CP Women’s Open sets up a home game for Brooke Henderson
(David Cannon/Getty Images)
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
The last time the CP Women’s Open was played at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, about 15 minutes from Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital, Brooke Henderson was a 10-year-old with big dreams, participating in a clinic with Morgan Pressel – her golf idol – who gave her a glove, a memento Henderson still has to this day.
Fast forward nearly a decade and the 19-year-old Henderson is one of the LPGA Tour’s best golfers. She’s been ranked as high as second in the world (she’s currently eighth), and has won four times on Tour (including a major), double the amount of LPGA wins her childhood idol Pressel has.
Henderson, and Canadian golf hall of famer Lorie Kane, serve as ambassadors for Canadian Pacific (CP) – the title sponsor of the event. In addition to supporting professional golf in Canada, CP uses its sponsorship to leave behind a legacy in the host community through its community investment program, CP Has Heart. This year’s charitable partner is the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). The popularity of Henderson, who hails from Smiths Falls just an hour away from the course, means the goal to raise $1.8 million to upgrade the hospital’s catheterization lab and interventional suite will be helped along by willing donor-fans.
The Aug. 21-27 event is a home game for Henderson and she will be the star of the show. Management at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club bestowed both her and her sister, Brittany, with honourary memberships in 2016, giving the Henderson sisters an opportunity to play and practice at the course, and, hopefully, give them a home-course advantage when the tournament gets started next week.
The four-time LPGA Tour winner has already captured one title during the 2017 season, and would like nothing more than to add the CP Women’s Open trophy to her ever-growing collection.
In order to do so, Henderson will need to keep her emotions in check with thousands of Canadian golf fans rooting her on and trying to get a glimpse of Ottawa’s favourite daughter and beat an elite field of players that includes all of the world’s best.
Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn is back, along with three-time champion Lydia Ko. World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu is playing, along with major champions Shanshan Feng, Anna Nordqvist, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen.
The course itself will be a much different one than what the women played in 2008. Ottawa Hunt, which opened in 1908, has undergone a significant redesign by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, one of the designers behind this year’s U.S. Open venue, Erin Hills Golf Club.
From 2011-2013, Dr. Hurdzan and his team returned the storied venue to its roots, transforming the West and South nines – the two nines that will be used for the championship.
In a recent interview, Hurdzan even remarked that the opening hole on the West nine was his “favourite par 5” designed in his long career.
Between Canada 150 celebrations, the spectacular field, the chance to support a deserving charity, the new design of a classic course, and of course, the opportunity to see local hero Brooke Henderson tee it up with the best in the world, this year’s CP Canadian Women’s Open is an event not to be missed.
Tickets can be purchased now by visiting cpwomensopen.com/tickets. Don’t miss out on this tremendous opportunity to see some of the world’s best athletes up close and personal.
Danielle Kang wins KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by one over Brooke Henderson
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
Danielle Kang birdied the final hole to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, edging defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.
Kang bogeyed the tricky par-3 17th, and Henderson closed with two birdies to move into a tie for the lead, coming up just short on a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. But Kang responded with two solid shots to get to the green in two, and then two-putted for the victory.
It was another great finish for the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season. The 19-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., beat Lydia Ko in a playoff last year at Sahalee in Washington.
The 24-year-old Kang trailed Henderson and Chella Choi by one after she bogeyed the par-4 10th at Olympia Fields. But she moved in front with four straight birdies on Nos. 11-14, getting hot with her putter at the right time.
Kang also had a clutch 21-foot par putt at 16 on her way to a 4-under 68 and the winner’s check of $525,000. Henderson closed with a 66 to finish a stroke back, and Chella Choi, who was tied with Kang for the lead coming into the day, was third at 10 under after a 71.
“She won it-I was just trying to make it close. 2nd in a major championship isn’t bad. I’m very happy” Brooke Henderson @KPMGWomensPGApic.twitter.com/Cfz2q4j5K8
Kang’s previous best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open.
Henderson made a strong bid for a second straight title in the event, jumping up the leaderboard three birdies in her first seven holes. But the Canadian had nine straight pars in the middle of the round.
Mi Hyang Lee (67), Amy Yang (68) and Sei Young Kim (68) tied for third at 9 under, and Lexi Thompson (69) and Inbee Park (68) were another two strokes back. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) tied for 36th at even par.
