Even before her LPGA win, Brooke Henderson was a hometown ambassador
SMITHS FALLS, Ont. – Glenda Cooke started to get emotional when she sat, glued to her TV, while watching Brooke Henderson hit the golf ball off the 16th tee Sunday on her way to victory in the CP Women’s Open.
“That’s when I got up and got the Kleenex,” Cooke said Monday as she recalled witnessing Henderson, a fellow Smiths Falls, Ont., native, become the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour crown on home soil in 45 years.
“And the happy tears started to flow and they just kept coming.”
By the time Henderson was walking comfortably toward the 18th, local fans of the 20-year-old were yelling “Go Brooke, yay,” said Anita Kerfoot as she and the others in her threesome were finishing their Monday morning round on the course at the Smiths Falls Golf and Country Club.
Henderson has had an immeasurable impact on young girls wanting to get into golf, even before she won in Regina, said Cooke.
“That started as soon as Brooke went on the (LPGA) Tour,” she said.
“Just the audience watching her (Sunday), there were a lot of young girls there,” Kerfoot added.
Club members who watched Henderson playing while she was growing up said they haven’t been surprised by her achievements.
“I did play a couple of rounds with Brooke when she was growing up and it was a treat to play with her then,” said Ken Closs.
“You could tell that she was going to be something special,” said Closs, adding that Henderson bested him on the golf course when she was just 10 years old.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” he said as his golfing buddies laughed.
You rock, #Saskatchewan! @BrookeHenderson says thanks to the fans and volunteers @The_Wascana for an amazing week at the #CPWO ? pic.twitter.com/PYaRI4M9ZX
— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) August 28, 2018
The Henderson family has become synonymous with golf in the small Eastern Ontario town. Her uncle, Tom Henderson, is the current local course title holder.
“What she’s doing for golf in Smiths Falls, and for women in general, it’s really awesome,” Tom Henderson said of his niece.
There is, after all, a trophy case displaying Brooke Henderson’s achievements just inside the clubhouse.
A new junior locker room in her name also was built in the last year, displaying pictures from some of Henderson’s junior championships.
“It’s really there to help inspire our juniors to continue working hard and loving this game,” said club manager and senior pro Dan McNeely.
Henderson has, through her talents but also by virtue of her character, become an ambassador for not only Smiths Falls, but for the sport of golf and for her country, said the town’s mayor, Shawn Pankow.
“She’s our favourite daughter,” Pankow said as he stood on the sidewalk outside his office.
“When you look at the way she represents our community, the way she represents Canada, she’s still that humble small-town girl who has taken the golf world by storm,” he said.
“So much she’s done in such a short period of time, the whole town is incredibly proud of her.”
Pankow said Henderson’s victory was yet another shot in the arm for a town which was once struggling, despite being close to the nation’s capital. However, Smiths Falls more recently has experienced a boom in tourism and business development.
The future for the town of roughly 9,000 people appeared grim a decade ago when a major local business, the Hershey Chocolate factory, shut down operations and moved to Mexico.
But Smiths Falls has since benefited from the explosion in Canadian cannabis, which has brought a resurgence in jobs and tourism.
Pankow said Henderson’s victory Sunday appeared all the more remarkable, given her and her family’s own recent turmoil.
Both of Henderson’s grandfathers died this summer.
Weir says CP Women’s Open win could be only the start for Brooke Henderson
Once a beacon of inspiration for men’s golf in Canada, Mike Weir believes Brooke Henderson can be the same for the women’s game – and she will “blow past” the all-time mark for top-flight tour wins by a Canadian in the process.
Weir returned to his hotel after hiking in southern Utah on Sunday to the news that Henderson had won the CP Women’s Open. That put the 20-year-old Henderson at seven LPGA wins, just one back of the record for most victories by a Canadian at a top-level tour held by Weir, George Knudson and Sandra Post.
“I hope it makes a difference in Canadian women’s golf,” Weir said in a phone interview. “She’s such a young person herself, so hopefully that means young girls and teenagers will take up golf and we get the women’s game growing even more.”
Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, was the last Canadian to win a PGA or LPGA event on home soil when he picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the now-defunct Air Canada Championship in 1999. The native of Brights Grove, Ont. had an infamous near miss at the 2004 RBC Canadian Open, losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh.
Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 7-under-par 65 Sunday at Wascana Country Club in Regina to beat Angel Yin by four shots. At one point in the back nine, Yin made three birdies in a row. Henderson matched her shot-for-shot, making four straight birdies.
