WINNIPEG – Brooke Henderson is looking forward to some much-needed time off and then returning to the golf course with a “vengeance.”
After the Canadian star failed to hang on to her final-round lead and finished third at last weekend’s LPGA Tour Marathon Classic in Ohio, she planned to spend some time at home before getting ready for the British Open on Aug. 2-5 in England.
“It’s so important to be physically ready but also mentally,” Henderson said Tuesday after headlining a pro-am and junior clinic at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg.
“And, especially in the summer months when it’s so hot and you’re grinding every single day. It is tiring and you have to really pay attention and know that rest is just as important.
“So I’m excited to kind of have some downtime, get some rest and be balanced, and then get back at it and work hard. I feel like it’s good for you to kind of refresh and then go forward with a vengeance.”
Her break actually got off to a bit of a rocky start as two flights to Winnipeg out of Toronto were cancelled Monday night. She arrived Tuesday morning and the event was a hit despite some scheduling changes.
“It definitely does bring back a lot of memories,” Henderson said. “I think it kind of gives me that lift as somebody else was mentioning earlier, just that kind of little extra boost, that little extra confidence that I am on the right track, I am doing things the right way.
“I’ve just got to keep moving forward and good things are going to happen.”
Good and bad things happened to the Smith Falls, Ont., native last Sunday, but after assessing her play she was letting the disappointment of not claiming a seventh Tour victory roll off of her.
The 20-year-old still had a one-shot lead after the 14th hole, but then bogeyed the 15th and 16th. She made par on the 17th and 18th par-five holes, but missed out on a playoff that was won by Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand over American Brittany Lincicome.
“Leading up to that, I played amazing golf all week,” Henderson said. “The four holes kind of don’t give the respect to those other holes that much but I was playing great.”
She had believed her final putt was bang on.
“I thought it was in, to be honest,” she said. “It’s right where I thought and it just stopped breaking, I guess a foot or two to go.
“But that’s all you can do. I hit it on the high side. It had a chance to go in. It looked awesome and, unfortunately, it just didn’t go in and that’s cool.”
Henderson is sixth in earnings after taking home $843,597 this year, following seven Top 10 finishes in 18 events, including winning the Lotte Championship in April. Her six career Tour victories is two shy of Sandra Post’s record for the most by a Canadian woman.
She plans to continue working hard on improving her short game.
“Putting has been a huge focus for me over the last few months, I guess since the start of the season,” she said. “That’s where I’m trying to make big gains.”
Her break will also include important time off with her family.
“This year definitely has been challenging for my family,” said Henderson, who withdrew from last month’s U.S. Women’s Open after her grandfather on her mother’s side passed away.”
“My other grandpa is sick now, too, and it’s really kind of scary. But I feel like I’ve been handling everything, the ups and the downs, pretty well.”
“I’m just trying to overcome those things and hopefully get some more wins in the near future.”
SYLVANIA, Ohio — Canadian Brooke Henderson narrowly missed her seventh LPGA Tour victory Sunday, finishing third at the Marathon Classic.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a one-shot lead heading into the final round and cruised through the first 14 holes of the day before running into trouble with bogeyes on Nos. 15 and 16.
Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand beat American Brittany Lincicome in a playoff to win the tournament after both finished 72 holes tied at 14-under 270.
Henderson had four birdies, including three on the first six holes, finishing the round 2-under 69 for a 13 under total.
Henderson has six LPGA Tour wins, two shy of Sandra Post’s record for most by a Canadian woman.
Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished in a tie for 32nd place at 6 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 3 under for a share of 49th.
SYLVANIA, Ohio – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is heading into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic with sole possession of the lead.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 2-under 69 Saturday for an 11 under total through 54 holes and a one-stroke advantage over Americans Angela Stanford and Brittany Lincicome.
Henderson, who entered the third round tied for the lead with Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall at 9 under, fired five birdies to help even out an up-and-down round that also featured three bogeys.