Kang received some high-profile support as she tried for her first title since turning pro, hearing from Wayne Gretzky and Caitlyn Jenner _ friends from her days at Sherwood Country Club in California _ over the weekend. Four-time major winner Hollis Stacy also reached out, but it was some sage advice from brother Alex that set the tone for her breakout performance.
Feeling overwhelmed after her last practice round on the tree-lined course near Chicago, Kang called her brother to help formulate a game plan. Alex Kang, who plays on the Web.com Tour, told her to “just blast it down.”
Guided by that simple strategy, Kang posted four rounds in the 60s. The two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had just five bogeys, with each of them coming in the final two rounds.
Thompson looked ready to make a charge, beginning with three birdies and no bogeys on her front nine. But she sputtered down the stretch.
Thompson contended for the first major title of the year, but was penalized for a controversial rules violation and lost to So Yeon Ryu in a playoff in the ANA Inspiration. The top-ranked Ryu shot a 72 in the final round at Olympia Fields and tied for 14th.
Big hitters Henderson, Wie stake major claim at Women’s PGA
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
Michelle Wie launched a 3-wood into swirling gusts and toward the 18th green, wondering if the shot had enough steam to get there. A shift in the wind took the guesswork out of the equation.
“It died down and I got a little surprise,” Wie said. “I got all the way there.”
The 215-yard shot rolled within 30 feet of the flag to set up a two-putt birdie and a 3-under 68 that left Wie two shots off the lead during the opening round Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She wasn’t the only long-hitter to benefit from windy conditions and a tough front nine at Olympia Fields Country Club.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., matched the 3-under start, which left her two back of Chella Choi and Amy Yang. Choi shot a 66 in the morning, and Yang was on the 18th hole at 5 under with a chance to grab the outright lead when play was suspended at 7:01 p.m. because of dangerous weather in the area.
Brittany Altomare shot a 67, and Joanna Klatten also was 4 under with two holes left.
Joining Henderson and Wie at 68 were Alison Lee and Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Pedersen also were 3 under late in their rounds.
“I was able to carry a couple of fairway bunkers, which is huge, because not a lot of players are able to do that,” Henderson said.
The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major – the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open – at Pinehurst.
Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was tied for 37th at even-par 71.
The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major _ the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open _ at Pinehurst.
Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.
“We kind of anticipated it,” she said. “It’s the ‘Windy City.’ But it was like this from the very beginning and I stayed patient out there.”
The Women’s PGA marks the start of a stretch of three majors in six weeks, which should provide some clarity at the top of the game.
So Yeon Ryu, who beat Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration to claim the season’s first major, also took over the No. 1 spot this week after becoming the only repeat winner through the first 16 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Ryu finished at 69, and Thompson at 70. Two-time major winner Lydia Ko also shot 70.
Ariya Jutanugarn, who slipped to No. 2 in the rankings after Ryu’s win last week in Arkansas, struggled to a 77, and Cristie Kerr shot 78.
The forecast for Friday calls for rain and slightly increasing wind. That could make things tougher for both Choi and Henderson, whose caddies are, respectively, their father and older sister.
When Choi was asked whether she could blame any bad shots on her caddie’s calculations, she smiled and said, “Sometimes.”
She added: “My father missed a couple of shots today, but it happens because the wind is every time switching.”
Brooke Henderson wins Meijer LPGA Classic to collect fourth LPGA title
( Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Brooke Henderson made it a special Father’s Day.
With father and coach Dave Henderson and other family members watching, the 19-year-old Canadian won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour title, holding off Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson by two strokes in cool, windy conditions.
“It was just like the perfect day,” the Smiths Falls, Ont., native said. “My dad is my coach, he’s a great father to both my sister (caddie Brittany) and I, and he’s one of our best friends. He’s with us all the time, and he gave me a lot of lines early in the week that I didn’t know, that I wouldn’t normally take without him there. But he said, ‘If you want to win and you want to contend, you need to take these lines off the tee.’
“I did that and I had an advantage over the rest of the field all four days. So this win, I say it’s for him, but it really is for him because I probably wouldn’t have done it without him.”