PGA Tour golfer Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., took to Twitter on Thursday to say Henderson was “single-handedly changing the game of golf for young girls in Canada” like Weir did in the early 2000s.
Weir said Henderson’s strong mental approach complements her athleticism.
“The way she swings the club and how dynamic her movement is with her swing, she may be the most athletic woman out there from what I’ve seen,” said Weir. “But it’s the mental side. A girl makes three birdies on her and she makes four? That shows something not only with her athleticism but what’s inside, and what she thinks about the game, how she’s able to handle herself in a tough situation.”
Weir said he still remembers the roars from his Air Canada Championship victory, and outside of the Masters it was as loud a crowd he’s ever had cheer him on. He called it an incredible feeling.
“When I won in Canada, it wasn’t the Canadian Open but it felt like a major because the crowd is so big and so behind you. The energy feels like a major,” he said. “I’m sure (Henderson) felt that.”
Weir’s life changed after his Masters victory in 2003, as he climbed as high as No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He said he’s not sure Henderson’s life will change that much after the CP Women’s Open victory – since she’s already got a major win and is an established player, he said – but it will be important for her confidence.
“This is huge for her for sure, and her game going forward,” he said.
Henderson returns to action this week on the LPGA Tour at the Cambia Portland Classic, an event she’s won twice in her career. She also said Sunday she’s got a lot of confidence as she heads into The Evian Championship, the LPGA Tour’s final major.
“I’ve had two wins the last couple seasons, so I wanted to keep that streak going, so I’m happy that I did,” she said. Hopefully I can look forward to getting a third win this season.“
Weir believes Henderson’s win on the biggest stage in Canadian women’s golf could be the start of a “special” run.
“I want her to keep having fun, play aggressively, and not take it as pressure but ‘let’s just see how good I can get.’ Whether that’s two or three wins a year or seven or eight or nine, maybe she’ll rattle off one of those years like one of the all-time greats Tiger (Woods) or Annika (Sorenstam),” said Weir.
“She has the talent, and that’s a real possibility.”
Brooke Henderson takes her golf game management next level in Canadian victory
Feeding off the energy of fans in the galleries, but not letting it overwhelm her, is now a skill in Brooke Henderson’s toolbox.
Labelled the face of Canadian golf at age 14 when she played in her first CP Women’s Open, Henderson had to learn how to manage her own intense desire to win on home turf, and the fervent, vocal wishes of home fans that she do so.
The 20-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont., solved that puzzle at Regina’s Wascana Country Club on Sunday where she became the first Canadian in 45 years to win the CP Women’s Open.
“I played my first CP Women’s Open seven years ago. I just felt like I was slowly getting better, getting used to the attention,” Henderson said Monday in Calgary.
“This year, something just sort of clicked. Just being able to feed off the energy of the crowd, that was the first time ever I was really able to manage that.”
Less than 24 hours after hoisting the trophy she superstitiously wouldn’t touch until she won it, Henderson was at Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country club for a women’s golf clinic and panel discussion.
The course is hosting the men in the PGA Tour Champions Shaw Charity Classic starting Friday.
Henderson’s visit was a stopover en route to Portland, Ore., and the Cambia Portland Classic, which she won in both 2015 and 2016.
Seeing England’s Georgia Hall claim the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club in early August inspired Henderson as she headed to her own national championship.
But she was taken aback by the size of Wascana’s galleries when she stepped to the first tee box for her opening round.
Henderson still engaged with spectators, however. She smiled, waved and high-fived for three rounds until Sunday when her game mask was firmly on.
“Heading into Sunday, I just wanted to give it everything that I had and I wanted to keep that focus from when I first teed off until the 18th hole,” Henderson explained.
“I definitely did show my appreciation, but I was much more serious and much more focused.
“I just figured it would all be worth it if I was able to hoist the trophy on the 18th green and celebrate with everybody then. So, I feel it was a smart decision.”
The mask slipped as she walked to the 18th green for a birdie putt and she let the moment in.
“It was the first time all day I could really take a deep breath and realize that I’d actually just won,” she explained.
“That feeling of being able to let go, because I’d been not stressed, but just wanting to win it so badly. This was probably number one on the tournaments I wanted to win.”
What followed was whirlwind of media, autographs and fielding congratulatory messages on her phone, including one from Wayne Gretzky.
