Victory in her last start has certainly made World No. 11 Brooke Henderson one of the players to watch this week at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, and the bubbly Canadian has set her sights on continuing to ride her wave of momentum.

“It has been a little bit of an up-and-down season for me, but getting my second tour win of the season just a few days ago gave me a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum,” said Henderson, who triumphed by five strokes at the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open after having to contend with wind-swept, rainy conditions in the last two rounds.

“I only have five events left on the LPGA Tour this year, which really isn’t that many. I really want to focus and work hard and see if I can finish in the top 10 and get some top-five finishes and hopefully move my CME rank up a little bit. That’s kind of where my main focus is going into for the next five weeks.

“Just continuing to gain experience and learn every single day, so that next year I can be even better than this year,” added Henderson, who is the only LPGA Tour player with multiple victories in both 2016 and 2017.

Asked by local reporters to put her finger on why it is that Korean golfers have been so successful in global golf over the past two decades, Henderson replied: “They’re very talented. I’m sitting amongst four ladies that are role models and inspirations to me as well.”

Henderson was accompanied by So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park and In Gee Chun in a packed media center at SKY72 Golf & Resort for a pre-tournament press conference.

“As for the secret to it, I have no idea,” smiled the Canadian. “You’ll have to ask these girls. I think they do work really hard and they’re very passionate about the game of golf and they have strong goals and they’re willing to work really hard to achieve them.

“I think that’s something that everybody can learn from, golfers or even people in business or just everyday life. You know, pick a goal and then work as hard as you can to achieve it.”

When the 2018 LPGA season gets underway there will be at least one new Canadian competing full-time on Tour. That of course is Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay.

The Quebec City native locked up her card by finishing at No. 8 in the Symetra Tour’s season-long money list.

With five top 10 finishes and a win at the Garden City Charity Classic in September, Tanguay had all but guaranteed her place next year on the LPGA Tour.

“It’s just really incredible…This week everything just clicked,” said the 26-year-old in an interview with Symetra Tour officials immediately after her win which scored her over $22,000 (USD).

“One of my biggest goals was to pick a target and take an aggressive and fearless swing and that is really what got me through,” added the University of Oklahoma alumna, who majored in business.

Tanguay also mentioned after her big victory that she was feeling a lot of nerves prior to the final round but was fortunate to receive strong support and comforting words from her caddie, JH Trahan – who is also her long time boyfriend, and now, her fiancé.

During the CP Women’s Open last month, she spoke about their relationship and recent engagement.

“Yeah, actually we got engaged about three weeks ago. We were on the road just before Wisconsin, so we just decided to kind of keep it low. So we’ve had some time to digest the news,” said Tanguay in a pre-tournament presser at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

“I don’t know if it really changes anything, but for sure I’m really happy that my fiancé is with me, and it’s been a really a game-changer for me this year,” continued the 26-year-old who first met Trahan during a junior golf development camp almost 15 years ago.

“So he does caddie and little bit of coaching and little bit of everything, so I’m just really, really excited about the engagement and about him having to be with me. So, we’re just really excited,” she added.

After her triumph at Buffalo Dunes, Tanguay took to her official Facebook page to thank those who have stood by her side and supported her in her journey.

“First of all, thank you Golf Canada and the Young Pro Squad for giving me the opportunities and resources to develop & grow into the player I am today. Thank you Tristan Mullally, Christie Gialloreto and Greg Redman for all your time & hard work,” she wrote.

“Thank you to all of you who follow my journey and send me words of encouragement throughout the year, it means a lot and I greatly appreciate it,” Tanguay added.

“Last but not least, thank you to my family and friends for always being there for me, for loving and supporting me unconditionally.”

According to Team Canada national women’s team head coach, Tristan Mullally, the talented young golfer is doing all the right things to be successful on the golf course.

“Anne-Catherine has played great this year. She’s someone who is really disciplined, organized, and works extremely hard – and always has a plan,” he said of Tanguay, who first joined the national team program in 2009 as part of the Development Squad.

Mullally notes that the current Young Pro Squad member greatly benefits from having a dedicated team around her.

“Our team has worked extremely well with her to support her in all aspects of her game,” he pointed out.

“She’s also got great support on the course as her fiancé is her caddie and that’s been working well for them. So overall, she’s well supported on and off the course; and that’s allowing her to play to her potential.”

Mullally adds that being able to play to her potential, combined with her consistency, has been the keys to Tanguay’s breakthrough success this year.