Henderson closed with a 66 on the Blythefield layout that was reduced to a par of 69 – the fifth hole was played as a par 3 instead of a par 5 – the final two rounds because of flooding.
Wie finished with a 65, and Thompson had a 69.
Henderson finished at 17-under 263 and earned $300,000. She led after each of the first two rounds, shooting 63-67 at a par of 71, and had a 67 on Saturday to drop a stroke behind Thompson.
Henderson won twice last year, taking the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major, and successfully defending her title in the Cambia Portland Classic.
But she hadn’t won an LPGA tournament since, a winless drought that spanned nearly a year before breaking it Sunday.
“It’s kind of been a little bit tougher season for me, I haven’t got the results that I’ve been really looking for,” Henderson said. “But this week I played really well and things kind of started to turn around for me. So to get my fourth win is super exciting and I’m just excited for the rest of the summer now.”
Henderson had three birdies in a bogey-free round. She birdied Nos. 7 and 8, while Thompson faltered.
“I missed a short one on 10, which I would have liked to have, but then I made a great birdie on No. 11,” Henderson said. “I had zero bogeys on a day like today where it was super windy. And any day on Sunday, there’s that little bit of extra pressure and you’re in contention so you want to play really well so you might push a few more shots than you would like.”
Thompson was 1 over on the first five holes with two bogeys.
Thompson hit one of the longest drives of the day on No. 9, put her approach shot within 20 feet and made the birdie putt to tie for the lead. But she bogeyed No. 10 to fall out of the lead.
“I hit my driver great the whole day, so that was definitely a positive,” Thompson said. “I didn’t roll the putter that well today. It is what it is. I hit two great last putts. I almost made the two long ones.”
Wie shared the lead early in the round and wound up with five birdies and no bogeys.
“It was tough out there,” Wie said. “The wind just started blowing and it was just interesting. Some spots are really wet, some spots are dry, but overall I felt like I played good this week and I’m happy about it.”
Su Oh (64), Madelene Sagstrom (65) and Moriya Jutanugarn (66) tied for fourth at 14 under.
Second-ranked Lydia Ko had a 68 to tie for 10th at 12-under. Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off a playoff victory last week in Canada over Thompson and In Gee Chun, had a 69 to for 22nd at 9 under.
Henderson said she’ll be taking the next week off after playing in a charity event Monday in Rhode Island. Her next tournament will be KPMG PGA Championship, where she’ll look to defend her title from last season.
“It’s really exciting and it gives me a lot of confidence going into that tournament knowing that I’m coming off a win,” she said. “Hopefully I can go there to Olympia Fields and defend the championship that really defined my career last year.”
Henderson is the 15th different winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the first from Canada. She is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the youngest since her last victory.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson stumbles late, keeps two shot lead at Meijer LPGA
(Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
Brooke Henderson bogeyed the final two holes for a 4-under 67, leaving the 19-year-old Canadian with a two-stroke lead Friday in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had seven birdies – four in a row on Nos. 9-12 – and three bogeys to reach 12-under 130 and break the 36-hole record at Blythefield. She had a one-stroke lead Thursday after an opening 63.
Her approach on the par-4 17th rolled down a hill and she two-putted.
“Could have been really close to being a great shot,” Henderson said. “I practiced that shot in the practice rounds and it jumped forward on the first bounce there and I don’t think I got that today. So, unfortunately, it’s a tough hole and I just came away with bogey, which is not really what I was looking for.”
On the par-4 18th, she missed the green, left her chip well short and missed the long par putt.
“I kind of let emotions get into things and I was chasing birdie to try and get it back,” Henderson said. “Unfortunately, two bogeys to finish. Hopefully, that just gives me a little bit more motivation going into tomorrow.”
Maude-Aimee Leblanc (65) of Sherbrooke, Que., is 5 under while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (72) is 3 under. Calgary’s Jennifer Ha shot an opening round 64 but faltered to an 80 on Friday to miss the cut. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., also missed the cut.
Fellow major champion Lexi Thompson, coming off a playoff loss to Ariya Jutanugarn on Sunday in Canada, followed her opening 64 with a 68 to join 2016 runner-up Carlota Ciganda (64) and Mi Jung Hur (66) at 10 under.
Thompson closed with a birdie on 18.
