RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is tied for the lead after the morning wave of the first round at the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 4-under 68 on her 23rd birthday Thursday after recording birdies on four of her final eight holes at the ANA Inspiration.

“Happy with 4 under,” she said. “It’s definitely a solid start, nice way to spend your birthday, and hopefully I can just keep making some birdies and climb the leaderboard.”

After the morning wave, Henderson sat in a tie for top spot with top-ranked Danielle Kang of the United States, Yu Liu of China and Kelly Tan of Malaysia. She closed the day one stroke back of leader Nelly Korda.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, the only other Canadian in the field, shot a 3-over 75.

With sizzling temperatures at the course (the high was 36 C on Thursday), caddies – including Henderson’s sister Brittany – are allowed to use electric carts.

“Normally I would never agree to taking carts, but definitely under the circumstances with it being so hot out here, and I definitely felt like since the LPGA was allowing us to use them, it was definitely an advantage for us,” Brooke Henderson said. “It was nice, she was able to zoom along, get to my ball fast, calculate some numbers, really get a feel for all the conditions, and then by the time I arrived she already had everything already set out and we could discuss a little bit more specifically.”

Henderson wasn’t in top form in her first two events since the LPGA Tour returned from its COVID-19 suspension last month, missing the cut at the British Open and tying for 49th at the Arkansas Championship.

Henderson has a Canadian record nine wins on the top tour, including a major title at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

In July, the LPGA Tour released the latest in its series of Drive On videos – showcasing the journeys its players have gone through to get to the biggest stage in golf, while also connecting fans with the real person behind the clubs.

For Lydia Ko, whose video has since drummed up tens of thousands of views, her Drive On story got started in Canada. And she’s never forgot that.

“I’m questioning if I’m actually Canadian with how nice Canada has been to me,” Ko said on a Zoom interview, with a laugh.

Indeed, the now 23-year-old burst onto the LPGA Tour with a victory at the 2012 CP Women’s Open. At the time she was just 15 years and four months – the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event.

The following year Ko won the CP Women’s Open again – and was still an amateur – by five strokes.

After turning professional in 2014, Ko would go on to win the CP Women’s Open again in 2015. In the process she became just the third golfer in the event’s storied history to have three titles to her name (the others being Americans Pat Bradley and Meg Mallon).

When Ko was 15 she came to that year’s CP Women’s Open at Vancouver Golf Club having just won the U.S. Women’s Amateur, so, she said, she was “walking on air.”

“I just was so excited to be out there and play with these ladies that I had really seen on magazines and TV not too long ago, and for some of them to come up and even say ‘hi’ to me… I didn’t have a lot of experience playing on the LPGA before, so it was just cool being in that vibe,” she said.

“I just remember that week I said, ‘hey, now I just want to make the cut and go from there and just kind of experience what it’s like playing on the LPGA alongside the best female golfers,’ and that week turned out to be like so much bigger, better, greater than I could have ever imagined.”

Ko said she was actually invited to play in another event on a different tour that week eight years ago, but she opted to play the CP Women’s Open.

And of course, she’s very happy she did.

“If we can make a little bit of a good difference in other people’s lives, it makes the whole thing worth it.”

Lydia Ko | #DriveOn pic.twitter.com/WrwFCSTXiy

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 16, 2020

“I was like, whoever made the final decision (to play in Canada) did a stellar job. I’m so glad I played it,” she said.

Ko’s career, outside of her three wins in Canada, as been nothing short of spectacular.

She’ll be the first to admit that she’s had ups and downs as it relates to caddies and coaches – she now works with Canadian Sean Foley – but there’s no denying how impressive this resume is: 15 LPGA Tour titles, two major championships, past Player of the Year, former No.1 in the world, and the youngest to ever earn $1-million in a season.

Even with all the accomplishments, Ko (who of course is not Canadian, but from New Zealand – and has been named New Zealand’s sportswoman of the year three times) stays humble when asked about being a role model for the next generation of golfers out there.

She laughs at the statement, as she is only in her early-20’s herself, but knows there are teenagers who, like her, are nearly ready to make the leap to the LPGA Tour.

While acting as a role model to so many, she cites some big names that have been helpful as well.

