Tips that could be useful this week to Brooke and… Brittany
(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
Mario Brisebois
No, no mistake. If this week at the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt, and for golf in general in Canada, belongs to Brooke Henderson, even though the field features 92 of the top 100 players in the world, it also belongs to her big sister Brittany.
Five years older than the gifted 19-year-old superstar, Brittany is also very much at the forefront as caddie.
Brit, who spent her junior years playing in Quebec by the way, put her competitive career aside for the last three years to support her younger sister in the big league, with admirable results.
Together they won three times on the LPGA Tour, including a first Grand Slam title at the LPGA Championship in 2016, before winning the Meijer Classic this year and finishing second at the US Open earlier this summer.
So Brooke has no worries about covering any costs with the million ($ 1,038,689 to be precise) already in the bank, not to mention the even more lucrative sponsorship deals.
LIKE JOCELYNE BOURASSA BEFORE HER…
It is a unique and special week that begins for Brooke and Brittany.
With all due respect to Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie, Lydia Ko, number 1 So Yeon Ryu (with $ 1,733,008) and all the other LPGA stars, this Open belongs to Brooke.
In addition to being a member of the Ottawa Hunt, she was born and raised in nearby Smiths Falls, Ontario.
The current scenario brings me back to Jocelyne Bourassa at the Canadian Open of 1973, “La Canadienne”, which she won at the Montréal Municipal Club (today Maisonneuve Park) on home soil and to the immense happiness of this writer.
Jocelyne had offered me the privilege to caddie for her and no, before anyone else can rightly say, Jocelyne’s caddie was not nearly as pretty as Brittany.
Like today, the spotlight was not shining on the stars of the day – Judy Rankin, Sandra Haynie, JoAnne Carner, Kathy Whitworth – but rather on the local darling of Shawinigan South.
The victory was a huge deal, but so was the support of the public.
At one point, the fans were crowding their young champion so much that it seemed like all of Montréal and Québec were swinging the clubs along with her.
WORDS OF ADVICE
It’s obviously Brooke who will be hitting the ball, but here are some suggestions for Brittany by her side.
* Ask my friend Bill Paul, the director of the Open, to make sure that the best four marshals are assigned to Brooke’s pairing, not so much for security, but to make sure she has breathing room.
In Montreal, I had recruited the Calabro brothers. I can assure you that it became very quiet when they shouted “Attention! La petite Bourassa is teeing off”!
* With all the pressure on her, Brooke’s clubs will feel very heavy at first, hence the importance of staying relaxed and thinking positive thoughts.
* Patience is essential. Even if it takes a little time to get things going, remember that the Open is a four-day event, not four holes.
Brooke has so much talent that she cannot help but get fired up. There’s nothing better than a sequence of birdies to transform the pressure into a huge wave of support and love.
* But above all, the sisters must remember to really enjoy this week; that is the key to everything.
This is my wish for you both, Brooke and Brittany, that you will have the opportunity to talk about this week 44 years later, just like I can with Jocelyne.
Brooke Henderson: Excited about homecoming at CP Women’s Open
(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
David Li
With four LPGA Tour titles, including one major victory under her belt, Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson is recognized for her success across the country and beyond.
While she is grateful for that widespread recognition, the 19-year-old says nothing can top the excitement of competing at home.
Having played a number of junior and amateur golf tournaments in the nation’s capital, Henderson has yet to compete in the Ottawa area as a professional.
Since turning professional in December of 2014, the closest she has competed is in the Waterloo Region for the Manulife LPGA Classic which is about a five hour drive from Ottawa.
However, that will change next week when she tees off at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club for the CP Women’s Open.
“I’ve played a few times now in Canada as a professional but never in the Ottawa area, so that’s going to be huge and I feel that the crowds are going to be amazing; I’m really excited for that,” she said during the CP Women’s Open media day in June.
“I think it’s great to have it at the Ottawa Hunt because I recently became a member here. I would love to play well here and give the crowd something to cheer about.”
Despite never competing at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, Henderson is quick to point out a special memory that came as a spectator many years ago.
