home for dinner. If I wasn’t, the repercussions were pretty bad,” he said.
But his introduction to golf helped him escape, and he eventually became obsessed with the game. “I practiced, practiced, and practiced. I became obsessed with golf,” he confessed, and added that he began playing every Sunday. He attended Tamworth High School, and because his school was near a golf course, he even found time around his classes.
In addition to practicing, Hensby also earned some pocket money by washing dishes and mopping floors at a nearby restaurant on three nights every week. He also got a postman’s job, delivering mail, and his days were hectic as he worked at the restaurant until 2 am and would be up by 5 am to get to the post office. Despite the monetary struggles, he never let golf take a backseat.
While the impetus behind picking up the game was fear, all the hard work eventually came to fruition when he became a 3 handicapper in just two years of learning the game. He used the hardship and emotional adversity as fuel, which then directed the path to his life on and off the course. His talent eventually allowed him to move to America in 1994 through a mutual friend, and Hensby jumped at it. “I saved up my money with various jobs I was doing at the time. I was still an amateur, so I came over and gave it a shot,” he said. And that’s when things fell into place for him.
Hensby’s professional career
The year that Mark Hensby moved to America, he won the 1994 Illinois State Amateur. He then decided to turn professional in 1995 and had his first professional win at the 1996 Illinois Open. And every year, he just kept getting better and better. He bagged three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, including his first at the 1998 Nike Fort Smith Classic, after qualifying in 1997. Another win in 2000 helped him move to second place on the tour’s money list. And his biggest moment of triumph came in 2001 when he earned PGA Tour status.
Hensby’s beginnings @ChampionsTour member Mark Hensby won the 2000 @UNCHealthChamp with an 18-under week. #TOURVault pic.twitter.com/4gvnF5vlvZ
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 30, 2023
But he couldn’t perform as he would have wished to on the PGA Tour and was eventually relegated back to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2002. In 2003, he earned another title at the Henrico County Open and found a place back on the PGA Tour. He oscillated between the two tours until he claimed his first and only victory on the PGA Tour at the 2004 John Deere Classic. “I think the John Deere Classic win did prove something. I never played golf to prove anyone wrong or right. But there were a lot of naysayers. I proved to people that my hard work wasn’t a waste of time,” Mark Hensby expressed. Since he turned pro, he has played in nearly 453 events on the PGA Tour and has had close to 54 top-ten finishes. But struggling to make ends meet on the Tour, Hensby considered retirement in 2022.
But a win at the 2023 Invited Celebrity Classic on the PGA Tour Champions changed his mind. Now in 57 starts, Hensby has had eight top-10 finishes, and this year he hasn’t missed a single cut on the Champions Tour. In the last three events this season, Hensby has consistently finished in the top 15, including a tied 8th at the Principal Charity Classic in June, where Miguel Angel Jimenez claimed his third victory of the season. While Mark Hensby is still focused on his professional career, he doesn’t fail to show up for his family.
A look into Mark Hensby’s personal life
Mark Hensby married Kim in 2009, and they have a son together, Caden. Hensby also has another son, Chase, from a previous relationship, and he was already 11 years old when Mark and Kim decided to get married. His son Caden was diagnosed with autism when he was just 5. He dedicated a lot of his time to his family and eventually learned a lot about his son’s condition to try to give him as normal a life as possible.
“He’s a great kid. He’s the love of my life. He’s intelligent and has come a long way from where he was five years ago with all the help. All kids are special, but I think kids on the spectrum of autism are so special,” Hensby expressed his words for his son, Caden.
With no status, Mark Hensby almost called it quits this year.
Instead, he decided to play for his wife and son, who has autism. This one’s for the fam. pic.twitter.com/BqWSu4ehr2
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 24, 2023
While Hensby grew up with his struggles, and was always doubtful of how he was going to be a good father, the doubt never lasted too long. “It didn’t take long for my kids to realize I was going to be a great dad. I never wanted to be like my dad. I made a 360 turn straight away. I hug Caden and tell him I love him every day,” Hensby confessed, fighting back his tears.
And now, he and his wife put their best efforts every day to make sure their children don’t have the life Hensby had while growing up. Hensby chose the high road and is in a better place now, proud of how far he has come — “I think what I’m most proud of now is what I am for my kids.”
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