“I kind of peeked with about five holes to go and I think it said minus 14 was leading, and then I just saw on the last minus 12 was,” Thompson said. “But I try not to look at leaderboards, just try to focus on my own game, that’s all I can control.”
Ciganda lost a playoff to Sei Young Kim last year at Blythefield.
“I’ve been playing good,” the Spanish player said. “I’m just excited. It was a good week for me here last year so I have great memories. Yeah, I like the course. I like the greens. I think the crowds are always good, so I’m very excited.”
Henderson won twice last year, taking the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major, and successfully defending her title in the Cambia Portland Classic. She has a 36-hole lead for the first time since late last September in China in the Reignwood LPGA Classic.
“It’s great to see my name up there,” she said. “It’s been a little bit of a rough season so far, you know, not getting the results that I’ve been looking for. But this week seems to be a turnaround week and, hopefully, I can just finish strong the next two days.”
“It was great,” Moriya Jutanugarn said. “I’ve been playing solid. I rolled the ball good on the green. Everything seems to be good.”
Shanshan Feng (70) topped the group at 8 under. The Chinese player is trying to complete a Michigan sweep after winning the LPGA Volvik Championship three weeks ago in Ann Arbor.
Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn’s younger sister, was tied for 30th at 4 under in her first event as the No. 1 player in the world. Lydia Ko, at No. 2 after an 85-week run at the top, was 6 under after a 71. Michelle Wie also was 6 under after her second 68.
Kim had her second 70 to make the cut on the number.
Canadian golf star Henderson believes she’s close to a second year breakout
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
The results have not been coming quite as quickly for Brooke Henderson in her second year on the LPGA Tour.
Henderson has two top-10 finishes through 10 events this season – by no means a sophomore slump, but well behind her pace of eight top-10 results through nine events as a rising rookie last year. However, the confident 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., believes a breakout will happen soon.
“It’s been a little disappointing, some of the results, but I feel like my game is extremely close,” Henderson said Tuesday at an Ottawa-area charity golf tournament while making a rare visit home. “It’s just one or two shots every week.”
“I’m really excited about the upcoming tournaments and hopefully I can switch the momentum and finish near the top.”
Henderson’s best finish has been a tie for fourth and the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore earlier this year. She finished tied for 14th at the ANA Inspiration, the first major on the LPGA Tour schedule in late March. She has her sights set on the other four majors on the calendar, including the KPMG Women’s Championship, where she will be the defending champion.
She played the most out of anyone on the LPGA Tour last year and said she has been able to apply that learning. She admitted she will take two weeks off later this summer to make sure her “focus and mental strength is where it needs to be.”
“Playing all the courses last year, this year I knew where to hit it. I knew where the good spots and the bad spots were, even in the hotels I felt more comfortable and the surroundings.” she said. “Every golf course I see, everywhere I go and get to do `more’ it makes me feel better for this year, and for years to come.”
She said she’s particularly looking forward to the CP Women’s Open in August at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. Henderson was recently bestowed an honorary membership to that club, which last hosted the Women’s Open in 2008.
She knows it will be a pressure-packed week.
“Almost every week I think about the CP Women’s Open in the back of my mind,” she said. “When there are TV cameras or crowds around I think about how it’s going to be at the CP Women’s Open and take every week as a stepping stone. I know it’s going to be pressure filled.
“There are going to be a lot of expectations for sure, and I don’t want to disappoint. I want to give them a good show.”
But the pressure, she said, is something she’s starting to relish.
“I do think there are a lot of expectations on me, but I love pressure and I think it’s just what you make of it,” she said.
And despite more than US$2 million in earnings in her career, rolling up to the course in a new BMW SUV, and just having procured a home in Naples, Fla., Henderson remains a teenager at heart.
She said she’s binge-watches the show White Collar on Netflix, follows her hometown Ottawa Senators during their Stanley Cup playoff run, has a penchant for Disney films and is a big texter away from the golf course.
“It’s nothing too crazy,” she said. “Just a typical teenager.”
Henderson will take the rest of this week off, staying in her hometown of Smiths Falls visiting with family and friends – she has not been back since Christmas – before going to Williamsburg, Va., for the next event on the LPGA Tour schedule.