“It’s been so amazing to have lots of role models that you really look up to and say, ‘hey, I want to be the next Se Ri Pak or the next Annika Sorenstam, the next Brooke Henderson.’ But at the end of the day all you can do is really, like I said earlier, be the best version of you,” said Ko.

“I think as long as you’re working hard and having fun while you’re doing it, that’s all you can do.  Sometimes I think we just try and make it so much bigger than it already is, and it makes it look a lot more complicated.  But as long as you’re having fun and as long as you have belief in yourself, that’s what really matters.”

Ko will have another opportunity to inspire young Canadian golfers at next year’s CP Women’s Open when it returns to Vancouver and Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in 2021. She’ll go for her record fourth CP Women’s Open title next year after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19.

She said she’s super excited to return to Vancouver specifically.

She visited the city in 2019 for an event with Canadian retailer Lululemon and even visited a Korean restaurant that had the same name as her sister (“It’s called Sura and it was probably hands down some of the best food I’ve had in my life,” she said). She complimented CP as an “incredible sponsor and supporter of the LPGA” and has heard Shaughnessy is one of the top courses in the country.

She joked, even, that Coquitlam should change it to K-o instead of C-o because of her success and her love (“I actually would love to live in Vancouver,” she said) of the area.

So while Ko’s Drive On story has circled the globe, and she’s reached the top of golf’s mountain already, her connection to Canada is undeniable.

“Every time I go back to Canada,” she said, “it actually makes me feel like I’m home.”

OTTAWA (Golf Canada) – The stars of the LPGA Tour will once again head to the nation’s capital as Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) have announced the 2022 CP Women’s Open will return to the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

The 2022 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be held August 22-28 and will mark the championship’s fifth visit to the nation’s capital, as well as the fourth visit to Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which previously hosted in 1994, 2008 and 2017. Canadian star Brooke Henderson from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont. will be a power draw once again as the nine-time LPGA Tour winner is an honorary member of Ottawa Hunt.

“We are extremely thrilled and enthusiastic for the return of the CP Women’s Open to Ottawa and the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in 2022,” said Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada’s CEO. “The CP Women’s Open always receives terrific community support, but when we’re in Ottawa that backing is intensified. With our 2017 event in Ottawa for Canada’s 150 celebration and the excitement around Brooke competing so close to home, we set records for attendance, volunteer enrollment and left a meaningful charitable contribution. I’m certain the community will embrace all facets of the event when the stars of the LPGA Tour return to Ottawa.”

Through its CP Has Heart campaign, CP will once again be making a significant charitable donation to the host community. In the first six years of CP’s title sponsorship of the event, more than $10.7 million has been raised in support of children’s heart health across Canada.

CP’s community investment program has proven itself an award-winning initiative, earning the CP Women’s Open Gold Driver Awards for Best Charity & Community Engagement among all LPGA Tour events in 2017 and 2019.

“Through terrific events like the CP Women’s Open we’re able to shine a spotlight on local heart charities that make a big impact in their communities,” said CP President and CEO, Keith Creel. “Together, with all involved with the event, including our CP Golf Ambassadors Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane, we look forward to raising money for a worthy cause and leaving a lasting charitable legacy in Ottawa through CP Has Heart.”

The announcement of Ottawa as the 2022 host city is the core of a partnership between the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism and Golf Canada.

“It is great news that Golf Canada and CP have decided to return to Ottawa in 2022 for the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club,” said City of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. “The tournament was a major success in 2017, attracting a record number of fans and putting Ottawa on the map as a fantastic golf destination. We look forward to, once again, welcoming the best talent from across the world for this exciting event in 2022.”

“Ottawa Tourism looks forward to welcoming the CP Women’s Open back to Canada’s Capital in 2022 and to hosting the stars of the LPGA once more at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club,” said Ottawa Tourism President and CEO, Michael Crockatt. “We thank Golf Canada for choosing to return to Ottawa for this prestigious event which will build on the success of the 2017 CP Women’s Open. We will show off the best of our city to the athletes and spectators and are honoured to bring this exciting event once more to the passionate golf community in Ottawa”.

More than 50,000 people attended the event in 2017, where Sung Hyun Park earned a two-shot victory at Ottawa Hunt as part of an amazing season that saw her capture several LPGA Tour awards, including Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, Rolex Player of the Year and the Season Money Title.