Henderson admitted not sleeping well after her four-stroke victory in part because she dreamed she hadn’t won and had to keep playing.
Only three other Canadian golfers since 1954 have won an Open at home is a testament to how difficult it is.
Henderson took her game management to a new level to achieve it. It is now in her skill set at just 20 years old.
She vaulted into world’s top 10 to No. 8 this week and sits second on the LPGA’s 2018 money list.
Henderson now targets a second career major Sept. 13-16 at the US$3.8 million Evian Championship in France.
She was just 18 when she won the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Having checked a Canadian win off her career bucket list, Henderson says she now feels less pressure in her game.
“There is definitely a lot more pressure playing here at home in Canada, but it’s amazing I know I have that much support and people are cheering for me so hard,” she said.
“I definitely was a little disappointed with the way I’d played previously, but I feel like it was all a stepping stone in the right direction leading to this win.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson shoots 65 to win CP Women’s Open by four strokes
REGINA – Brooke Henderson ended Canada’s long drought at the CP Women’s Open on Sunday, firing a final-round 7-under-par 65 to win the national championship by four strokes.
Henderson finished with a 21-under 267 total, sealing the win with a short birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Wascana Country Club.
“It’s amazing, just surreal,” Henderson said. “The crowds here have been so amazing all week, and to finish it off the way I did is really a dream come true.”
American Angel Yin was alone in second place after a 68 and American Jennifer Song (67) was six shots behind at 15 under. Australians Minjee Lee (68) and Su Oh (69) were seven strokes off the pace in a fourth-place tie with South Korea’s Amy Yang (68) and American Austin Ernst (69).
It was the first time a Canadian has won this tournament since Jocelyne Bourassa took the 1973 event – then called La Canadienne – at Montreal.
Henderson earned US$337,500 of the $2.25-million purse for her second victory of the season. It was her seventh career LPGA Tour win, moving her one behind Sandra Post’s record for all-time victories by a Canadian.
Henderson, who started the day with a one-shot lead, was aggressive from the start on an overcast, chilly morning in front of a vocal group of adoring supporters.
Displaying a steely focus and no sign of nerves, she found the fairway with her opening drive and cleared a greenside bunker with her second shot, sticking the ball 12 feet from the pin.
Henderson is one of the biggest hitters on the Tour but her short game can be inconsistent at times. The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., set the early tone by sinking the birdie putt for a two-shot lead.
She gave the stroke back on the second hole after her drive found the rough. A line of fairway-hugging trees forced her to chip out on the fairway and Henderson would settle for bogey.
Back-to-back pars followed, allowing Oh to briefly pull even with the Canadian. However, Oh missed a 10-foot par putt on the fifth hole and Henderson drained a 25-footer for birdie to regain the lead.
Canada’s @BrookeHenderson wins the 2018 #CPWO, becoming the first Canadian to win since 1973 https://t.co/rtdHhQ7ueb
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 26, 2018
After a birdie-bogey run, Henderson showed her form on the par-3, 206-yard eighth hole. With a challenging pin placement, she elevated her tee shot perfectly to clear a greenside ridge and bunker to leave herself an 18-foot putt.
She hit the birdie to move to 16-under for a three-shot cushion on Oh and defending champion Sung Hyun Park of South Korea.
Henderson was playing to win and not to just hang on.
A steady rain started to fall as the last few groups made the turn. Some of the Tour’s biggest names were chasing Henderson but no one could get hot enough on the back nine to get close.
Yin hovered a few shots back but Henderson wouldn’t budge.
“It’s great for golf in Canada, women’s golf, and it’s great for her too,” Yin said. “I mean, people shouting her name left to right since the first hole, like (since) nine in the morning. I bet you she feels pressure.
“But she’s used to it and she handles it pretty well, and she finished the job.”
The Canadian was making almost every shot look easy. The greens softened up a touch and Henderson was going for the pins. Approach shots were usually in tight and the putter was working.
Yin rolled in her third straight birdie on No. 15, and Henderson answered by knocking in her fourth birdie putt in a row to keep her three-shot lead.
She maintained that cushion through the 17th hole, allowing her to fully enjoy the moment on No. 18 as the packed gallery roared during her walk up the fairway.
After a beautiful drive, Henderson’s approach shot from 69 yards out cozied up to the hole. She tapped in the short putt and the celebration was on.