Henderson, who birdied the 17th to take sole possession of the lead, admitted she was disappointed with her play on Saturday.
“I made some birdies but I made some bogeys. I didn’t hit it how I normally hit it, so I kind of grinded it out as best I could, and that’s good,” she said. “That’s a good sign when you can still shoot under par and not hit it very well. Just going into tomorrow trying to get back to the way I normally strike it, and hopefully make a lot of birdies.”
Stanford tied the best score of the day at 65 while Lincicome shot 67. Hedwall dipped into a tie for 21st place with a 74.
Seeking her first win since 2012, Stanford has shot back-to-back 65s after an opening-round 73. She credited a hot putter for her surge.
“I think that’s kind of what’s kept me in it,” Stanford said. “I’m seeing the lines pretty well. I didn’t have the speed the first day. I didn’t have it at all. I kind of figured it out the last two days.”
Lincicome had a 4-under 67, including birdies on two of the final three holes. In 10 previous Marathon Classics, her best finish was a tie for seventh in 2008.
“This golf course is sneaky tight,” said the big-hitting Lincicome, who is also seeking her second victory of the season. “I don’t get to hit very many drivers, but even the 3-woods and the hybrids off the tee, you have to keep it in play, and there are a few holes out there that I just pray I get through with a par, and we try to birdie the others.”
Brittany Marchand (70) of Orangeville, Ont., was six shots back of Henderson in a tie for 30th place. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was 11 shots off the pace.
Henderson has six LPGA Tour victories, including the Lotte Championship earlier this season. She is two victories away from tying Sandra Post’s record eight by a Canadian woman.
This is the fifth time in Henderson’s career she has held the 54-hole lead. She went on to win on three of the four prior occasions.
“It’s going to take a really good score,” Henderson said of Sunday’s challenge. “Lot of people shot minus-6, minus-5 today. So I would imagine something close to that tomorrow would do the job.”
A win, worth US$240,000, would vault Henderson into second on the LPGA money list this year.
Henderson is looking to become just the third player to win multiple events on the LPGA Tour this year.
ONEIDA, Wis. – Canadian Brittany Marchand is in the early hunt at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
The Orangeville, Ont., native opened with an 8-under 64 to sit in a tie for third, two shots back of leader Katherine Kirk of Australia on Thursday.
Marchand was 2 under at the turn, but birdied six of the seven final holes to shoot up the leaderboard. She carded eight birdies and went bogey free.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is right behind Marchand after an opening 65. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc Sherbrooke, Que., opened with 72s.
Kirk carded 10 birdies en route to shooting 62. South Korea’s Sei Young Kim is second with a 63.
American Megan Khang matched Marchand with a 64.
KILDEER, Ill. – Brooke Henderson’s stellar run at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship came to end on Sunday after a rougher final round saw the Smith Falls, Ont., talent finish in a tie for sixth.
Henderson, who started the final day with a piece of second, ran into trouble on the front-nine with bogeys on the 2nd, 5th and 6th holes. Though she fought hard to recover, Henderson finished inside the top-ten at 6 under for the tournament.
Sung Hyun Park beat So Yeon Ryu on the second hole of a playoff Sunday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her second major championship.
After a brief rain delay on the par-4 16th hole at Kemper Lakes, Ryu’s birdie try rolled past, and Park finished off her South Korean compatriot with a 10-footer. Park raised her arms and placed her hands on her head before hugging her caddie and wiping away tears.
Japanese teen Nasa Hataoko, after shooting an 8-under 64 to post at 10 under, dropped out of the playoff with a par on the par-4 18th.
Ryu made a 20-footer for birdie from the fringe, and Park followed from 10 feet.
Park closed with a 3-under 69. Ryu had a 73. She took a two-stroke lead on the 16th, but hit into the water on the par-3 17th en route to a double bogey. Park made a brilliant par save on 16.
