LPGA Tour Stars Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp Join Decorated Canadian Olympians to Tee Off 2018 Shaw Charity Classic at Women’s Day
Alena Sharp (Bernard Brault/Golf Canada)
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
World No. 14 Brooke Henderson leads Canadian contingent at CP Women’s Open
Brooke Henderson (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
Greg Strong/ Canadian Press
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.
Canadian golf star Brooke Henderson says her game is in a ‘really good place’
Brooke Henderson (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
Greg Strong/ Canadian Press
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.
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.
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.”
Henderson finishes T11; Hall wins Women’s British Open for 1st major title
Brooke Henderson (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Canadian Press
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Named in honour of a famous Masters victory, Georgia Hall has her hands on one of the big trophies in women’s golf at the age of 22.
The Englishwoman reeled in long-time leader Pornanong Phatlum in a gripping final-round duel at Royal Lytham to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title on Sunday.
Hull tapped in for a bogey _ her first of the day _ at the last hole to clinch a two-shot victory over Pornanong. Hall then hugged her playing partner from Thailand before being lifted off her feet by her caddie, father Wayne.
It was fitting that Wayne, a former two-handicapper himself, was on the bag to experience the biggest moment of his daughter’s career.
Georgia was born during the 1996 Masters won by English golfer Nick Faldo at Augusta, Georgia. She was named in honour of that victory, which came after Faldo overcame a six-stroke deficit to Greg Norman in the final round.
Twenty-two years later, Hall is the pride of English golf just like Faldo was. And the way Hall kept her composure and kept producing the shots of her life down the stretch, there might be more major titles to come.
Her round of 5-under 67, which included six birdies, saw her finish on 17-under 271.
“I was loving it deep down, hitting the shots under pressure,” said Hall, who barely showed any emotions all round. “To get six birdies in the final round of a major is not bad.”
Hall, who receives a check of $490,000, became the first English major winner since Karen Stupples won this event in 2004, and the fourth overall along with Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas.
She followed Stupples and Catriona Matthew _ in 2009 at Lytham _ as the only British winners of the Women’s British Open since it achieved major status in 2001.
Brooke Henderson (74) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 11th at 6 under par. She had three birdies and three bogeys offset each other, but a double bogey on the par-4 17th hole put her at 2 over for the round.
Roared on under blue skies by the large gallery desperate for a home winner, the 39th-ranked Hall started the day a shot behind Pornanong, who led after the second and third rounds.
From the moment Pornanong curled in a long left-to-right putt at the second hole to answer Hall’s 15-foot birdie at the first, it had the makings of a duel in the Lytham sun.
And a two-player race for the year’s fourth major was definitely established when both picked up a shot at No. 4 and Pornanong followed Hall in birdying No. 6. That regained a two-shot lead for Pornanong, who had also birdied the par-3 fifth hole.
Hall was always chasing but was given hope when Pornanong bogeyed No. 8 to reduce her lead to one shot. Then, when Hall rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 13, they were tied for the first time since the first hole.
Hall took the outright lead for the first time in the tournament after a 20-foot putt for birdie at the 16th hole and went down the last with a three-shot lead after Pornanong, ranked No. 97 and also seeking her first major and LPGA title, missed a two-foot putt to make double-bogey at No. 17.
Hall played safe in three-putting from distance in front of Royal Lytham’s storied clubhouse and celebrated her first win on the LPGA Tour. She had never won on the Ladies European Tour, either.
“It is too good to be true,” Hall said. “It was my goal when I was nine to win the British Open. I am so happy.
“I just had to stay calm and patient. It was very close up to the last two holes and I holed all the putts today.”
Ryu So-yeon of South Korea was third on 13 under after a final-round 70.
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Canadian Brooke Henderson fired her second 69 of the tournament at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. The Smiths Falls, Ont., talent recorded only one bogey alongside four birdies to head into the final round T7, five shots behind leader Pornanong Phatlum.
Pornanong Phatlum made the Royal Lytham course sing for her again as she held on to her overnight one-shot lead of the Women’s British Open after the third round on Saturday.
Pornanong has been singing Thai songs in her head to calm herself on a links course she admits to struggling on. Though any struggling hasn’t been apparent, yet.