Henderson raised her arms in the air and hugged her sister Brittany, who was on her bag all week. Their ecstatic father, Dave, ran on to the green and doused them in champagne.
Park (71), who finished at 13 under, will retain her No. 1 position in the world rankings. She was tied with three-time CP Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko (69) and several others.
American Mo Martin was another shot back at 12 under after firing a course-record 62.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was at 6 under, two shots ahead of Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (73).
The 2019 CP Women’s Open will be held at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson moves one shot off clubhouse lead at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Sung Hyun Park emerged from the scorer’s tent after a masterful round of 64 at the CP Women’s Open to a swarm of golf fans.
Few seemed to notice the defending champion and world’s best women’s golfer as she strolled undisturbed down the path, fresh from tying a course record at the Wascana Country Club.
This crowd had only one person on its mind. Canadian star Brooke Henderson is the star of this show, especially after a second straight 66 left her just one stroke behind clubhouse leader Amy Yang of South Korea.
“Brooke is almost like Canada’s Tiger Woods,” said Park, who played with Henderson and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist. “I was really surprised at how many fans came out to support Brooke today. To witness that was pretty awesome.”
Dozens of fans – many clad in red and white and waving small Canadian flags – let out a roar when Henderson chipped in on her opening hole and they were just as vocal when she capped her round with another birdie.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., was at 12-under-par 132 and right in the mix for what could be a very exciting weekend.
“I hit the ball in good spots and made birdie putts when I had them,” Henderson said. “I feel like I made the most of today’s round, which is always a great feeling.
“To be close to the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend is awesome, especially when you’re here in Canada.”
Henderson has managed to score in different ways over the first two rounds. She took advantage of her impressive length on Thursday and had her short game working when the wind picked up Friday.
Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s second-round 66 at the #CPWO pic.twitter.com/8oB7WVXWwG
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 24, 2018
Yang shot a 65 to move into top spot at 13-under-par 131. American Angel Yin (67) joined Henderson in second place with several groups still on the course.
“I was hitting it pretty solid out there,” Yang said. “But I gave myself a lot of good chances and I think I made most of them out there.”
Park, from South Korea, was three shots off the lead after her 64, a score that three players attained a day earlier. She was joined at 10 under by first-round co-leader Nasa Hataoka of Japan (70) and Maria Torres of Puerto Rico (66).
Starting on the par-4 10th hole, Henderson had four birdies over her first six holes before missing a three-foot putt on the 16th for a bogey.
She started to spray the ball a little bit after that miscue, but the six-time winner on the LPGA Tour had some luck on her side too.
Her drive sailed well right on the 18th hole, hitting a grandstand post on a bounce before settling in the rough. Henderson found the green with her next shot and two-putted for par.
Five pars followed after the turn before Henderson found a late groove. She hit a tricky four-foot downhill putt on the sixth hole and drained a 22-footer from the fringe for another birdie on the seventh.
“Definitely have a lot of confidence in (my putter) this week, which is always amazing when you can depend on that club,” she said. “But I think overall, everything is kind of going really well.”
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., closed her round by going up-and-down from the side of the ninth green for birdie to the delight of the partisan gallery.
Americans Mariah Stackhouse (69) and Austin Ernst (69) were at 9-under-par 135, one shot ahead of Nordqvist (66) and several others.
It was hot and sunny again on the 6,675-yard course and the wind really started howling later in the day. First-round co-leaders Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe had late tee times.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City (71), one of 16 Canadians in the field, was a good bet to make the cut at 3-under 141. The early projected cut line was 2 under.
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event.
LPGA Tour Stars Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp Join Decorated Canadian Olympians to Tee Off 2018 Shaw Charity Classic at Women’s Day
CALGARY, Alta. —Canada’s most accomplished golfers on the LPGA TOUR – Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharpe – will join many of Canada’s most respected Olympic trailblazers to tee off the sixth annual Shaw Charity Classic at Blakes Women’s Day, presented by RBC.
The gathering of Calgary-based corporate women with many of the City’s most accomplished female personalities will headline a celebration of women and the game of golf through a unique networking opportunity, August 27, at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.
The morning will begin with a continental breakfast and introduction at 8 a.m. Each Calgary-based personality will be paired with a foursome of corporate women for nine holes of golf on the tournament course at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club or attend an interactive golf clinic led by PGA TOUR Champions professional, Robert Gamez.