The 24-year-old Park also won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open.
Nine strokes behind Ryu entering the day, Hataoka nearly pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in LPGA Tour history. She was already off the course when Ryu made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to go two strokes up at 12 under. But Ryu’s tee shot on No. 17 went into the water to the left of the green, setting up the three-way tie.
Park just missed a birdie on that hole when her 20-footer hit the edge of the cup. And she had a chance to win it on 18, only to watch her 18-foot birdie attempt role just past the edge.
Jessica Korda (68) and Angel Yin (71) tied for fourth at 7 under, with Charley Hull (67) at 6 under. Brooke Henderson (74) – second through three rounds – was 5 under.
After rain soaked the course earlier in the week, the final three days were marked by temperatures in the 90s. And with storms forecast for late Sunday afternoon, organizers adjusted the start times and had groups of three tee off on the first and 10th holes.
Ryu started on No. 1 with Park and Henderson and ran into trouble after rallying on the closing holes to grab a three-stroke lead in the third round. She had one short putt rim out and another deflect out of the back of the cup in a double-bogey on No. 2.
Park, who began the day four back, then went to 9 under with back-to-back birdies, chipping in on the par-3 third and making a short putt on No. 4.
Ryu bounced back with birdies on No. 6 and 7. She went right at the pin on the par-3 sixth off the tee and then made about a two-foot putt. On the seventh, she finished with about a 20-foot putt.
A birdie on the par-5 No. 11 put her at 12 under before she bogeyed the par-3 13th.
The 19-year-old Hataoka was coming off her first tour victory at the NW Arkansas Championship last week and nearly pulled out this one even though began the day all but out of contention.
She had five birdies plus two eagles to go with one bogey. She eagled the par-5 seventh hole and bounced back from a bogey on the par-4 No. 10 with another eagle on the par-5 11th. She then birdied the 12th, 15th and 16th holes on the way to her sixth top 10 finish in her past seven LPGA starts.
KILDEER, Ill.– Canada’s Brooke Henderson shares the lead at the end of the second round at the LPGA Championship.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., carded a 1-under 71 in the second round to move to 6 under for the tournament, tied with Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Sung Hyun Park toward the end of the morning wave.
Henderson was one off the pace after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s third major of the year, but vaulted into a tie for top spot with a birdie on No. 18 on Friday.
A six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Henderson has finished in the top five at this event the past three years, including a victory in 2016.
Henderson was a bit uneven with four birdies and four bogeys over her first 17 holes but buried a 12-foot uphill birdie putt on 18 to sneak into a three-way tie for the lead. Henderson will go for her seventh career win this weekend.
“It was kind of up and down all day so to finish off with a really nice birdie putt on 18 gives me a lot of confidence into tomorrow,” said Henderson. “I love it (the new putter). I feel like you can see the line really well on the course.”
Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was the second lowest Canadian at 1 over. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., (76) and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (78) are both at 3 over while Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (74) is at 6 over.
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Alena Sharp was the top Canadian at 11 under after a round three 66 at the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythfield Country Club. The Hamilton, Ont., native will head into the final round tied for thirteenth.
Fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., (68) was at 9 under, two shots ahead of Calgary amateur Jaclyn Lee (72) while Quebec City’s Anne-Catharine Tanguay (69) was 5 under.
Anna Nordqvist and Lee-Anne Pace each shot 8-under 64 on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Nordqvist and Pace each birdied four of the first five holes and two of the last three _ each making 20-footers on the par-4 18th _ in their bogey-free rounds at Blythefield. They were at 18-under 198.
Nordqvist, from Sweden, has eight LPGA Tour victories, winning the Founders Cup and The Evian Championship last year. Pace, from South Africa, won the 2014 Blue Bay LPGA in China for her lone tour title.
Second-round leader So Yeon Ryu was third at 16 under after a 69. Angela Stanford (66) and Caroline Masson (68) were another stroke back.
