LOS ANGELES – Worn out after two long nights with infant daughter Chesnee, Stacy Lewis shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the lead with Hannah Green halfway through the first round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

“I’m looking forward to get a little rest,” Lewis said. “Really with the baby it’s different every day. She could be in a great mood and all of a sudden she’s screaming and you don’t know why. And we’re getting teeth, so it’s just the age that she is.”

The 34-year-old Texan is making her sixth LPGA Tour start since Chesnee’s birth in late October.

“My mom was here. She left on Monday,” Lewis said. “My husband (University of Houston women’s golf coach Gerrod Chadwell) is coming in tonight. I wanted to just kind of see how was it by myself for a couple days, and she chose to have her worst night in months right after my mom leaves.”

She birdied four of her last six holes in the bogey-free round at Wilshire Country Club.

“I hit it good and putted well,” Lewis said. “That’s kind of the combination that’s been missing, is just putting both of them together. Finally did it on the same day.”

She missed the cut last year, shooting 75-73.

“Last year it was super firm and so I did not like the golf course,” Lewis said. “Just felt like you didn’t get rewarded with good shots, and it was a little bit of goofy golf. Now the greens are much more receptive and you can just hit a lot better golf shots. They’re still difficult to putt, but I just feel like you get rewarded more for good shots.”

The 12-time tour winner played alongside Inbee Park and Sung Hyun Park.

“It was nice playing with Inbee,” Lewis said. “I hadn’t played with her in a while. I love playing with her because she hits so many good putts. Kind of get some confidence just seeing the ball roll really well.”

Inbee Park had a 68. The second-ranked Sung Hyun Park shot 76.

Green also had a bogey-free round.

“My ball-striking was great, but also my putter was really hot,” Green said. “I was really happy with how I rolled it. … I think whoever wins this week will have the least amount of putts.”

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee was a stroke back, also playing bogey-free.

“It was pretty solid all round,” said Lee, ranked fourth. “I just hit the greens and then if I was close, I would try and take opportunity of my birdie chances. If not, then I would be able to have a par.”

Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay followed at 67.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Getty Images)

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko played in the afternoon. She’s the only player with multiple victories this year, taking the Founders Cup in Phoenix and the major ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage.

Ko was group with Brooke Henderson, the Lotte Championship winner last week in Hawaii, and third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn.

All smiles for last week’s champ, @BrookeHenderson. She’s back in contention with 3-under 68 to share 5th place @lpga_LA ????

Fellow Canadian @ACTanguay leads the way at 4 under par ? pic.twitter.com/6moYE6eRHu

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 26, 2019

Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya’s older sister, opened with a 71.

Jessica Kordahad a 74, playing a four-hole stretch in 5 over with three straight bogeys and a double bogey.

Sixth-ranked Lexi Thompson also struggled, shooting 75. She was 5 over in a five-span, also making three bogeys and a double bogey.

Sandra Post is no longer the most successful Canadian in LPGA Tour history – and she couldn’t be happier.

Post was cheering Brooke Henderson from home as she won the LOTTE Championship on Saturday in Hawaii, tying Post’s career wins record for a Canadian. Henderson also matched Mike Weir and George Knudson for wins by a Canadian on the PGA or LPGA tours at eight.

The 70-year-old Post, from Oakville, Ont., is all for Henderson winning again and moving ahead of herself, Weir and Knudson – all of whom are in Canada’s Golf Hall of Fame.

“I truly believe that records are made to be broken,” said Post on Monday. “My last win was in 1981, which was another century. I think it’s long overdue. No matter who came up after me, I always wished they would do better than me.”

Henderson finished 16 under on Saturday at Ko Olina Golf Club to beat South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji by four strokes. At just 21 years old, the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., has won a major in the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and ended a championship drought for homegrown talent at the 2018 CP Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship.

“I hope Brooke wins more and more and more events,” said Post. “I hope that there’s no stopping her for a very long time. Then it will be her bar to set and then hopefully someone else comes along and breaks it.”