The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has welcomed numerous notable championships since its incorporation in 1908, including the three CP Women’s Open Championships in 1994, 2008 and 2017; the 1932 Canadian Open; and three Canadian Amateur Championships in 1937, 1960 and 1970.

The 18-hole championship course that will challenge the world’s best women golfers in 2022 was originally crafted by famed architect Willie Park and redesigned by international course designer, Dr. Michael Hurdzan prior to the 2017 event.

Gino Picciano, President of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club Board of Directors recalls how the club and the community embraced the tournament in 2017 and anticipates it doing so once again in 2022.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to host the prestigious CP Women’s Open again in 2022 and welcome the top players in the world, including our own honorary member Brooke Henderson,” said Picciano. “Hosting the world-class event provides us with another opportunity to showcase our club as a challenging test and one of the premiere golf experiences in all of Canada.”

For CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul, a return to the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club is reason for excitement given the event’s past success in the nation’s capital.

“The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Hunt have hosted some of the most memorable and successful CP Women’s Opens in history,” said Paul. “The response from LPGA Tour players as well as golf fans, volunteers and community supporters has always been tremendous and with two years of runway, we have the opportunity make the return of our National Open to Ottawa in 2022 very special.”

The CP Women’s Open consistently draws one of the strongest fields in women’s golf vying for the largest purse (US $2.35 million) on the LPGA Tour aside from the five majors and CME Group Tour Championship.

Due to continued travel and border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver was postponed until 2021. Shaughnessy and the province of British Columbia will now host the event August 23-29, 2021.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and has inspired the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2021 and 2022 CP Women’s Opens will be available online at www.cpwomensopen.com at a later date.

Germany’s Sophia Popov claimed a magnificent first Major title as she held off international challengers to win the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon.

The 27-year-old, who came into the championship ranked 304^th in the world and without a main tour victory, secured the winner’s cheque of $675,000 after a stunning two-stroke success over the famous Ayrshire links.

Leading by three shots overnight, she held her nerve to close with a final round three-under 68 to post a winning total of seven-under-par 277 and become the first German to win a women’s Major championship.

Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura produced her best-ever Major display to finish runner-up on five-under, with Minjee Lee from Australia third and the 2015 champion, Inbee Park, fourth.

Popov, who qualified for the AIG Women’s Open at the Marathon Classic two weeks ago, can now enjoy a life-changing triumph after her superb play in Scotland.

An emotional Popov, whose previous appearance in the AIG Women’s Open was as an amateur in 2011, said of her brilliant win, “It feels amazing. There’s a lot of hard work behind it, and a lot of struggles that I went through the last six years, especially health-wise [Lyme disease]. I’m glad I stuck with it.

“I knew my game was in really good shape. I know anything’s possible and I think I took that belief with me to every round, but I never expected this. Obviously, I was nervous the whole round and I’m just so glad I could get it done.

“I guess it is an incredible story and I think, just personally for me, that’s why I broke down on the 18th hole because it’s been something I couldn’t have dreamed of just a week ago.”

After a challenging week of wet and windy conditions at the first women’s Major of the year, Popov came out on top of a strong field representing 32 countries and featuring Major champions, Solheim Cup stars and home favourites.

During an entertaining duel on the front nine, it looked like Suwannapura was going to push Popov all the way. The German bogeyed the opening hole to immediately give the field hope yet responded with back-to-back birdies to extend her lead to four. Suwannapura went on a brilliant run of four birdies from the 4^thto close the gap to just a shot, but again Popov hit back with a birdie at the 6^th.

Suwannapura faltered with dropped shots at the 11^th and 13^th on her way to a fine 67 and when Popov found birdies at the 15^th and 16^th, she was able to cruise to victory before breaking down in tears after her final bogey putt dropped.

Popov, who was caddying for her close friend Anne van Dam at the LPGA’s recent Drive On Championship, added: “The last two holes, I could take it in a little bit and I looked around and it’s just so beautiful, such an amazing course. I grew up playing the Women’s Amateur, the Girls’ Amateur and I honestly like the weather, except for I get really cold.