Immediately following golf, two-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan will moderate a discussion with six-time winner on the LPGA TOUR, Henderson, along with her 2016 Olympic teammate Alena Sharp.
The discussion will focus on mental preparation in sport and business, while tackling some of the biggest issues they have faced in their pursuit of excellence both on and off the golf course, while inspiring Calgary’s corporate women to chase their own goals and dreams.
WHO: Catriona Le May Doan – Two–Time Gold and Bronze medallist, Speedskating
Cassie Campbell-Pascall- Two–Time Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist, Hockey
Carla MacLeod – Two-Time Olympic Gold Medallist, Hockey
Kerrin Lee-Gartner – Olympic Gold Medallist, Alpine
Cheryl Bernard – Olympic Silver Medallist, Curling
Erica Wiebe – Olympic Gold Medallist, Wrestling
Alex Gough – Olympic Silver and Bronze Medallist, Luge
Melissa Lotholz – Olympian World Cup Champion, World Championship Silver Medallist, Bobsleigh
Kim McRae – Olympian luge – World Championship and World Cup medallist
Laine Peters – Six-Time World Champion, Curling
Jane Channell – Olympian, Multiple World Cup Medallist, Skeleton
Christine Nordhagen – Olympian, Six-Time World Champion, Wrestling
Mount Royal Cougars Athletes
WHERE: Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club
12501 – 14th Street SW, Calgary
WHEN: August 28
7:30 a.m. – Registration
8:00 a.m. – Breakfast and Introductions
8:45 a.m. – Nine Holes of Golf (Shotgun Start)
10:30 a.m. – Clinic with PGA TOUR Champions Professional Robert Gamez
11:15 a.m. – Media Scrum with Brooke Henderson
11:30 a.m. – Lunch
12 noon – Panel Discussion
World No. 14 Brooke Henderson leads Canadian contingent at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – England’s Georgia Hall can relate to the pressure that Canadian golfers may be feeling at the CP Women’s Open.
Hall won the Women’s British Open earlier this month at Royal Lytham to become the first British player to win the tournament since 2009. She didn’t think about any added tension during her breakout performance and instead focused on the excitement at hand.
“Just enjoy being at home and enjoy having your family and friends come and watch,” Hall said Wednesday. “That’s what I did. Don’t really worry about the outcome. Four days is a lot of golf. So just enjoy it and see what happens.”
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., headlines the list of 16 Canadians in the field this week at the Wascana Country Club. The world No. 14 has one victory and eight top-10 finishes this season.
Jocelyne Bourassa was the last Canadian to win this tournament, taking the 1973 title in Montreal.
“That’s a long time,” Henderson said. “Yeah, (there’s) a little bit (of pressure). I would love to win this tournament. I don’t know if that’s this year. Hopefully before my career is over.”
Henderson finished in a tie for 12th last year in Ottawa. She has an afternoon tee time for Thursday’s opening round with new world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park of South Korea and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.
“It’s kind of like the sixth major for me on the LPGA Tour,” Henderson said. “It’s very meaningful, very important to me, especially being a CP ambassador and playing here in my home country.”
Other Canadians include LPGA Tour regulars Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Anne-Catharine Tanguay of Quebec City and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont.
Symetra Tour players include Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Saskatoon’s Anna Young, Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C. Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane of Charlottetown will make her record-tying 28th appearance.
National amateur squad member Naomi Ko of Victoria is also in the field with development squad players Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., and Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont. Amateur Grace St. Germain of Ottawa was a late withdrawal.
Vancouver teenager Tiffany Kong is playing on an exemption and Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon earned a spot with a top-four finish in Monday’s qualifier.
“It’s about time that one of us wins it and it’d be awesome to do it this week,” Sharp said. “(I) just want to have a chance at it going into the weekend.”
Golf Canada’s national women’s head coach Tristan Mullally said it’s possible for players to treat the added pressure in a positive way.
“You can use that if you leverage it correctly,” he said. “I often say, ‘You can sit at the edge of a cliff and you can look down and be scared or you can look out and enjoy the view.’
“I think it’s that perspective. It’s got to be where, ‘These people are rooting for me. I can use that energy.”’
Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, China’s Shanshan Feng and Americans Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer are some of the other big names in the field.
The wind was howling on a warm, sunny afternoon for Wednesday’s pro-am championship. Similar conditions are expected for the first two rounds but rain is in the forecast for the weekend.
There are opportunities to go low on the 6,675-yard course. It’s a flat track with long, narrow fairways, thick rough and fast greens.