“I love being home, even though it’s like December here, it’s so cold,” she said. “I’m excited to get back playing again next week in Virginia, and hopefully have some great finishes.”
Canadian contingent well prepared ahead of LPGA’s first major
Alena Sharp (Kevin Lee/ Getty Images)
Chris Stevenson
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — The members of the Canadian contingent at the ANA Inspiration got a little bit more time to prepare for the first major of the golf season than they would have liked.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont, ranked 13th in the world, Alena Sharp of Hamilton and Maude-Aimee Leblanc, a native of Sherbrooke, Que., all missed the cut at last week’s LPGA Tour stop, the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
But they chose to look at the opportunity to arrive at Mission Hills Country Club a couple of days early as a bonus.
“Sometimes having a weekend off before a major is good because it is more taxing on the mind,” said Sharp, who finished a career best 41st on the LPGA money list in 2016. “As the week goes on it gets firmer, the rough gets longer, we’re going to deal with wind. It’s going to be a test of the fittest, for sure, not so much physical, but mental.
“Not playing last weekend, maybe getting some rest it will help me for this week, but I feel like my game is in good shape. I love the golf course. I’ve always loved coming to play here. I love how the course is playing. I had some good practice rounds so I’m just ready to get going.”
Henderson arrived on Saturday and has played a few holes each day “so I have a great feel for the golf course. This is one of my favourite tournaments all year. You know, coming here as an amateur in 2014, I got to witness and experience an amazing atmosphere out here and Poppy’s Pond, Dinah Shore, it’s such an amazing tradition.
“I’m excited to go out and hopefully get off to a fast start Thursday and Friday and put myself into contention on Sunday.”
Henderson said driving the ball will be a key this week and that should give her an advantage.
“You’ve got to hit fairways and I think if I can get my driver out there a good distance, there’s a lot of corners and a lot of trouble you need to carry it 250, so if I can do that, I think I can take out a lot of the field that way,” she said. “The rough is very long, so hitting fairways and being consistent is also very important.
“The greens are always fast and firm out there, so making sure you’re hitting fairways and giving yourself a great angle for approach shots will be really important the next few days.”
Neither Henderson nor Sharp have had the results they would have liked so far in 2017.
Henderson’s best finish was a tie for fourth at the HSBC Women’s Champions, her only top 10 finish in 2017. She’s 18th on the LPGA money list.
“So far into the year 2017 I have necessarily performed or gotten the results I necessarily want, but I feel my game is really close and hopefully if I can just tune up a little bit mentally and get focused on what I actually have to do, I think my game is right there that I can win a few more times and I think that starts this week,” she said. “Having played the golf course the last few days, I think it suits my game really well, so if I can get my mental attitude the way it should be, I think I’ll be right there on Sunday.”
Sharp, who enters the week 61st on the money list, said her scores haven’t reflected the quality of her play.
“I’ve been playing much better than I’ve been scoring,” said the 36-year-old. “It’s one of those things you have to be patient, keep trusting the process and stay positive.”
Leblanc, 28, had a tie for seventh at the ISPS Women’s Australian Open in February, her first top 10 on the LPGA Tour. The long hitter (sixth on Tour with an average of 270.75 yards) is 50th on the money list and, like Sharp, has been playing the best golf of her career over the last year.
Brooke Henderson nominated for Ontario Athlete of the Year
Brooke Henderson (Scott Halleran/ Getty Images
For the third year, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame has asked the people of Ontario to cast their vote for who they believe deserves the 2016 Syl Apps Ontario Athlete of the Year Award. The online public vote to determine the award recipient will conclude on March 31st, 2017.
The Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the contributions of top athletes in Ontario, and is awarded to the athlete who has made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sports during the previous calendar year.
Past award recipients selected by the public include Brooke Henderson (2015) and Brad Sinopoli (2016).
The winner will be recognized with the Class of 2017 at the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame 2017 Induction Ceremony & Awards Gala in Toronto at The Westin Harbour Castle (Metropolitan Ballroom) on October 2, 2017. The OSHOF Board of Directors will be selecting the Hall of Fame Inductee Class of 2017, as well as the winners of The Brian Williams Media Award, The Sandy Hawley Community Service Award, and The Bruce Prentice Legacy Award.