OTTAWA, Ont. — Bob Moir is remembered as a grandfather who was fiercely proud of his granddaughters, Brooke and Brittany Henderson, and their accomplishments in the world of golf.
Moir, who was 81, passed away Friday after a brief battle with cancer. Brooke withdrew from the U.S. Women’s Open after an opening round 73 at Shoal Creek on Thursday and returned home with Brittany and their father, Dave, who is also Brooke’s coach. Moir was father to Brooke and Brittany’s mother, Darlene.
“He was truly blessed and proud of his granddaughters Brittany and Brooke Henderson, who brought so much joy to his life,” it said in his obituary, which can be read here: https://lannin.ca/tribute/details/996/Robert-Moir/obituary.html.
Brooke tweeted on Monday afternoon: “I am so grateful for all the time we shared together. The great laughs, smiles and memories will be deep in my heart forever. Love you Gramps.” https://twitter.com/BrookeHenderson/status/1003719057437265923
Brooke and Brittany also composed a message which was included in their grandfather’s obituary:
“The bond that we shared with our Gramps was truly special. Between the golf courses, hockey rinks, our love of nature, just hanging out at home or our texts from afar, we shared so many great laughs, smiles and memories that will be deep in our hearts forever.
“We will miss him very much as he will also be missed by so many friends and family. Peace and happiness is found knowing he is welcomed Home by Our Father through the gates of heaven where Uncle Kenny will greet him with a big hug. You are forever loved.”
Kenneth Moir was Brooke and Brittany’s uncle, who passed away in 2009.
Adam Stanley/ Canadian Press
Brooke Henderson has played more on the LPGA Tour than anyone else the last two years, so it was interesting to see her skip a tournament in the middle of the season last week.
But with the U.S. Women’s Open starting Thursday at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Ala., the young Canadian wanted to get as prepared as she could be for what is usually the toughest test on tour.
“The majors bring that little bit extra,” said the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., who took a pass on the Volvik Championship in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere and it’s the greatest feeling in the world to know you’re competing and have a chance to win a major. Having won one in 2016 was the coolest thing ever, so I’m just really excited for when I can hold another major trophy.”
The lone major triumph for Henderson, 20, was the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, when she toppled then No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko in a playoff. She has won six times on the LPGA Tour, including once this year at the Lotte Championship in April.
Henderson returned to her home in Naples, Fla. last week in order to get used to the different kind of grass she’ll play on this week, along with the sticky early-June heat.
In 2013, when Henderson was just 15, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, and went on to make the cut, her first on the LPGA Tour. Her best result is a tie for fifth, which came in 2015.
“The U.S. Women’s Open has always been special to me,” said Henderson. “Some tournaments just mean a little bit more to you and you feel a little more confident and that’s what I feel at the U.S. Women’s Open.”
Shoal Creek is no stranger to hosting big events, including the 1984 and 1990 PGA Championships. But Shannon Rouillard, the U.S. Women’s Open championship director, says the setup for this week’s championship will be unique.
She says the United States Golf Association has intentionally narrowed some fairways and also added some closely mowed areas around the greens to force players to think about the shot they’re going to play versus just chopping out of thick rough.
Rouillard, who also runs the U.S. women’s amateur championship, remembers watching Henderson as a 14-year-old, and says she is a tremendous player. However, she’ll still need to bring her A-game this week.
“She hits the ball a long way, she’s a good putter ? but she’s still going to have to make the shots, think her way around the course, and manage her game accordingly,” Rouillard said.
Henderson has been solid from tee to green this year, sitting in the top 10 in a handful of key statistical categories. However, she is 73rd in putting average, and has used four different putters this year.
Henderson says she has returned to an older putter that she used for her first LPGA Tour win in 2015, and had that putter in her bag two weeks ago en route to a tie for fourth at the Kingsmill Championship, her fifth top-10 finish of the year.