Players who are long off the tee – like Henderson – could give themselves opportunities as the course often rewards aggressive play.
This will be Hall’s first tournament since her first major title – and first victory – on Tour. The rookie will play in a group with three-time CP Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand and American Lexi Thompson.
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event. The champion will earn $337,500.
Notes: There won’t be a domestic television broadcast or simulcast this year as all four rounds will air on The Golf Channel. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said both he and Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum would like to rectify broadcast plans either next year or by 2020. … The 2019 CP Women’s Open will be held at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
Click here to visit the CP Women’s Open website.
Canadian golf star Brooke Henderson says her game is in a ‘really good place’
REGINA – It’s a golf swing that is by no means of the textbook variety.
Brooke Henderson uses a long driver, grips down on it and rotates her body quickly, using impressive core strength to maintain the necessary stability and balance as she brings the club down.
The torque is intense, but it’s a motion that allows her to get every last bit of energy and power from her slight, yet taut, five-foot-six frame.
It can sound like a gunshot when the clubface meets the ball, which usually rockets down the fairway.
Henderson’s power game has always been there. Her short game has not been as consistent, but is showing signs of improvement entering this week’s CP Women’s Open.
“I feel it’s in a really good place right now – at least the last few weeks,” Henderson said after Tuesday’s practice round at the Wascana Country Club. “Golf is sort of weird and (the) short game is really weird. You can putt great one day and putt terrible the next.
“It’s all about energy and staying positive and kind of believing that you can make everything. I feel like I’m getting closer to that spot, so I’m excited.”
Henderson’s putter was hot at last week’s LPGA Tour stop in Indianapolis. She closed with a 9-under-par 63 to finish tied for seventh.
It was her eighth top-10 result of the season.
“(I) made a lot of putts and it was cool to make a lot of birdies and kind of get that feeling back again,” she said.
The 20-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., averages almost 270 yards per drive, good for seventh among all LPGA Tour players. Her driving accuracy is so-so at 71.79 per cent (69th overall) but she hits over 75 per cent of greens in regulation (third overall).
However, she averages 29.70 putts per round (54th) and her sand save percentage is a mediocre 40.98 per cent (104th).
Henderson will have plenty of opportunities this week on the 6,675-yard course, which plays long in spots, but can reward players who are aggressive.
That could work into Henderson’s hands as she tries to become the first Canadian to win this tournament since Jocelyne Bourassa won at Montreal in 1973.
“The way (Henderson) scores is she can go on a tear of like four of five birdies in a row,” Canadian golf legend Sandra Post said in a recent interview. “She’s not afraid to go low when she plays.”
Henderson earned her lone win of the season last April in Hawaii for her sixth career LPGA Tour victory, leaving her two behind Post for most all-time wins on Tour by a Canadian.
She has managed to maintain a solid world ranking position of No. 14 even though it has been a challenging season at times. Both of Henderson’s grandfathers died earlier this year.
“It’s been a really crazy and weird and kind of tough summer, for sure,” Henderson said. “But I feel like once I get inside the ropes I can kind of let that go and know that my two grandpas that did pass away, they’re always cheering me on and looking on from heaven. That kind of gives me that little bit (of an) extra boost.”
Henderson leads an impressive field that includes defending champion and world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park of South Korea, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, American Lexi Thompson and China’s Shanshan Feng.
On the coaching front, Henderson works with her father, Dave, and gets tips from her sister, Brittany – who also serves as her caddie. She has also worked with Golf Canada’s national women’s head coach Tristan Mullally in the past.
Kevin Haime, a past winner of the PGA of Canada national teacher of the year award, hosts a junior golf event in the Ottawa area that has featured Henderson and her sister. He regularly uses a video demo of Brooke’s swing for his students.
“There’s about six different things that you could say don’t make a lot of sense there,” Haime said. “But she’s such a wonderful athlete with wonderful timing, she drives the ball better than (almost) anybody on the LPGA Tour.”
As strong as Henderson can be off the tee, she can really be a force when the putter is going.
“When it’s on, she really goes low,” Post said. “But she’s got tremendous spirit, tremendous desire and will. I always find that’s the one thing that can’t be taught. You have to have all those other things.
“But it’s almost like that unknown – if you’ve got that in you – to sort of step up.”
Henderson said the friendly competition with her sister – who’s now 27 – during their formative years in the sport also helped give her game a big boost.