SINGAPORE _ Michelle Wie rolled in several clutch putts on Thursday and had six birdies in a 10-hole stretch to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.
The 27-year-old Wie, who has struggled with injuries and form since winning the U.S. Open in 2014, shot a 6-under 66 at the new Tanjong course.
Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., was in a five-way tie for second place. Henderson, Inbee Park, Mo Martin, Anna Nordqvist and Ariya Jutanugarn each shot a 5-under 67.
“We love Singapore,” Henderson said of her and her sister Brittany. “It’s our favourite place that we travel to. We love it. Just being in a hotel room and looking out over the city is cool. Maybe a night safari or something like that.”
Among other scores in the 63-player field, Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer had 68s, top-ranked Lydia Ko shot 69, Shanshan Feng and Lexi Thompson 70, Karrie Webb 75 and Cristie Kerr 77.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton opened with a 3-over 75.
Wie, who had eight birdies and a pair of bogeys on Thursday, has managed just one top-10 finish since 2014 and only got into the $1.5 million LPGA tournament on a sponsor’s invitation after her ranking slumped to No. 179.
But she was in vintage touch Thursday despite playing in tricky winds and light rain.
After making a bogey-5 at the third, Wie’s putter suddenly got hot as she made three birdies in a row to go out in 34.
She made another three birdies at the start of the back nine, draining a 12-foot putt on the 11th and then sinking another long putt from below the hole on the 501-yard, par-5 13th to take the early lead at a tournament featuring nine of the world’s top 10 players.
Wie slipped a shot behind Nordqvist when she bogeyed the 15th after an errant tee shot and the Swede picked up her sixth birdie, but Wie regained the lead with back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17.
“It feels good to play without much pain, to go out there and just play some golf and focus on my game rather than trying to finish out rounds,” Wie said. “It’s always exciting to be on the top of the leaderboard.”
Henderson tied for 9th through 18 at Australian Open
Brooke Henderson (Daniel Kalisz/ Getty Images)
Canadian Press
ADELAIDE, Australia – Katherine Kirk set the early pace at the Women’s Australian Open on Thursday, shooting an 8-under 65 at Royal Adelaide to take a two-stroke clubhouse lead.
The Australian, playing her fourth week in a row, birdied four of her first five holes and three of four in the middle of the back nine.
“There are low numbers to be had out there,” said Kirk. “A lot of birdie opportunities, and I was just fortunate I got off to a good start and kept the momentum going.”
Tied for second were Marissa Steen and Jane Park of the United States and South Korean Chella Choi.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson was four strokes behind after carding 69, while No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko shot 71. Five-time champion Karrie Webb shot 76 ahead of the afternoon starters who included No. 2-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, a five-time winner last year.
“Four birdies, no bogeys, I’m pretty happy and hopefully will shoot another similar round tomorrow,” said Henderson, from Smiths Fall, Ont., who played with Ko. “The crowds were awesome. I hardly ever see that many people on the Thursday round, especially when we tee off (early) in the morning.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., were tied at 2-under 71. Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was 2-over 75.
Ko was frustrated on the greens, but ended the day on a good note when she birdied the ninth, her last.
“I hit my drives good, which is really important around a course like this, but just the putts did not drop,” Ko said. “It was good to see a putt drop on the final hole and hopefully that will give me good momentum going into tomorrow.”
Webb had an up-and-down second nine after starting on the 10th. She was 3-over after bogeying the first – her 10th hole – but then went double-bogey, bogey, birdie, birdie, par to complete her round.
“A couple of late birdies at least made lunch taste better, but it wasn’t real good out there today,” said Webb.
Steen was in the first group out, and took advantage of it during her round which included an eagle on the third.
“The wind was low, the greens were rolling really pure. I was joking that I didn’t see a blade of grass out of place out there the whole day,” Steen said. “I didn’t trip once. I either hit every green or was right on the fringe where I was still able to putt, so I gave myself a lot of chances and took advantage when I had wedges in my hands.”
Steen, 27, didn’t start playing golf until she was 14.
“I played a bunch of other sports growing up, so focusing on golf I was a little late to it,” said Steen, who played at the University of Memphis in Tennessee for four years and then played Symetra Tour for three seasons.