“Anne-Catherine hits the ball a long way and is solid on the greens also; so she’s got a well-rounded game and she’s been able to put all the pieces together nicely this year,” Mullally said.

“She’s also been very consistent and has just been going out there and playing her game – and is very deserving of all the success that she’s enjoyed.”

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City has earned her LPGA Tour card for the 2018 season following the Symetra Tour Championship on Sunday at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 26-year-old Oklahoma State graduate is among the top-10 Symetra Tour athletes to finish atop the season-long money list, the Volvik Race to the Card:

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon $124,492
2. Hannah Green $113,880
3. Celine Boutier $112,044
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen $93,115
5. Yu Liu $86,110
6. Erynne Lee $80,780
7. Lindsey Weaver $76,755
8. Anne-Catherine Tanguay $76,663
9. Emma Talley $76,556
10. Katelyn Dambaugh $63,023

Tanguay is set to join the current Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.), Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Sherbrooke, Que.), and Jennifer Ha (Calgary).

Tanguay started the year red hot with six straight top 15 finishes including a tie for second at the IOA Championship and a third-place finish at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. She had her breakthrough moment in September when she won the Garden City Charity Classic. She played her college golf at Oklahoma and totaled 15 top 10 finishes and 26 top 20’s. She got engaged to her now-fiancé midway through the 2017 season.

“It’s been my dream, and when you work your whole life to get there it’s such a big accomplishment. Words are hard to explain what I’m feeling, and I think it’s hitting me today. It’s just awesome, it’s such a good Tour, and the level and recognition all over the world. I’m really excited to start traveling the world next year.”

When you see mom after realizing the @LPGA dream! @ACTanguay looking safe for a spot on the big tour!! pic.twitter.com/TELkungtQk

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) October 9, 2017

The next 15 players on the season-ending money list will be exempt from Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School, excluding those with LPGA status already. Fellow Canadian Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. joins those who punched their tickets directly to Stage III which will be on Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at LPGA International. Marchand came in at No. 25 after a season that was highlighted by a win at PHC Classic.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Canadian Brooke Henderson won the weather-delayed New Zealand Women’s Open on Monday, finishing off a 3-under 69 for a five-stroke victory.

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., led by four shots through six holes Sunday when the final round was suspended after a day of heavy rain, high wind and threatened lightning strikes. She returned Monday morning to the Windross Farm course and easily held off China’s Jing Yan for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and fifth overall.

Henderson finished at 17-under 271. She also won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June in Michigan.

“I was feeling pretty comfortable out there and I was just trying to keep it at minus 17 as long as I could,” Henderson said after receiving the trophy, $195,000 winner’s check and a ceremonial feather cloak presented by indigenous Maori. “I had a couple of bogeys but made a lot of birdies and it was probably some of the best golf I’ve played in a while.

“I’m super excited to win outside North America for the first time and glad it could be here in New Zealand.”

ICYMI: Watch highlights from the final round of the @NZWomensOpen! pic.twitter.com/p4nRsE2Ves

— #CMEFinalStretch ? (@LPGA) October 2, 2017

Henderson said the relatively short Windross Farm course was not ideally suited to her game and she was pleased to show she could win on such a layout and “in pretty terrible weather conditions.”

“I felt like the pressure was really off of me this week was possibly why I got off to such a fast start,” she said. “To play so well on this golf course was just incredible.

“I’m just so happy to win here. My season has been kind of up and down, steady for the most part. I got a lot of questions early in the year but now to get my second wind is great going into the last five events I’m going to play.”

What an amazing week @NZWomensOpen! Proud owner of a new trophy & ceremonial cloak…I’ll get some use out of it back home this winter! ??? pic.twitter.com/an0M3GTJA3

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) October 2, 2017

The weather remained troublesome Monday with strong wind making low scoring difficult. Henderson mastered the conditions, birdieing three of the first five holes and turning for home five shots clear.

Yan shot a 71. South Korea’s Hee Young Park was third at 11 under after a 69.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp tied for 13th at 7 under.

American Jennifer Song had the best round, a 68, to finish fourth at 10 under.

New Zealand star Lydia Ko closed double bogey-triple bogey for a 75 to tie for 22nd at 5 under.

“I played really solid apart from the last two holes,” Ko said. “I made an eagle on 15; I hit it really close and I thought I might have actually hit it in the water. It was a tough finish, but overall I felt really solid, a lot of positives.”