“Considering everything we have to deal with right now with COVID-19, the way we were taken care of was just incredible, and I want to say ‘thank you’ for that. We’ve been extremely privileged.”

Lee, the world number eight, was unable to make a sustained challenge, highlighting her round with an incredible up-and-down for par at the short 8^th, the Postage Stamp, as she closed with a 69 for a three-under total.

Park posted seven birdies in a round of five-under 66 to share the lowest round of the week, with American Austin Ernst fifth on level-par and Japan’s Momoko Ueda sixth on one-over. American Ally McDonald finished in style with her own 66, climbing 35 places on the final day for a six-over total.

Canadian Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., finished T22 at 6 over par.

The AIG Women’s Open made its debut on the prestigious links of Royal Troon, which has hosted The Open on nine occasions, most recently in 2016 when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson triumphed.

TROON, Scotland – Her ranking close to No. 400, Sophia Popov was pushing a trolley for her best friend at an LPGA Tour event in the United States three weeks ago.

On Sunday, she’ll take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Women’s British Open.

Popov set up what could be a life-changing day on the links of Royal Troon in southwest Scotland by shooting a bogey-free, 4-under 67 that tied the low score of the third round on Saturday.

The 27-year-old German was 4 under par overall and one of just three players under par after 54 holes. Minjee Lee of Australia and Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand were the other two, after both shot 69 to be tied for second place on 1 under.

Popov only qualified for the British Open courtesy of a top-10 finish two weeks ago at the Marathon Classic, which she was playing only because higher-ranked players couldn’t attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. Last week, she was playing on the second-tier Symetra Tour in Phoenix last week, tying for second, as she looks to regain her playing status on the LPGA Tour that she lost – by one stroke – at Q-School last season.

She has been the epitome of consistency at Troon and steered largely clear of trouble on Saturday to score the first bogey-free round of this tournament on a day when the wind relented somewhat, leading to the lowest scores of the week.

Popov made eagle at the par-5 fourth hole after hitting driver from the fairway to within 8 feet, and added birdies at Nos. 12 and 17. Also key was a long par putt at No. 11 that maintained her momentum.

If she holds her nerve on Sunday, she will become the first female major winner from Germany.

“Now it’s just me vs, pressure and shot-making in the right moments,” said Popov, who is now ranked No. 304 and is playing her first British Open since 2011.

“There are going to be a lot of nerves tomorrow,” she added. “It’s a position I have never been in, so we will have to see how it goes and play one shot at a time.”

At No. 138 in the world, Suwannapura would be another unlikely winner though her chances were hit by bogeying the last. She will also rue missing a short par putt at No. 15 for the only other bogey in her round.

The eighth-ranked Lee is the most high-profile of the three main contenders and is also looking for her first major title.

In a three-way tie for fourth – five strokes behind Popov – is her fellow German player Caroline Masson, who shot 68. Americans Lindsey Weaver (71) and Austin Ernst (72) were also on 1 over for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 2 over Saturday and enters the final round tied for 19th at 5 over.

TROON, Scotland – As if Royal Troon isn’t playing hard enough for the world’s top female golfers this week, Dani Holmqvist is going around the wind-swept Scottish links carrying a nagging back injury from a cart crash in 2018.

It’s not stopping the Swede leading the Women’s British Open after two rounds.

On another tough day when first-round leader Amy Olson shot 81 – 14 strokes worse than Thursday – and stars like Lexi Thompson, Canadian Brooke Henderson and defending champion Hinako Shibuno missed the cut, Holmqvist shot 1-under 70 in windy morning conditions to be the only player under par after 36 goals.

A 1-under total of 141 left Holmqvist a stroke ahead of Austin Ernst of the United States (70) and Sophia Popov of Germany (72). The rest of the 144-strong field were over par for a tournament being played without spectators and in an isolated environment on the southwest coast due to the pandemic.

Holmqvist’s form has come out of nowhere, with the 32-year-old Swede having missed the cut in 13 of the 20 events she has played since the golf cart in which she was riding between holes in the Blue Bay event on the LPGA Tour in November 2018 lost control and slammed into a wall.

As well as suffering with a leaking disk in her back, Holmqvist had a badly inflamed facet joint that has required multiple injections and regular rehab. The suspension of golf because of the coronavirus outbreak gave her some much-needed time to heal but she still described herself as “injured” on Friday.