“I remember coming here in 2008 and watching the entire field. I watched Morgan Pressel who I really looked up to and at the end of the fourth hole she walked up and said ‘hey Brooke’ and I was thinking ‘what she knew my name?’ and I was so excited because I met her a month before just in passing and to have her remember my name and that impact it had on me was truly amazing. And after her round, she handed me her glove and a signed golf ball,” recalled the now 19-year-old Canadian golf star.
“What I learned that day is you have so much of an impact on the younger generation and people of all ages; and so for me this year, I really want to be able to give a lot of time to the media and the fans – and especially, to the young kids to inspire them to play the game,” she added.
Someone else who inspired aspiring young golfers in Canada is four-time LPGA Tour winner, Lorie Kane – and she is quick to acknowledge Henderson’s current influence.
“Brooke has accomplished so much and she’s only 19, so she’s just getting started,” said Kane. “A lot of young kids across the country definitely look up to her success and she’s a great role model for them,” said Kane about Henderson, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2016 to become first Canadian to win a women’s major in 48 years.
“She’s definitely handled her success really well and that says a lot about her as well as the people around her,” added Kane.
Having signed on with CP as an ambassador earlier this year, Henderson has a few nice words in return for the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and longtime CP ambassador.
“To be with Lorie, who paved the way for Canadian women’s golf all across the board, it’s amazing to be in her family and her team,” Henderson said.
Joining Kane and Henderson at the CP Women’s Open next week will be the LPGA’s finest including current world No. 1, Ryu So-yeon, three-time champion, Lydia Ko and defending champion, Ariya Jutanugarn – to name just a few.
While the former world No. 2 from Smith Falls, Ont., acknowledges there’s pressure associated with being the hometown favourite at the CP Women’s Open, she also recognizes that pressure is also a privilege.
“Of course there will be pressure, but it can be fun too because you have everyone in your corner cheering for you and every shot means a lot of them, too. So, hopefully, I can perform to the best of my ability and put on a good show and get everybody on my side,” she said.
With only one Canadian – Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973 – capturing the national championship in its 44-year history, Henderson says she places special emphasis on winning the tournament.
“This tournament is like my fifth major on the LPGA TOUR. This is the event that I would love to win the most over my career. Whether it happens this year or in the future it’s the number one event on my bucket list,” she added.
When asked about her chances of capturing the title this year in her homecoming tournament, Henderson says she is ready and capable.
“Going into any tournament the goal of any player is to win it; and I definitely feel that I have a good chance to win here,” she replied. “It’s just about being able to play my game and also getting a few breaks along the way.”
Honouring a Canadian legend: A tribute to the late Dawn Coe-Jones
London, Ontario, August 9, 2006
Canadian Women's Open at the
Pro Am
John Gordon
When you see players wearing yellow ribbons at this week’s CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, think “DCJ.”
Those are the initials of Dawn Coe-Jones, one of Canada’s most outstanding golfers who died of bone cancer last November at the age of 56. The ribbons are to honour her memory and to remind us all of the toll this terrible disease takes.
Born in Lake Cowichan, B.C., Coe-Jones won the B.C. Junior Championship in 1978 and 1979 and then the B.C. Amateur in 1982. In 1983, she defended her provincial amateur title and capped off the season by winning the Canadian Amateur Championship. After being named an NCAA All-American at Lamar University in Texas, Coe-Jones headed to the LPGA Tour where she won three times, including the 1995 Tournament of Champions.
Despite smaller purses during her heyday, Coe-Jones remains the top Canadian money-winner at the CP Women’s Open. She finished, either solo or tied, as the top Canadian 13 times. Her best finish was third in 1993. Her golfing genes live on in her son, Jimmy, who played in the Canadian Amateur earlier this month.
Last October, the inaugural Dawn Coe-Jones Golf Classic was held in Florida to raise funds for sarcoma research. “Dawn touched so many people,” recalled fellow B.C. native Gail Graham, a fellow Lamar alumna who played with Coe-Jones on the LPGA Tour. “She was always the one who worried about others.”