Although Post, who watches every LPGA Tour event, is a big fan of Henderson, she feels it’s too early to call her the greatest Canadian golfer ever.

“We don’t know how long she’s going to play and it’s a different time,” said Post. “There are more tournaments, there are more majors for her to win. When I played, there were only two majors.

Now there’s five per year. Everything has changed.

“Having said that, I think it’s more about women’s sport. I think it’s good to have someone like Brooke for the exposure of the sport and people following it. I think it’s good for women and for sport to have winners.”

Post and Henderson first met ahead of the ANA Inspiration in 2015, the first major of the LPGA season, when the latter golfer was still an amateur. Post won the event twice when it was still known as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and offered up some advice to the young golf prodigy.

“I don’t give her any advice now, she’s got it well in hand,” said Post with a laugh.

Post is generally impressed with the growth of golf among Canadian women, pointing out the success of Henderson, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay on the LPGA Tour. She’s also impressed by the success of Canadian amateurs Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., who was the only Canadian in the field at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and Oakville’s Nicole Gal, who won the won the girls’ 14-15 age division of the Drive, Chip and Putt championship, also at Augusta.

“The LPGA has done a lot in girls’ golf to promote it and grow it,” said Post. “When you see contests like Augusta’s Drive, Chip and Putt, and you see the women’s amateur that they played before it, it’s impressive.

“Right now, junior golf and the enthusiasm for it and parents getting their kids into it, it’s really good for the game.”

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Brooke Henderson didn’t join the LPGA Tour thinking she would end up amongst the best Canadian golfers of all-time. At least not so soon, anyway.

Henderson tied the Canadian record for most career victories on the LPGA or PGA Tour on Saturday when the 21-year-old captured her eighth career title by shooting a 2-under 70 to win the Lotte Championship for the second year in a row.

Sandra Post had eight career victories on the LPGA Tour between 1968 and 1981, while Mike Weir and George Knudson equalled that on the PGA Tour.

“When I was younger it was just a goal to be on the LPGA Tour, to win my first event,” Henderson said.

“And when that happened and I won my first major the year after, things kind of just started to fall into place. I knew the record was eight. Just kept creeping toward it the last three years, which was really exciting.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., won last year’s event in Hawaii for her sixth Tour victory and followed that up in August 2018 as the first Canadian in 45 years to win the CP Women’s Open.

“I think starting last year I sort of saw that it was within my reach if I had two good seasons. Last year put me into great position, and coming back this year it’s been on the back of my mind every week that I tee it up. I’m just really happy that I have finally done it.

“Looking forward to overtaking it now.”

She finished 16 under on Saturday at Ko Olina Golf Club to beat South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji by four strokes.

All the highlights from Brooke’s repeat performance in Hawaii ???? pic.twitter.com/XDRFo8KBht

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 21, 2019

Nelly Korda, tied with Henderson for the third-round lead, finished with a quadruple-bogey 8 for a 77 that left her seven strokes back at 9 under. She hit into the water twice on 18, then threw her ball in after finishing. The 20-year-old American also had a double bogey on the par-4 seventh.

“Pretty bad,” Korda said. “I mean, it was a tough day, but I ended really poorly and I’m pretty disappointed in that. … It was an unfortunate final round, but there is nothing I can do about it anymore.”

Ariya Jutanugarn (73) and 2016 winner Minjee Lee (74) tied for third at 11 under.

Henderson bogeyed her first hole, but that was the only blemish in the final round as she followed that up with three birdies and 14 pars.

She looked to be in some trouble on the par-4 16th, but saved par when she hit a put from off the green.

“It’s really amazing to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Mike Weir, George, and Sandra,” Henderson said. “This week was really special. I always love coming to Hawaii. Last year was such an incredible week for me, to be able to hoist that trophy for the first time. Coming back I knew I knew the golf course really well.”

Fellow Canadian and Olympic teammate Alena Sharp watched Henderson play out the round and joined her in celebration.