She birdied the third, sixth, eighth, and 11th holes, and dropped her first shot of the major on the par-3 12th, a bogey. It added up to a solid 3-under-par 69 and the prospect of a first win on the LPGA Tour, let alone a first major title.
“Singing in my head makes me come down more, not get too nervous,” Pornanong said.
She was at 13 under overall, one stroke ahead of playing partner Georgina Hall of England, whose scrambling through an erratic round kept her in contention also for a first major title. She birdied three of the last four holes to join Pornanong in the final group on Sunday.
Ryu So-yeon was third at 11 under, one shot behind Hall after climbing the leaderboard with a run of six birdies from the fifth to the 12th.
The South Korean, who has three top-10 British Open finishes, said: “Winning this tournament has always been my goal for the year. I’m in a pretty good position.”
Two-time major champion Park Sung-hyun (69) was a further shot back with Mamiko Higa (71) and Minjee Lee (71).
Higa is aiming to become the first female Japanese golfer to win a major title since 1977.
The leaders are also chasing history.
Pornanong is trying to become the second Thai female to win a major championship after Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016. Hall would be the first Englishwomen to win the Open in 14 years.
While Pornanong will be singing to herself in the final round, Hall will be counting on experience. She was in the final group in the Open last year, and finished in a tie for third.
“It was great to get so much support, I haven’t really had that before because I play in America quite a bit,” Hall said. “There were so many people behind me that I feel that was the reason I had good shots.”
Brooke sits T8 heading into the weekend at British Open
Brooke Henderson(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Associated Press
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Brooke Henderson, who managed a hole on 9th hole, a par 3, finished the day with a round of 70 and she finds herself tied in eighth place 5-under at the Women’s British Open.
Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand is standing out for more than just her pink golf ball.
The 97th-ranked player has yet to drop a shot in two straight rounds of 5-under 67 that will give her a one-stroke lead heading into the weekend at the year’s fourth major.
While first-round leader Minjee Lee and Mamiko Higa encountered problems down the stretch at a rainy Royal Lytham to give up two-shot leads on Friday, Pornanong played a steady hand and put her pink ball in all the right places _ explicitly, out of the many bunkers that define the course.
The 28-year-old Thai missed a 10-foot putt for birdie in front of the clubhouse on the 18th green but that didn’t get her down. She was 10 under par overall.
“I’ve had a game plan,” Pornanong said. “I try to plan every shot, every hole.”
It’s given her a great chance of winning a first major title, and claiming a first victory on the LPGA Tour. Her last win was on the Asian Tour in January 2015 and she has only one top-10 finish all year.
Pornanong’s only top-10 at a major was a tie for seventh at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014.
She has already put some distance between many of the big names in women’s golf.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., aced the par-3 ninth hole on her way to a 70, which put her in a six-way tie for eighth place on 5 under. Brittany Marchand (73) of Orangeville, Ont., is projected to miss the cut line.
Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn was seven shots back after rounds of 71 and 70, No. 6 Shanshan Feng (71-71) was one stroke further back, and No. 2 Inbee Park (76-74) missed the cut.
Only six players were inside five shots of Pornanong. They have pedigree, though.
In a three-way share of second place on 9 under is Lee, who was clear at 12 under before she double-bogeyed No. 16 and dropped another shot at No. 17 to post a 70.
Lee, the Australian at a career-high ranking of No. 8, was runner-up on the Gullane links in the Ladies Scottish Open last week.
Home favourite Georgia Hall (68) was in the tie for second place along with Higa, who was leading by two strokes on 11 under when she lost her ball in a gorse bush at No. 17 and wound up with a double-bogey 6.
Third-ranked Park Sung-hyun, who won the Women’s PGA Championship last month, is lurking in sixth place on 7 under after rounds of 67 and 70. Seventh-ranked Ryu So-yeon, a two-time major champion, is on 6 under after two rounds of 69.
Brooke Henderson(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
LPGA Tour Communications
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – For Brooke Henderson, learning to navigate the Ricoh Women’s British Open has been a learning process. In her three prior starts, she had yet to crack the top 40. The statistic comes as a surprise to anyone who regularly follows the major champion and six-time LPGA Tour winner. But the Canadian took a huge leap forward in her progress on Thursday, when she posted a 3-under par, 69 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. It is her first sub-70 round at the Women’s British Open.