Ko defended the decision to play on in marginal weather conditions Sunday.

“Week to week we just have to go with it and they’re trying to do the best for us,” Ko said.

Henderson had an early bogey Monday on the par-4 eighth hole, then parred the next four and got to 17 with a birdie on the par-3 13h. By the 14th, the wind had picked up and was making it hard to hit the narrow fairways at the newly established course built on farmland east of Auckland. The wetlands layout featured bristling rough and water off the fairways but Henderson, with sister Brittany on her bag, was able to stay out of trouble and to maintain a lead that peaked at six shots.

She bogeyed the tricky par-4 16th and finished a birdie on the par-5 18th.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Spain’s Belen Mozo will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s New Zealand Women’s Open after a 1-under 71 Saturday helped her hold off challenges from Canada’s Brooke Henderson and American Brittany Lincicome.

Mozo, who led by five strokes after the second round, had a three-round total of 15-under 201 on the newly-established Windross Farm course.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 67 to move into second place. The biggest mover on the day was Lincicome, who had a 66 to be tied for third, four strokes behind. Also four back was China’s Jing Yan, who shot 69.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 66 to enter a tie for 31st.

Local favourite Lydia Ko shot 70 and was seven strokes behind Mozo.

Mozo had a bogey at the 164-meter, par-3 13th, where she had a hole in one on Friday.

The hole exemplified how difficult the layout became on Saturday when the wind began to blow and temperatures fell.

It had been one of the easiest holes on the course over the first two days but became one of the hardest on Saturday. Mozo’s bogey allowed Henderson, playing ahead of her, to narrow the lead to one stroke but Mozo responded by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt at the 14th to restore a two-shot buffer.

“It was a grind-out day for sure. I had to talk to my caddie in the middle of the round because obviously I couldn’t compare the golf I was playing today with the golf that I played yesterday under perfect conditions,” said Mozo. “I was able to manage bad shots better than yesterday, and converted a not-so-good round into an under-par round, so that’s fine.”

Henderson had birdies at 14 and 15 to put pressure on the Spanish player, who hasn’t won since joining the LPGA Tour six years ago. But Mozo played solid golf over her last five holes to retain her lead, finishing with a scrambled par at the 18th.

“There are a lot of players around me that could shoot a low number so everyone has to go out and shoot a lot of birdies,” said the 20-year-old Henderson. “It depends a lot on the conditions but if it is like today, then 5-under or 6-under will probably win tomorrow.”

Lincicome had four birdies and an eagle in conditions she described as “yukky.”

The 34-year-old Florida native said she felt support close by and from home.

“My dad and husband are both at home but I’ve got Mom here cheering for me which is nice,” Lincicome said. “It’s just cool to be playing well so I’m on television a little bit and they can see me.”

Henderson played aggressively on a day on which the wind made several holes play long and on which flag placements were challenging.

“Very tough conditions, so to shoot 5-under was great,” Henderson said. “My game is in a very good spot so I’m excited to play tomorrow.”

Ko is in a tie for 11th at 8-under. The former No. 1 started and finished with birdies at the first and 18th holes but struggled to move up with one bogey and one birdie in between.

“I started with a bang, finished with a bang,” Ko said. “I’m kind of fortunate that the ball went in on the last because it was going by pretty quickly.”

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Spain’s Belen Mozo shot an 8-under 64, including a hole in one on the par-3 13th, to take a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the New Zealand Women’s Open on Friday.

Mozo finished strongly with a birdie on the 18th after a double-bogey on the 17th after hitting her tee shot into the water.

She had a 14-under total of 130 on the newly-established Windross Farm course.

Three golfers shared second place – Emily Tubert of the United States, who shot 65 Friday, Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden (67) and Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., the co-leader after the first round who had a 70 Friday.

Local favourite Lydia Ko shot 68 and was eight strokes behind Mozo.

The four other Canadians in the tournament include Alena Sharp of Hamilton, who fired a 73 to sit tied for 69th to just make the cut.

But Maude Aimee-Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Lorie Kane of Charlottetown each shot rounds of 76 and missed the cut, as did Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, who carded a 74.

Mozo used a seven iron on the 164-meter 13th. The ball pitched on the apron of the green and rolled straight into the hole.

Mozo, who hasn’t won an LPGA event since joining the tour in 2011, kissed the billboard depicting the luxury car she would have won if she had aced the hole on Saturday or Sunday.