“Congrats my friend ?BrookeHenderson! Unbelievable title defense and tying Sandra Post’s record for most wins by a Canadian on the ?LPGA tour. So freaking proud of you!,” tweeted Sharp (72), who finished 2 under for 40th place.

Henderson takes home US$300,000 for the win. Through seven events in 2019, she has made six cuts, has one victory, three top-10 finishes and one top-15 finish for $498,151 total earnings.

Henderson, ranked No. 12 in the world, has one major among her tournament victories, winning the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after beating Lydia Ko in a playoff when she was only 18.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Defending champion Brooke Henderson shot a 3-under 69 on Friday at blustery Ko Olina Golf Club for a share of the third-round lead with Nelly Korda in the Lotte Championship.

Korda had a 71, matching Henderson with a bogey on the par-4 18 to get to 14-under 202.

“There are still 18 more holes left and a lot can happen” Korda said. “The weather is unpredictable. The wind swirls and gusts, so it’ll be an interesting day. We’re all going to be fighting.”

The 21-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is trying to match Sanda Post record for LPGA Tour victories by a Canadian with eight.

“It was really windy today,” Henderson said. “Really had to stay patient.”

The 20-year-old Korda won the Women’s Australian Open in February for her second LPGA Tour title. She opened the season with five straight top-10 finishes before tying for 52nd two weeks ago in the major ANA Inspiration. On Friday, she birdied Nos. 12, 14 and 16, before dropping the stroke on 18.

Defending champ @BrookeHenderson making it look easy at @LPGALOTTE! She’s tied for the lead heading into the finale ???? pic.twitter.com/WGzseMJOQQ

— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) April 20, 2019

“Was a bit of a frustrating day on the front nine,” Korda said. “Was not hitting it well. I was not putting well at all. Kind of got it back on the back nine. It was pretty frustrating today. Wasn’t the happiest camper out there.”

Minjee Lee and second-round leader Eun-Hee Ji were a stroke back. Lee, the Australian who won the 2016 event, had a 70. She was bogey-free and also birdie-free, but did chip-in for eagle on the fifth hole.

“It was pretty hard out there,” Lee said. “The wind was really gusty and the pin placements were pretty hard for the wind direction we had.”

Ji shot 74 after opening with rounds of 65 and 74.

“It’s still a really packed leaderboard, and whoever plays really well tomorrow is going to come out on top or close to the top,” Henderson said. “Right now it’s hard to say what that number is going to be. Kind of all just depends on the wind.”

Ariya Jutanugarn made the third day’s most dramatic move, shooting a 66 to bolt from nine back to two. She avoided bogeys, drained long putts – she needed just 23 – and birdied all but one of the par 5s.

“I think the most important thing today is I feel I’m really too far behind the lead,” Jutanugarn said. “I feel like I can’t catch anyway, so what I want to do is just be patient, do my best every shot.”

Henderson was even par on the front nine, then birdied four of the first six on the back, slam dunking a speeding putt from off the 13th green.

“I knew I had to get going a little bit, make some birdies,” she said. “I was hitting it well the last few holes on the front nine, just wasn’t converting. It was nice to get that birdie-birdie (10-11). Gave me a little momentum going into a couple of par 5s, and I was able to make some putts, which was really nice.”

Her approach to the 18th – Ko Olina’s toughest hole this week – squirted into the back trap. After a good bunker shot, she lipped out a 5-footer for par.

Korda watched from the fairway and missed the green with her approach. She chipped to the fringe then left her par putt short.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (72) was tied for 44th.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Nelly Korda took advantage when Hawaii’s tough trade winds took a break.

Korda rolled in the last of her nine birdies at the 18th in a bogey-free round of 63 Wednesday for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club.

“I got here Saturday and I swear I couldn’t even walk because it was so windy,” said Korda, who is making her Lotte debut. “But I like the place. Everyone is really friendly and it just feels good to be here.”

Eun-Hee Ji birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under 64.

Ji won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions for her fifth LPGA Tour victory. The 2009 U.S. Women’s Open champion also had a bogey-free round

Ji has played in all eight Lotte events, never shooting lower than 66 before Wednesday. She admitted she was uncomfortable in the wind and surprised at how peaceful it was in paradise.