“It’s a long process and very tedious,” she said. “It’s an everyday thing.”

Capturing a first major title – indeed, a first professional win at senior level – won’t be easy, and not just because of how hard and long Troon is playing in often 50-mph (80-kph) winds.

Lying two strokes behind Holmqvist on 1 over par are former No. 1 Lydia Ko (71) and No. 8-ranked Minjee Lee, who shot 69 to tie for the lowest round on Friday. A further shot back is No. 4-ranked Nelly Korda after her round of 72.

“We were like, `Are you scared over 1-footers, too, with this wind?’ Korda said, referring to a conversation she had with playing partner Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion. ”Because we were like shaking over it with wind and the gusts.“

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is 3 over for the tournament after a 74 on Friday. Henderson, frm Smiths Falls, Ont., was 10 over for two rounds, missing the cut by one stroke.

After what she described as the best ball-striking round of her career to shoot 67 on Thursday, Olson came back to earth with a 10-over round that included six bogeys on her first 10 holes before double-bogeys at Nos. 11 and 14.

The American parred her way home to limit the damage and won’t feel out of it at 6 over.

Another American, Lindsay Weaver, is closer to the lead on 1 over after shooting 72 while pushing her own trolley.

“It’s kind of back to the basics. This is how junior golf was,” she said.

Flying solo with a decade-old trolley that doesn’t have functioning breaks isn’t without its perils, either.

“I was in one bunker,” Weaver said, recalling an incident in her first round, “and my push cart flew into another bunker and toppled over. I’m still trying to get a lot of the sand out of my bag.”

It has proved to be a week to forget for Lexi Thompson, who has shot 78 and 75 to miss the cut by two strokes.

At least she avoided the ignominy of being penalized for using the head of her club to push away long grass from her ball on the 16th hole of her first round.

“Following a discussion between chief referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard,” the R&A said in a statement Friday, “it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position.

“Therefore, the lie of the ball was not improved and there was no breach of Rule 8.1.”

TROON, Scotland – Fences blew over behind Canada’s Alena Sharp as she warmed up for her 6.30 a.m. start.

Nelly Korda’s opening drive went 187 yards and the fierce wind meant she had a hard time just walking the first three holes.

Buffeted by a gust on the 11th green, Lexi Thompson stepped back from a bogey putt, looked at her caddie, and had a wry laugh.

The opening round of the first women’s major of a pandemic-affected year was a slog for many of the world’s biggest names at Royal Troon on Thursday.

For Amy Olson, though, it was a stroll.

The American was the only player to shoot below 70 in what some said was a four-club wind on the famous links in eastern Scotland, her 4-under 67 earning her a three-stroke lead.

“It was the best ball-striking day of my life,” said Olson, who grew up hitting a low ball in strong winds in North Dakota, standing her in good stead for links play. “But I can’t even describe how difficult it was out there.”

Only two others in the 144-player field – Sophia Popov of Germany and Marina Alex of the United States – shot under par, both with rounds of 70.

“It was brutal,” said Popov, who was playing in 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Arizona last week and only arrived in Scotland on Tuesday.

Danielle Kang would agree. The in-form player – and, at No. 2, the highest-ranked competitor at Troon this week – finished eagle-birdie-birdie just to shoot 76 along with defending champion Hinako Shibuno of Japan.

Stacy Lewis, the 2013 champion at St. Andrews, had the same score after arriving on the back of a win across the country at the Ladies Scottish Open on Sunday.

Thompson, an American ranked No. 10, dropped five shots in two holes on Nos. 11 and 12, and had a 78.

Among the 10 players tied for fourth place at even par were Sharp and Catriona Matthew, a 50-year-old Scot who was captain of Europe’s Solheim Cup-winning team last year.

Sharp, a Hamilton native, rebounded after hitting her opening shot out of bounds, resulting in a double bogey.

“I was just like, OK, you need to wake up, start playing golf shots.’ Don’t be afraid of the wind,” said Sharp, who had four birdies and no bogeys on the last eight holes. “This is just like all the other rounds I’ve played in the wind. You know, just from there on, I was just in grind mode the rest of the day.”

Sharp has a grandmother and uncle from Scotland.