“It is karma,” Mozo joked. “The last hole-in-one I found out someone had got one just before me so I missed the prize. This one the car is for the weekend. It is my fifth hole-in-one in competition.”

Mozo started the day in a share of third place after a first-round 66 and took the lead Friday with six birdies in her first nine holes.

“When you score like this, everything seems so easy,” she said. “I got perfect weather but you still have to perform well. I struck the ball really well and overall I was in a very calm state of mind.”

The 25-year-old Tubert, a native of Burbank, California, was a three-time all-American at the University of Arkansas and was the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion in 2010.

She considered quitting top-level golf while still at college, before joining the LPGA Tour this year.

With a new coach and caddie the 487th-ranked Tubert, with earnings of $23,654 this season, has begun to find her form. Her round Friday was bogey-free and featured a 40-foot birdie putt on the 13th.

“Things got off to a slow start but I stayed patient after I didn’t make any birdies early,” Tubert said. “I made some good putts and just tried to enjoy cold, misty New Zealand. It’s refreshing because it’s been a long time since I played good golf. ”

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Canadian Brooke Henderson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England shot 7-under 65 on Thursday to share the lead in the New Zealand Women’s Open, leaving home star Lydia Ko five strokes back after the first round.

The playing partners led by one stroke over Amy Boulden of Wales and Belen Mozo of Spain, with American Brittany Lincicome, Beatriz Recari of Spain and South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi another stroke back after 67s.

The New Zealand Open is on the LPGA Tour for the first time this year.

Henderson and Ewart Shadoff took advantage of easier morning conditions before the winds picked up on the newly-established Windross Farm course east of Auckland.

“Going out there I knew I had to take advantage of the good conditions,” Ewart Shadoff said. “I putted well today. I think the greens are great … they are running really true.”

The Yorkshire-born golfer has yet to win on the LPGA Tour, after joining in 2011, but picked up her best paycheque in early August when she shot 64 in the final round to move into second place behind In-Kyung Kim at the Women’s British Open.

Ewart Shadoff and Henderson were joined by Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen (72), and the trio produced 17 birdies.

“I was looking to get on top of the leaderboard early,” Henderson said. “I know with the conditions today that the scores were going to be really low. To shoot minus 7 on a golf course that I didn’t think completely suited my game is really exciting.”

Henderson said she received the luck of the draw on Thursday.

“If the wind picks up it is going to be a completely different golf course,” she said. “I was fortunate this morning that the winds were calm and the greens were holding more than the last few days.”

ICYMI: Round 1 Highlights from beautiful New Zealand and the @NZWomen‘sOpen where @BrookeHenderson and @Jodi_Ewart share the lead at 7-under pic.twitter.com/nxXmDcKYU3

— #CMEFinalStretch ? (@LPGA) September 28, 2017

Henderson’s 7-under 65 ties the second lowest round of her career – she has twice shot 63.

Former No. 1 Ko, who drew a huge gallery, had four birdies and two bogeys in her 70, leaving her in a tie for 21st.

“I hit the ball well throughout the day and gave myself a good look at birdies, even on my back nine, but couldn’t hole them,” said Ko who has struggled with her putter this season.

“I kept committing to lines and all you can do is trust the read and put a good stroke on it.”

The South Korea-born Ko has won her home Open in three of the last four years – 2013, 2015 and 2016. However, she hasn’t won an LPGA tournament in over a year.

How low some of the world’s best women’s golfers can go this week at the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open will be determined by the weather gods, Canadian world no. 12 Brooke Henderson says.

With the fairways of the newly bedded in Windross Farm course east of Auckland firm and a touch unforgiving during practice and the wind gusting, scoring has been tough. However, if the wind drops, the links-styled course could well allow some low numbers when the tournament begins on Thursday.

“I think it really depends on the weather conditions and the direction that the wind is blowing,” Henderson said today following her practice round.

“It’s not a golf course [style] that I generally play a lot of; it’s playing very firm, which is partly because it’s so new of a golf course.

“I think if the wind stays up like it is right now, it is gonna be a challenge for the girls. If the wind dies and the conditions are still suitable, then the scores might be very low. I’m excited for the challenge, and hopefully good things will happen.”

Fifth on the 2017 money list with $US1,161,833 in earnings, the Ontario native arrives in Auckland in solid form, having posted a fourth career Tour victory in June at the Meijer LPGA Classic and followed up with a second at the KPMG Women’s PGA .