“It’s always windy out here,” Ji said. “But today was no wind and this course . a lot of changes if no wind, so that makes it little easier today.”

Defending champion Brooke Henderson and Hyejin Choi, playing on a sponsor exemption, are two shots back.

Defending champ @BrookeHenderson kept the momentum at the @LPGALOTTE, with an eagle ? en route to an opening 7-under ?pic.twitter.com/aZb0PnpGhZ

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 18, 2019

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., won last year in wind gusts of 30 mph. On Wednesday, she offset her only bogey by chipping in for eagle on the 15th.

“I think I was able to use some of that strategy from last year this year,” Henderson said, “which is a big help.”

Ji turns 33 next month, making her the oldest LPGA winner this year. Korda, who turns 21 in July, was one of the youngest when she snagged her second win in February in Australia.

In her third LPGA season, she is now No. 10 in the Rolex Rankings and has five top 10s in six starts this year. She also leads the tour in birdies.

Hannah Green, of Australia, who holed out for eagle from just inside 100 yards on the third hole, is tied for fifth at 66 with So Yeon Ryu of South Korea.

A big group at 67 includes 2016 Lotte champ Minjee Lee, In Gee Chun, sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn and rookies Suzuka Yamaguchi and Lilia Vu.

Jin Young Ko, the new No. 1 after winning two of her last three starts, finished at 69. She is coming off a victory at the year’s first major and has finished outside the top five just once in her last six starts.

Kim Kaufman had a hole-in-one on the fourth hole – the first of her six-year LPGA career. She shot 71.

Hawaii’s Michelle Wie – the 2014 Lotte champion who is coming back from a wrist injury – shot 77.

“Just coming back, some shots are going to hurt,” Wie said. “Trying to figure my way around that and just trying to get back in the swing of playing again.”

Alena Sharpe (69) of Hamilton was six shots back. Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay shot 72, Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee shot 73 and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont.., had a 74.

It’s no secret that Brooke Henderson wants to catch Sandra Post for most wins by a Canadian on the LPGA Tour. Matching Post’s record at this week’s ANA Inspiration – where the Canadian golfing great won twice – would be Henderson’s ideal event to do it.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp are the only Canadians in the field at the ANA, the first major of the LPGA Tour’s season, starting Thursday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Post won the event in 1978 and 1979 when it was known as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle. Post has eight career LPGA wins, one more than Henderson

“Tying Sandra would be amazing. I’m really looking forward to, and excited, that hopefully I will get this eighth win this year and to do it at a major would be incredible,” Henderson, 21, said. “Especially at ANA where she has won twice.

“I talked to her there before and she’s given me some hints on how to beat the course and hopefully I can put those into action and see what I can do.”

As winner of the Women’s PGA Championship in 2016, Henderson qualified for the ANA Inspiration well before this season began. But her strong start to this year – three top-10 finishes and one top 15 – would also have qualified her.

Sharp qualified as one of the top 20 players on the LPGA’s 2019 money list not already in the field.

“I’m really happy with my start to the season,” said Henderson. “I feel like I have been in contention a little bit, I’ve felt the competitive juices flowing. It’s been fun, for sure.

“I feel like my game is in a good spot, I just think there’s some small things I’m continuing to clean up.”

Another highlight of Henderson’s season has been her prominent role in the LPGA’s Drive On campaign.

In the campaign’s 45-second introductory video released on March 20, Henderson is seen practising at a driving range and she is the first of several golfers to do a voiceover encouraging girls to overcome adversity and be true to themselves.

“It was pretty amazing to be a part of a film like that, that is so powerful and has so much meaning behind it,” said Henderson. “I didn’t really realize I was going to be one of the biggest people to kickstart it, but definitely an honour.

“Drive On’s just getting started and I think it will empower not only women and young girls but I think people of all genders and all ages, helping them to push past negativity and focus on what you’re trying to do and get there.”