“I feel like they were watching over me today and giving me a little help out there,” she said.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 6-over 77.

The conditions at an event being played in an isolated environment because of the pandemic were worse for the morning starters, who encountered winds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph). For some, it was four seasons in one day.

Olson went out in the afternoon and made only one bogey, on the par-4 third hole. She responded by chipping in for birdie at No. 4 and hitting to within a foot with an 8-iron from 191 yards for another at No. 6. Another birdie arrived at No. 11, before her tee shot at the par-3 14th hole settled three feet from the cup for another birdie.

Her fifth birdie came at No. 16.

The 28-year-old Olson has yet to win as a professional, though came close to capturing a major at the Evian Championship in 2018 when she tied for second place, a shot behind Angela Stanford. She tied for seventh at the Scottish Open last week, suggesting she was in the kind of shape to challenge at Troon.

Popov, who finished birdie-birdie, only qualified for the British with a top-10 finish at the Marathon Classic two weeks ago and was playing on the second-tier Symetra Tour in Phoenix last week, tying for second.

Alex rebounded from a double-bogey 7 at No. 6 with three birdies in a bogey-free final 11 holes.

Former No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 4-ranked Nelly Korda were among those to shoot 72.

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko, a winner of two majors last year, is absent from the tournament in Scotland along with fellow South Koreans Sung Hyun Park (No. 3) and Sei Young Kim (No. 6) because of coronavirus restrictions. Jessica Korda, the sister of Nelly, withdrew just before the start of the first round with an illness not related to COVID-19, organizers said.

The weather could be even tougher on Friday, with near-gale force gusts forecast in the afternoon.

The time has come for Brooke Henderson to get back into competitive golf.

Henderson tees off in the early afternoon on Thursday at the Women’s British Open at storied Royal Troon Old Course in Troon, Scotland. It’s her first tournament since January, a seven-month break that she believes is the longest she’s taken from competitive golf since she was in elementary school.

“That’ll be fun, I haven’t really felt that adrenalin in a little while. I’m looking forward to it,” said Henderson, who tied for fourth at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on Jan. 16 and then tied for 15th in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio a week later.

Henderson always planned to skip the LPGA Tour’s swing through Australia and was on the fence about playing in its Asian tournaments. The COVID-19 pandemic took that decision out of her hands.

“I was happy that I wasn’t over there and then after that more things started to get cancelled,” said Henderson. “It is unfortunate that this has happened but, at the same time, you can take some positives from it.

Back in action ? pic.twitter.com/2Ha5yaEWot

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 18, 2020

“My family’s been healthy and hopefully it stays that way and I’ve been able to do some extra things I don’t normally have time for.”

That inactivity has seen Henderson fall from the top 10 down to a tie for 37th in the Race to CME Globe standings. A solid performance at Troon, however, should help her move quickly back up the rankings.

“I’m really looking forward to competing again and I’m glad the LPGA has come up with a schedule and a plan to try and keep us players and everybody involved as safe as they can be during this crazy time,” said Henderson.

“I’m really appreciative of everyone that’s been working hard to get the show on the road.”

Always a cerebral player, Henderson enjoyed taking a step back from the day-to-day grind of a professional golfer. Instead of analyzing course layouts and working on her swing she’s had time to read books and do more cooking.

“It’s very mentally draining playing golf, both on the course and off,” said Henderson. “You’re constantly thinking of how to improve, how to play the course with maybe a better strategy, you’re always thinking and trying to get better that way.

“In this off-time I feel like I’ve had more mental energy to spend in different ways.”

She’ll be joined at Women’s British Open by Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, who has thrived since the LPGA Tour resumed play on July 31 at the inaugural Drive On Championship. Sharp is currently 42nd in the CME Globe standings.

Alena Sharp is keenly aware that time is not on her side as a shortened LPGA Tour season resumes this week.

The 39-year-old from Hamilton is the only Canadian in the field as the inaugural Drive On Championship tees off on Friday at Inverness Golf Course in Toledo, Ohio. Sharp was ranked 48th on the LPGA Tour before it suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-February.

“It sucks that this is happening towards the end of my career because I’m playing well,” said Sharp. “I want to just keep riding that momentum for as long as I can until I decide to maybe slow down and retire.”