That month, the Legends Tour (the official senior tour of the LPGA) honoured her with the Colleen Walker Spirit Award, given to the player who best exemplifies Walker’s spirit, courage and love of the game. The award is named for Walker, a former LPGA Tour player who died of cancer in 2012.
Coe-Jones’s legacy is also being carried on by the current generation of outstanding Canadians, many of whom are participating in this week’s championship.
The homegrown contingent is led by 19-year-old Brooke Henderson, already a four-time winner in only her second full season on the LPGA Tour, including the 2016 KPMG PGA Championship. Henderson, who was born in nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., now calls the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club her home club, so she has local knowledge on her side as well as talent.
Also vying to be the first Canadian to win our national women’s Open since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973 will be Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. Sharp, who represented Canada in the 2016 Olympics, is coming off a top-five finish at last year’s CP Women’s Open.
Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, like her longtime friend and competitor Coe-Jones, is an honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. She will be teeing it up this week in her record-setting 27th CP Women’s Open start.
Other Canadian pros in the field include Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City. Team Canada Amateur Squad members Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Grace St. Germain of Ottawa and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., are also competing this week.
No doubt all of them have derived inspiration from the successes, both professional and personal, of Dawn Coe-Jones.
So when you notice those yellow ribbons this week, take a moment to remember DCJ and her legacy not only to golf, but to cancer research.
Hometown favourite Brooke Henderson, with the support of fellow LPGA Tour athletes, led the inaugural Brooke and Friends charity fundraiser with proceeds going towards the Golf Canada Foundation and Henderson Family Foundation.
Four earn spots into 2017 CP Women’s Open via Monday Qualifying
(Flagstick.com)
Golf Canada
Thirty-one players competed for four spots in the 2017 CP Women’s Open at Monday’s final qualifying event at Camelot Golf and Country Club, in Ottawa, Ont.
Stirling, Ont., native Hannah Hellyer fired a 3-under-par 69 to share medallist honours with Madeline Sheils of Boise, Idaho, each earning a qualifying spot into Canada’s National Open Championship.
“My putting was really on point today,” said Hellyer. “It’s a dream come true to play in the CP Women’s Open and get to play against the world’s best.”
Hellyer – an assistant professional at St. Georges Golf and Country Club in Toronto – will be making her LPGA debut at the CP Women’s Open. She fell just short of Monday qualifying for the 2014 CP Women’s Open, losing a three-way playoff for the final qualifying position.
Sheils has played in nine events on the LPGA Tour this year. Her best result was a T35 finish at the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I.
South Korea’s Min-g Kim carded a 2-under par 70 to tie for third with Alison Walshe of Palm Beach, Fla.
Kim has played in five LPGA events in 2017 and Walshe has played in three.
Hellyer will be the 14th Canadian in the field at the CP Women’s Open. All are trying to become the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event on Canadian soil since Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Jocelyne Bourassa won La Canadienne in 1973.
Information regarding tickets and corporate hospitality for the CP Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com. A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2017 CP Women’s Open is available by clicking here.
The following are full scores from 2017 CP Women’s Open Final Qualifying at Camelot Golf and Country Club.
Pairings set for 2017 CP Women’s Open Monday Qualifier
Terry Lenyk
OTTAWA (Golf Canada) – The final four spots into the 2017 CP Women’s Open field will be determined Monday, as the Final Qualifier is set for Camelot Golf and Country Club.
A total of 32 competitors will challenge for one of four spots into the field for Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship.
The Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption into the 2017 CP Women’s Open field. If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.
Click here for pairings, start times and results from Final Qualifying on Monday, August 21. Results will be available as players complete their rounds.
Tournament week for the 2017 CP Women’s Open kicks off Monday, August 21 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club. In addition to practice rounds in the morning, the Brooke & Friends Pro-Am gets underway with a shotgun start at 1:30pm. Sixteen teams will tee it up alongside Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson and fellow LPGA Tour stars with proceeds benefiting the Golf Canada Foundation and the Henderson Family Foundation. Click here for a list of players taking part in the inaugural Brooke & Friends Pro-Am.