“Every time you’re over here you learn more and the experiences that you really need,” Henderson said. “It’s very different than what I grew up playing on.”
Henderson grew up playing in Smiths Falls, Canada and found she needed to adjust her game in order to play better on the links. When she won for the first time on a links-style course in 2017 with her victory in New Zealand she was vindicated in the changes she adopted.
“It was crazy conditions, so I think that was really a good learning curve for me,” Henderson said about the windy conditions she encountered in New Zealand. “It gave me a lot of confidence moving into links courses that if something goes wrong, like it kind of did this morning, I just kind of relaxed and was able to come back from that.”
Henderson got off to a rough start with two bogeys in her first three holes after getting caught up in the pot bunkers riddled throughout the course. She credited her caddie and sister, Brittany, for helping turn around her day and record five birdies on the back nine.
“I got into some of the pot bunker and found that they were very difficult to get out of,” Henderson admitted after her round. “But after that I kind of settled down a little bit. The back nine was great.”
Henderson put herself in contention at the season’s last major, too, at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship where she faded on the weekend with rounds of 70-74 and settled for a T6.
Henderson looking forward to switching up her approach at British Open
Brooke Henderson (Getty Images)
Adam Stanley/ Canadian Press
After a tough summer, Brooke Henderson is hoping a change of scenery will do her some good.
The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., took last week off of the LPGA Tour to prepare for this week’s Women’s British Open. The break came following a rough stretch that began with Henderson’s withdrawal from the U.S. Women’s Open in June to be with her ailing grandfather, who passed away.
Four weeks later, Henderson fell out of the lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after shooting a final round of 2-over 74. She told The Canadian Press in mid-July her other grandfather is now sick as well.
But she said she feels good about her game this week after finishing third at her last event, the Marathon Classic. And she said golf is a nice way for her to stay focused and ignore outside distractions.
“Once I’m between the ropes, I can flip that switch and work towards my goals for that week,” said Henderson, who has won six times on the LPGA Tour.
Although Henderson is no stranger to having to play the type of bad weather that often accompanies the British Open, it hasn’t yet translated into a good finish at the third major of the year. Her best result at the event is a tie for 49th.
But the 19-year-old won in New Zealand last year, and it came during rough weather conditions on a links-style course. She said she’s hopeful she can parlay that into success this week at Royal Lytham & St. Annes GolfClub in Lancashire, England.
“The style of golf is different, but I’ve learned that it really is about patience and just trusting your swing over there,” said Henderson.
“As is the case with any major, you just need to stay focused and be able to bounce back through tough breaks, weather delays, and harsh conditions.”
Henderson, who’s ranked 16th in the world, said she’ll keep all the same clubs in her bag like a usual, but said the Women’s British Open forces her to use them in different ways. She may end up using a fairway wood around a green for a short shot, or will try to fly her irons lower than usual, she explained.
Henderson is one of the statistical leaders on the LPGA Tour in driving, but her putting has been her weakness this year. She said she can’t pinpoint one specific thing she’s been working on mechanically, but she’s tested a few different putter options and has stuck with one for the last two months.
She said she’s enjoyed coming up with a different kind of strategy for this week versus a normal LPGA Tour tournament.
Annika Sorenstam, who won the Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham in 2003, said it takes time to learn to play links golf. She said Henderson would need a little luck with the weather, as sometimes you can get “all four seasons in one day.” But she said Henderson’s creative game plan is a solid one.
Sorenstam said she is a “big fan” of the young Canadian.
“She has a great mind and is a true competitor. She certainly knows how to win tournaments and even majors,” she said. “It seems to me when she is driving the ball well, she gets good momentum and rest of the game falls into place.”
Henderson is just two wins away from tying the all-time record for wins by a Canadian professional _ male or female _ and is hopeful one of those wins comes in three weeks at the CP Women’s Open in Regina.
Although her main focus is on this week in Europe, she admitted she’s got the Canadian event “circled on her calendar.”
“(The course) looks like it will be set up really well for our national championship and I’m excited to see how the fans out there embrace the LPGA,” she said. “I can’t wait to get there and try to put on a show for the fans.”