“I had a banner year last year; everything just seemed to be going perfect for me, and then this year, starting the season off it was a little bit tougher for me.

“But I won in June and finishing second in the Major championship that I won the year previous (PGA Championship) was definitely a lot of confidence for me, and a lot of momentum.”

Henderson said she expected her good friend Lydia Ko (the player she defeated in a playoff to claim that first major title in 2016) to relish playing on home soil in New Zealand.

“Back home I was able to play the Canadian Women’s Open, in front of my hometown, and that was a lot of fun for me. So, I feel like it’s a great opportunity for her.

“She’s an amazing player and I feel like she maybe hasn’t had the season she was looking for this year. But I know good things are gonna continue to happen for her and she’s getting it back on track.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Defying driving rain and hail in a playoff, Anna Nordqvist beat unheralded American Brittany Altomare at the first extra hole to win the Evian Championship on Sunday.

Nordqvist took the fifth and final major of the season by sinking a 4-foot putt for a bogey 5 on the soaked 18th hole while the 102nd-ranked Altomare had a six.

Course workers removed pools of standing water from the 18th green as the players approached the putting surface after their third shots. The par-4 hole played long all afternoon and was near-treacherous for the playoff.

“I am from Sweden and I’m freezing,” said Nordqvist, who was confined to bed for two weeks in July by a bout of mononucleosis. “I feel like I’m pretty used to bad conditions and that was probably some of the worst I’ve seen.”

The 30-year-old Nordqvist earned $547,500 for the win, her first major since the 2009 LPGA Championship.

Altomare got $340,000 for only her second career top-10 finish, three weeks after she secured a third-place tie at the Portland Classic.

“It’s really big,” the 26-year-old Massachusetts native said. “I had a good week in Portland … and I felt like I could now start getting some good finishes.”

Nordqvist and Altomare both shot 66 for 9-under totals of 204. It was a 54-hole event after weather-affected play on Thursday was scrapped.

Second-round leader Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand and two-time major winner Lydia Ko of New Zealand fell out of the playoff by dropping shots on the 18th.

Jutanugarn (72) and Ko (69) finished in a tie for third with Katherine Kirk of Australia, whose 70 included bogeys at the 16th and 17th as the chilling rain fell.

Canadian Brooke Henderson (72) finished in a tie for 58th.

Nordqvist’s victory ensured 10 different major winners in the last two seasons.

Last year, Nordqvist lost a playoff for the U.S. Women’s Open after a rules violation on the second extra hole – for touching sand with her club in a fairway bunker – was relayed to her on the next hole. Brittany Lang of the U.S. won that major title.

Victory seemed far away when Nordqvist dropped two shots early in her round to fall seven behind Jutanugarn.

“Winning didn’t really come into my mind,” the 12th-ranked winner said, until making three birdies and an eagle-3 between the 12th and 16th holes.

Jutanugarn was seeking to follow her younger sister Ariya, the 2016 Women’s British Open winner, as the first siblings ever to each win a women’s major title. Ariya, who missed the cut, walked with her sister for Sunday’s round.

Starting with a one-shot lead, Jutanugarn reached the turn two ahead at 10 under but lost her lead when Nordqvist surged. While the 23-year-old Thai was making bogey-6 at the 13th, Nordqvist made an eagle-3 and birdie to be alone on 10 under.

Nordqvist fell back on the 18th, getting a bogey-5 after pulling her tee shot into the rough. Behind her, Altomare sank a short birdie putt at 17 to advance to 9 under.

It was soon a five-way tie for the lead when Kirk birdied the par-5 15th and Jutanugarn’s birdie putt rolled round the rim.

“A lot of lip-outs. Just probably not really my day,” Jutanugarn said.

No. 1-ranked So Yeon Ryu (71) finished on 2 over, and No. 2 Lexi Thompson of the U.S. missed her chance to take the top spot. Thompson’s 74 left her 3 over.

In her final round as a professional before retiring, two-time Evian winner Ai Miyazato shot 73 to finish 1 over.

A nine-time winner on the LPGA tour, the Japanese star never claimed a major title. Her wins at Evian came before it was upgraded in 2013.

On the 18th green, Miyazato holed a short par putt then was greeted greenside by Gary Player who presented a bouquet of pink roses.

“When I see all my friends behind the 18th green it almost makes me cry, so I tried not to watch them,” said the 32-year-old Miyazato.