View this post on Instagram

This is for every girl. Let’s crush it ?? #DriveOn

A post shared by CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) on Mar 20, 2019 at 10:00am PDT

PHOENIX – Na Yeon Choi feared the worst Thursday in her return from a back injury. She ended up high on the Founders Cup leaderboard.

Choi shot a 7-under 65 at Desert Ridge in her first tournament round in 11 months, leaving her a stroke behind first-round leader Celine Boutier in the event that honours the 13 women who founded the LPGA Tour.

“ Golf is really funny game. I didn’t expect any good score today because this is first day,” said Choi, the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open champion and nine-time tour winner. “I practice hard, of course, but it’s hard to tell how I’m going to shoot. Less expectation, I think, always give you better result.”

Close friend Jenny Shin waited around for Choi to finish and threw a cup of champagne on her in celebration.

“I’m just happy be on the fairway and walking with friends,” Choi said.

The 31-year-old South Korean tried to play through the back problem before finally shutting it down last April, taking the advice of friends and former tour stars Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon.

“I just kept playing golf and my swing got worse and worse and hitting my ball going left and right,” Choi said. “My mentally is like totally broken, so I just need my body get ready first.”

She took a two-week European vacation to help clear her mind.

“I didn’t think about golf,” Choi said. “I didn’t set alarm every day, you know. I just wake up whenever I want and I just eat whatever I want. It was different life I think. I think I was kind of robot when I was growing up and then playing golf well in LPGA Tour. I think I was like living in the box. I couldn’t do anything besides golf. Only golf, only golf. Like 100 per cent focused ongolf.”

When she got the golf bug again, she took it slow and relaxed.

“I try to drink some beer and get a little tipsy and playing golf,” Choi said. “Because we always play golf in serious mode. I just like to play more fun.”

Boutier closed her late round with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth. The Frenchwoman won the Vic Open last month in Australia for her first LPGA Tour title.

“It’s definitely made me more confident in my game, my ability to win out here,” Boutier said. “I feel like I was kind of lacking that confidence last year.”

Also Thursday, PXG announced it added Boutier to its tour staff.

“It’s super exciting because I’ve been playing their clubs a full year now,” the former Duke player said.

Alana Uriell, Charlotte Thomas, Jin Young Ko and Nanna Koerstz Madsen joined Choi at 65. Uriell won a Symetra Tour event two weeks ago in Florida in her pro debut, making an eagle on the first hole of a playoff.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence coming into the LPGA having a win under my belt,” Uriell said. “Feel a little more at home out here, so I don’t mind letting loose and seeing what I’m capable of.”

Top-ranked Sung Hyun Park, Shin, Carlota Ciganda, Pornanong Phatlum and Monday qualifier Cheyenne Knight shot 66.

Former Phoenix high school star Sarah Schmelzel opened with a 67 in her third tour start. She was the 2011 Arizona high school champion at Xavier Prep.

“It was very comfortable looking over outside the ropes and seeing my boyfriend, my mom, my dad, and my brother and people from my golf club that I grew up at here,” Schmelzel said.

In 2001, her golf-loving father – alerted by a friend that Annika Sorenstam was tearing up their home course of Moon Valley in the Standard Register Ping – pulled her out of elementary school in time to watch the final nine holes of Sorenstam’s tour-record 59.

“I just remember I got called up to the office,” Schmelzel said. “I was like, ‘Oh, no. That’s not good.’ I saw my dad standing at the front desk and he said, ‘All right, we’re going to Moon Valley.”’

Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., also shot 67.

Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s 5-under 67 Thursday at the @LPGAfounders. She currently sits T12. pic.twitter.com/y3QbFkVQ3v

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 22, 2019

Nelly Korda had a 68. She won the Women’s Australian Open last month for her second LPGA Tour victory and leads the money list.

Defending champion Inbee Park shot 69.

Xiyu Lin had a hole-in-one on the 17th in a 70. She used a 9-iron on the 142-yard hole.