“I was always trying to beat her, be as good as her,” she said. “She was always a lot taller, a lot stronger, so I tried to hit the ball, outdrive her, which didn’t happen for a long time. But I think that’s why I didn’t have that unique strength, because I was just trying to use every ounce of my body to get the ball out there.
“I feel like she really pushed me to be better at a younger age.”
Henderson will return to the par-72 course on Wednesday for the championship pro-am competition. First-round play begins Thursday morning.
Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon picked up one of four final exemptions in Monday’s qualifying to boost the number of Canadian players in the field to 16.
The US$2.25-million tournament will wrap up Sunday.
Henderson T7; Park wins Indy Women in Tech
INDIANAPOLIS, Ill. — Canadian Brooke Henderson put in a spectacular performance during Sunday’s final round at the Indy Women in Tech Championship, finishing T7 ahead of next week’s CP Women’s Open in her home country.
The Smiths Falls, Ont., product fired a scorching, bogey-free 63 (her best round of 2018) after recording nine birdies to finish at 18 under.
Sung Hyun Park blew one chance to jump back on top of the world Sunday.
The South Korean star made sure it didn’t happen again.
After missing a short birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and leaving the door open for Lizette Salas, Park made a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff to win the Indy Women in Tech Championship and reclaim the No. 1 spot.
“I’m very honoured to be ranked No. 1 and I hope to maintain that ranking for a long time,” she said through an interpreter after shooting a 3-under 69 for a four-round total of 23-under 265. “I will try my best.”
The 25-year-old South Korean held top spot for one week last November.
If she continues playing like she did this weekend, Park could retain it for quite a while.
She became the second three-time winner on tour this season and now won five LPGA Tour titles over the past two years _ including two majors.
And aside from a rare mishit, which led to a double bogey Saturday, Park played the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course almost flawlessly.
She opened with a 68 on Thursday, followed with a 63 on Friday and started in the next-to-last paring after settling for 66 on Saturday.
After finishing, Park was whisked away to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s finish line, where she celebrated by kissing the bricks and taking the traditional sip of milk _ though she declined to take the milk bath as the event’s inaugural winner, Lexi Thompson, did last year.
“I didn’t expect that tradition, but I was pleased to do it,” Park said.
But she needed some help to reach the winner’s circle.
Salas had a two-shot lead after a birdie on the par-4, 13th and seemed perfectly positioned to end her personal victory drought of more than four years _ even after Park cut the lead to one with a birdie at No. 14.
Then the tournament that had been full of low scores and light on drama suddenly switched.
Salas, who had missed only three fairways all week, hit drives into the rough on the last two holes of regulation.
She dropped into a tie after making bogey at the par-4, 17th and got a reprieve when Park’s birdie putt for the lead on No. 18 slid just to the right of the hole. Salas then hit her approach shot from the deep rough on No. 18 within five feet, giving her a chance to win. But after backing away from the putt, she also missed.
“I could have freaked out, I could have done a lot of other things, but I stayed patient and I hit the shot I wanted,” she said of the chip. “All I could ask for was an opportunity.”
Salas, hitting first, drove down the middle of the fairway within 90 yards of the hole. Park answered with a drive about 30 yards longer.
Both chipped onto the green with makeable birdie putts, but Salas’ curved just left of the hole.
Park’s putt, meanwhile, dropped cleanly in the middle of the cup.
“I was not nervous at all,” Park said. “When the other person missed the putt, I felt relieved that I would make it.”
Salas’ fifth career runner-up finish might have been the most frustrating.
After finishing tied for fifth in last year’s 54-hole tournament here with three sub-par rounds, she opened this year’s event with a course record-tying 62 on Thursday. She then had rounds of 69 and 64 and 69 and stayed atop the leader board through every hole Sunday _ until Park’s final putt.
“I stuck with my game plan and a couple of putts could have dropped,” she said. “But you’ve just got to roll with it.”
Amy Kang, of South Korea, wound up third after shooting 69 to finish at 22-under 266.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn needed to finish higher than sixth to retain her hold on the No. 1 spot. Jutanugarn tied for seventh after shooting 66 for an 18-under 270.
Thompson birdied the final hole to finish 1 under for the day and 17 under in her first tournament following a monthlong break to recover from physical and mental exhaustion.
But it was Park who delivered an eighth straight win for non-Americans.