After taking just a few weeks off following the 2019 season, Sharp played in three tournaments to kick off the new year. She missed the cut at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Raton, Fla., in January, tied for ninth at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in early February, then missed the cut at the Women’s Australian Open.

When that tournament finished the LPGA Tour, about to embark on its annual swing through Asia, decided to take a four-week break to avoid what was then a regional epidemic of the novel coronavirus. That epidemic exploded into a worldwide pandemic that has gripped the world.

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Sharp, who has been a professional golfer for 15 years, said she is worried that the dozen tournaments cancelled because of COVID-19 represent a dwindling number of opportunities to win on the LPGA Tour for the first time.

“I don’t have any injuries or anything like that but there’s a lot of up-and-coming players that are coming out and things happen as you age,” said Sharp.

A silver lining to the time off _ the longest off-season Sharp can recall _ is that she has been able to put an emphasis on her fitness. Gyms were closed in Arizona, where she lives, but she dedicated herself to outdoor workouts using kettlebells, resistance bands, smash balls and body weight exercizes.

Sharp also played regularly at Seville Golf and Country Club against some of the club’s best members to keep her competitive fires burning.

“I would play some little money games just to test myself and make sure that I was staying competitive, making the putts mean something,” said Sharp. “Some of the guys I gave strokes to so I had to play pretty well to beat them.

“I hate losing so it was definitely helpful to keep me in that competition mode.”

Sharp and Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., would have been competing for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics this week had it not been for the pandemic. Sharp notes that her world ranking should be improving this season because a series of missed cuts will be coming off her record, putting her in an excellent position to hold on to her Olympic berth for the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

“I’m glad that they’ve actually moved it to next year and rather than just cancel it entirely, because in four more years I mean I don’t know where I’ll be,” she said. “I hope to be still playing and being competitive but time isn’t on my side necessarily.”

Brooke Henderson has set her sights on the British Women’s Open.

One of the biggest names in women’s golf and the most successful pro player in Canadian history, Henderson has been out of competitive play for nearly seven months. At first it was intentional, as the No. 7 women’s golfer in the world had previously decided to sit out the LPGA Tour’s Australian leg, but then the COVID-19 pandemic began and the circuit suspended play.

“It’s been a very long break, especially for me,” said the 22-year-old Henderson from her family cottage. “I think it’s been the longest I’ve gone without playing competitively since maybe I was in elementary school.

“It’s been a big change for me but I’m very excited to get back out there. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of adrenalin on that first tee.”

Henderson tied for fourth at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions with an overall score of 12 under on Jan. 16 and then a week later she tied for 15th in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

 

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But those two tournaments have been it so far for Henderson, who lives in Florida but repatriated to her parents’ home in Smiths Falls, Ont., early in the pandemic.

“I’ve enjoyed staying put and not travelling and not being exposed as much the last few months,” said Henderson, who quarantined herself for 14 days before moving back in with her parents. “I’ll be staying here until the British and then after the British I’ll be playing a few more events and getting out there more.”

The Women’s British Open begins on Aug. 20 at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. It will be the first major of the LPGA Tour’s season after the Evian Championship, originally scheduled for Aug. 6-9, was cancelled.

The LPGA Tour resumes its schedule on Thursday with the first-ever Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio. Henderson will miss it, the Marathon Classic Aug. 6-9 and the Ladies Scottish Open Aug. 13-16.

Henderson, who has played a rigorous schedule since turning pro in 2015, has enjoyed the break.

“I’ve read a lot of books, I was able to work out more than I do when I’m out on Tour,” said Henderson, whose sister/caddy Brittany stayed at their home in Florida. “I learned to cook way better, which is really exciting. I spent a lot of quality time with my mom and dad since I’ve been home.

“It’s been a nice break, in a way, I just wish the break happened but that it could have happened without affecting everyone.”

Henderson and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp would have left for Japan this week to play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the second time the pair would have represented Canada in women’s golf.

“(Tokyo) is something to look forward to next year,” said Henderson. “Obviously it was a very smart decision they made to move it to 2021. Hopefully by then it is safe to play and it’s not postponed another year.

“I really enjoyed playing last time in Rio in 2016. It’s definitely an honour.”