Ariya Jutanugarn: Enjoying success on Canadian soil
(Bernard Brault/Golf Canada)
David Li
In any given profession, with success comes recognition. And of course, the same applies in the sport of golf.
With that said, former world No. 1, Ariya Jutanugarn, from Bangkok, Thailand has certainly made her mark in Canada given her recent success on Canadian soil.
Last August after winning the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open by four strokes at the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Jutanugarn expressed how much she enjoyed playing in Canada and also spoke about how much she looked forward to coming back.
And she wasn’t kidding.
In early June, she returned to Canada for the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont. – and the 21-year-old did it in style as she won the tournament in a dramatic three-way playoff.
#TBT to Ariya @jutanugarn winning the Canadian women's "Triple Crown"
In the final round at the Whistle Bear Golf Club, Jutanugarn shot a 3-under-par 69 to pull into a three way tie with Lexi Thompson of the United States and In Gee Chun of South Korea after 18 holes.
With both Thompson and Chun missing their birdie attempts on the first playoff hole, Jutanugarn calmly stepped up and sank a 25 foot putt to claim the victory; and also the distinction as the world No. 1 at the time.
“She made a really good putt. It was perfect,” said Chun, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Champion and 2016 LPGA Rookie of the Year.
The title at the Manulife LPGA Classic was Jutanugarn’s first of 2017; and in her post-victory press conference she spoke about the level of her game leading up to start of the tournament – which she felt was anything but perfect.
“I just can’t believe I won the tournament. I didn’t expect anything at all, because when I got here I didn’t feel comfortable with my swing. I (felt) like my tee shot (was) not that good,” she said candidly.
A couple days later at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan, after having some time to soak in her accomplishment and reflect, Jutanugarn spoke about of the significance of reaching world No. 1 – specifically as it relates to the people in her native Thailand.
“I think they (are) really excited about that and I’m really happy to be representing Thailand and I’m very proud of myself that I can make them happy,” said Jutanugarn, who is the first male or female golfer from Thailand to have reached world No. 1.
According to the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic champion, Brooke Henderson, Jutanugarn’s success has a lot to do with her unique combination of power combined with her soft hands on the greens.
“Ariya is an amazing player and a very powerful player – she hits it a long way. And she has an exceptional short game which is usually uncommon for that powerful of a player,” said the 19-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. about Jutanugarn during a media day lead up to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
Henderson adds that she is motivated by Jutanugarn’s success and also has aspirations of reaching the pinnacle of her profession one day.
“I think that’s everyone’s goal out on the LPGA Tour which is to be the best player they can be; and to be the top player amongst everybody,” said the former Canadian national team member, who climbed to world No. 2 last summer.
“Becoming number 1 is a tough thing to accomplish because there’s a lot of hard work involved and a lot of good breaks that need to go your way.”
Despite losing the world No. 1 ranking to So Yeon Ryu after South Korean’s victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Jutanugarn still holds the distinction as the reigning champion for the only two Canadian events on the LPGA schedule.
However, that is something Henderson hopes to change when the CP Women’s Open tees off from Aug. 24-27 in her home golf course at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.
The 19-year-old revealed recently at the media day for the CP Women’s Open that winning the title is one of the things on her bucket list.
With both Jutanugarn and Henderson currently playing their best golf, it bodes well for the potential of a budding rivalry between the two young stars over the summer and beyond.
While both share a healthy competitive spirit to be the best of the best in their profession, their success has also earned them recognition as role models and ambassadors of the sport.
Given that responsibility and honour, Jutanugarn was asked after her recent victory in Cambridge what her advice would be for the aspiring young golfers with the goal of reaching the pinnacle of the sport one day.
“Follow your dream and never give up,” replied the 21-year-old from Thailand. “That’s the key for me.”
Click here to buy tickets to see Jutanugarn, Henderson and the stars of the LPGA at the 2017 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt from August 21-27.