Her biggest strength is with the driver, and according to Tom Lehman, the former No. 1-ranked golfer in the world who won back-to-back Regions Traditions titles on PGA Tour Champions in 2011-12 at Shoal Creek, that will be a key for success this week.
“If you had to get right down to brass tax, like what is absolutely necessary, you have to drive the ball well. It’s a great driver’s golf course. It’s a sensational course for those who drive the ball well,” Lehman said. “The longer you can hit it, the straighter you can hit it, the bigger advantage you have.”
Henderson never has played Shoal Creek and admits there is a lot of pressure to “learn one of the toughest courses in America.”
But she’s excited for the opportunity to play for one of golf’s biggest titles.
“I do feel that the major championships do fit my game a little bit, because the courses are longer, I tend to play better on tougher courses generally which is always a good thing,” Henderson said. “As long as I’m feeling healthy and not tired, I feel like mentally I can out-grind a lot of the players out there, which is always a really great thing.”
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Brooke Henderson made a late run at the Kingsmill Championship on Sunday, missing out on a three-person playoff by one stroke . The Smiths Falls, Ont., native finished the rain-shortened event at 13 under par to collect a fourth place finish.
“I just had a lot of great energy today. I started off with three birdies right off the start. Felt like I could really go low today, which is a great feeling,” said Henderson. “I came up a little bit short this week, but just to be in the hunt again and to feel that kind of adrenaline and to see my name at the top of leaderboard, it’s always a lot of fun.”
Henderson made it interesting down the stretch with three consecutive birdies in her last four holes, making a charge at the leaders.
“Yeah, it was pretty awesome. I just felt like — I was in the groove, and I felt like I could make birdies and I could make a charge, so I’m really happy I was able to do that,” added Henderson.
Ariya Jutanugarn arrived at Kingsmill Championship with no expectations, and it was a strategy that paid off handsomely.
The 22-year-old Thai star birdied the second hole of a playoff Sunday to win the LPGA Tour event for the second time in three years.
“I’m going to say I didn’t expect anything this week because I think I have been playing … very good like the last few tournaments and I’m still not winning the tournaments,” she said. “So show up this week, I just tell myself I’m not going to expect anything. I’m going to really focus on the things under my control and make sure I’m going to have good commitment every shot.”
“When I’m thinking about winning, I never win,” Jutanugarn said. She became the 12th winner in as many events on the tour this season.
Jutanugarn closed with a 5-under 66 to match Nasa Hataoka (67) and In Gee Chun (68) at 14-under 199.
Jutanugarn and Hataoka both birdied the first extra hole, with Chun dropping out. The 19-year-old Hataoka putted first on the second extra hole and missed badly from just off the back of the 18th green before Jutanugarn rolled in a 15-footer for her eighth career victory.
“I couldn’t believe I played in a playoff in such an early stage in my career,” Hataoka said. “I’m just going to try to keep going for the rest of the year.”
Jutanugarn’s older sister, Moriya, won the HUGEL-JTBC Championship in Los Angeles in April for her first LPGA Tour victory
Jutanugarn started the day two shots behind Chun and used a stretch of five birdies in six holes to build a two-shot lead before making bogey at the par-5 15th,, one of the easiest holes on the course.
“After that I got a little bit mad, but my caddie just told me … we can’t go back and change anything,” she said. “All we can do is just what we have now. Try to hit a good shot.”
Hataoka, playing with Chun in the final threesome, birdied No. 15 to join Jutanugarn at 14 under, and Chun made a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th to also get to 14 under.
It was the eighth top 10 finish of the season for Jutanugarn, the only player on the women’s tour to have made the cut in every event she’s played.
It was the fourth playoff in the history of the tournament.
The tournament was cut from 72 holes to 54 when rain washed out play Saturday.
Megan Khang was fifth after her third straight 67.
Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished at 3 under, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was at 1 over.