“My goal was to win three times this year,” Park said. “I’m trying hard, so maybe I will win again.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson had a great last day, scoring 63. This result in the final round saw her climb a few ladder, finishing in a tie for seventh.
Brooke Henderson: Building a Legacy
At only 20 years old, it might be a bit too early to be talking about one’s legacy. But when that person is Brooke Henderson and she has six LPGA Tour titles – including one major to her name – that is a topic which will inevitably come up for discussion.
In just in her third full season, the former member of Golf Canada’s national team program trails only Sandra Post – who captured eight LPGA Tour titles during her career – for most all time by a Canadian.
“The first chapter has only been written,” said said Lorie Kane, referring to the legacy Henderson is building through her success.
As an inductee to the Canadian golf hall of fame in 2016 and a member of the Order of Canada, Kane is very familiar with leaving a legacy and making an impact.
“She brings a great level of excitement to the game with her success,” added the four-time LPGA Tour winner about Henderson. “And she is growing the game.”
For her part, the 20-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. has some kind words about Kane – who she regards as a mentor.
“I remember playing a practice round with her when I was fifteen; and later that week we held hands and waved to the crowd while walking up the 18th hole. That was a special memory,” said Henderson.
“She’s really paved the way for Canadian golf. She’s such a great ambassador for the game of golf; and it’s been incredible to learn from her expertise and experience.”
Kane is quick to point out that the young golfing superstar benefits from having a great supporting cast.
“Brooke is the product of a very good upbringing from her mom and dad and sister Brit who carries the bag that supports her,” she noted.
“She has also benefited a lot from being part of Golf Canada’s national team program,” Kane added.
Henderson, who first joined the national team program at the age of 14, credits her time with the team for a significant part of her success.
“I got so many opportunities to compete outside of Canada and in the U.S. We played in the British and world amateur championships and all over the world,” Henderson said.
“So being on the team really taught me a lot. Not only from the coaches – but golf-wise we had access to a nutritionist, psychologist, strength and conditioning. I learned about all the aspects of the game of golf and that’s been very important to my development.”
Today, as a six-time LPGA Tour winner and a bona fide star in her sport, the 20-year-old golfer is grateful to be living out her childhood dream.
“It’s always been a dream since I was a little girl to play against the best golfers in the world; and I’m now very thankful to be able to do that every week and travel the world,” said Henderson, who started playing the sport at the age of three.
“Having six wins I feel so blessed and grateful to have that and hopefully I can continue on that trend.”
In terms of continuing on the success she’s enjoyed, Henderson isn’t shy about declaring her goal of one day capturing the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
“This event is kind of like the sixth major out on the LPGA Tour and it means a lot to me. It would mean the world to mean to win this title in front of the Canadian fans.”
Looking at the bigger picture, the two-time CP Female Athlete of the Year is happy that her success has a ripple effect in terms of inspiring others to chase after their own version of greatness.
“I’m happy to be someone that the kids can look up to and be someone who inspires them to be the best person they can; so, they can chase after their dreams in sports, academics or whatever field of interest they may have.”
Henderson’s success has also provided her with a platform to address important causes close to her heart.
“I think its great to play on the LPGA Tour and play all around the world and be in a position where you can give back,” she said.
“And being a CP Has Heart Ambassador is one them. Just to see the difference this program is making and the lives they are saving is just extraordinary.”
Last year in Ottawa, the program raised $2M for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This year, the funds raised through the program will go to support the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“I’m really happy to be an ambassador alongside Lorie Kane. And she does a really great job in raising awareness and helping to raise awareness so I’m following her lead,” Henderson added.
Also, in early April, with the devastation left behind by the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Henderson dedicated her victory at the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii to the victims and their families.
“What happened was extremely tragic and I was happy that I was able to win it for them and I was glad to be able to honour them in some way,” she said.
As the Smiths Falls, Ont. native prepares to compete in Saskatchewan for the first time in her career, she hopes to be able to honour the victims one more time with a strong performance in the third week of August at the Wascana Country Club.
Besides building a legacy through her stellar results on the golf course – and chasing down records in the process – the mature 20-year-old understands that a part of that legacy will also be defined by how she uses her platform away from the golf course.
“In the big scheme of things, I’m playing golf for a living and enjoying every minute of it,” said Henderson.
“This is my passion and it’s what I love to do. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to give back and inspire others along the way,” she added.
“And everyday, I’m just trying to be a better golfer and a better person.”