Brittany Marchand (71) of Orangeville, Ont., was tied for 62nd, Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee (73) was tied for 90th, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (74) was tied for 11th, and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (75) was tied for 128th.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Amy Yang won the LPGA Thailand for the third time after holding off Minjee Lee by one stroke on Sunday.

Yang, from South Korea, carded a final-round 65 and a 22-under-par 266 at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course for her fourth overall LPGA Tour win.

Despite lightning stopping play for 50 minutes and a rain delay later in the round, Yang emerged from a three-way tie with Lee and Carlota Ciganda with a birdie from the fringe of the green on the par-3 16th to regain the lead at 21 under.

“I was honestly very nervous, especially last three holes,” said Yang, who also won the event in 2015 and 2017. “It was (a) tough hole to finish. I was really telling myself just (to) be patient, do (my) best at the time.

“I tried to stay calm and stayed patient out there. I just enjoy coming here. I love the golf course, which is why I always play well here.”

Brooke Henderson (68) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was sixth at 15-under 273.

With Ciganda already signing off at 20 under, Lee, on the 18th, had the chance force a playoff if she made a 14-foot eagle putt. She didn’t, and she had to settle for a birdie to finish with a 66 at 21 under.

“I really fought out there,” said Lee, who was looking for her fifth LPGA Tour win. “Just tried to make as many birdies as I could. Probably didn’t play probably 15 and 16 the way I wanted to, but I think overall, I had a pretty solid performance.”

Ciganda finished at 20 under after having eagled the par-5 first and the par-4 15th. She shot a 63 on Sunday, matching Eun-Hee Ji’s score from Thursday as the lowest of the event.

“I hit lots of greens, (was) hitting great shots, great numbers, and then today, the putting was hot,” Ciganda said.

Yang, who earned $240,000 of the $1.6 million purse, is expected to move from No. 37 to No. 2 in the Race to the CME Globe following the win.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is three shots behind leader Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea after shooting a 6-under 66 in the opening round of Honda LPGA Thailand on Thursday.

The bogey-free day marked Henderson’s first competitive round since the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Florida ended on Jan. 20. The 21-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., sat out the last two events because of illness.

“You know, I felt look I did a lot of things really well today,” Henderson said. “Maybe just adjust the game plan a little bit going into tomorrow. But I’m just going to rest and hopefully come out tomorrow and get a couple birdies early.”

Henderson is in a four-way tie for fifth. Ji has a two-shot lead on Minjee Lee of Australia, Danielle Kang of the United States and Jenny Shin of South Korea.

Henderson tied for seventh at this tournament last year.

#CPWO champ @BrookeHenderson is 3 back after 18 holes @hondalpgath ?? pic.twitter.com/khc5h4ClTm

— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) February 21, 2019

Ji won her fifth U.S. LPGA Tour title in her previous event last month, the Tournament of Champions.

She picked up right where she left off, in Chonburi.

After an opening birdie and a bogey on the third hole, Ji birdied nine out of the following 14 holes on the Siam Country Club Pattaya’s Old Course.

“I felt really great. I didn’t miss any fairways and missed just two greens,” Ji said. “I have a lot of confidence.

Lee was bogey free as she eagled the 15th and birdied five holes on a humid day.

“I was little bit slow starting out. I finished with three birdies on the last three holes at the front nine, and got a little bit better momentum,” Lee said.

World No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, the 2013 runner-up, carded a 4-under 68, mixing an eagle and six birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey.

VICTORIA, Australia – Canada’s Brooke Henderson has pulled out of the ISPS Handa Vic Open due to an undisclosed illness.

Henderson made the announcement on Sunday, four days before the opening round of the first full event of the LPGA Tour’s season.

I’m sad to announce that I unfortunately must withdraw from the ISPS Handa Vic Open due to illness. While I am disappointed that I am unable to compete this week, I wish all the best to the tournament staff, sponsors, and competitors. Thank you for your ongoing support.

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) February 3, 2019

The Smiths Falls, Ont., tied with Stacy Lewis for sixth at 8 under at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on Jan. 20, an event limited to winners over the last two seasons.

It’s the first time the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Victoria, Australia is being held.