LPGA Tour

Henderson moves to T9; Jutanugarn eagles 18 and leads in Ann Arbor

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Brooke Henderson (Scott Halleran/ Getty Images)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn ended a shaky round spectacularly, making a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole Saturday at Travis Pointe to take a one-stroke lead in the Volvik Championship.

Trying to become the first to win three straight LPGA Tour events since Inbee Park in 2013, the 20-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 1-over 73 in the third round to reach 10-under 206. She became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia.

Following three straight pars, she teed off on the 500-yard, par-5 18th with a 3-wood and landed in the rough. From 220 yards, she an impressive 3-iron shot that went as planned.

“Just go to the pin,” she said.

Jutanugarn shrugs off her stellar play, but is earning praise from other players.

“It’s incredible what she can do with the golf ball,” said Christina Kim, who was tied for second. “It’s just absurd. She is able to dominate really any golf course without necessarily hitting driver on any hole

Kim shot a 72 to join Jessica Korda (70) at 9 under.

Korda said pin placements made Travis Pointe, a new venue on the LPGA Tour, play much tougher than it did the previous two days.

“They are tucked in a lot of places and the greens are just super firm,” she said.

Stiffer wind was a factor, too.

“It’s very hard,” Jutanugarn said.

Hyo Joo Kim and Suzann Pettersen were 7 under, each shooting 70. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 25th at 2 under after a 72.

Jutanugarn has been playing better than any woman on the planet lately, including earlier in the week with a 65-68 start.

On Saturday afternoon, though, she fell back to the pack and then behind it with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 3, missing a 3-foot putt, and 4 and a third bogey to close the front nine. A bogey at No. 13 dropped her to 7 under and she birdied the next hole.

A freak accident was the only thing that slowed Jutanugarn down three years ago as a teenage phenom.

After finishing in the top four of each of the five tournaments she played in 2013, Jutanugarn fell off a tee box while running away from her sister, fellow tour player Moriya, who was trying to pour water on her while they were goofing around. Jutanugarn needed shoulder surgery and was knocked out of competition for nine months.

“I think it made her want it even more,” said Michael Yim, Jutanugarn’s agent.

Korda is aiming for her fifth title on the PGA Tour and first since winning last year in Malaysia. She has three top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for third.

Kim, meanwhile, has been struggling. A tie for 19th last month, her season-best finish, was followed by missing the cut and being tied for 45th and 65th the previous two tournaments. She won her third LPGA Tour title in 2014. Kim was leading late in the third round, but bogeyed No. 15 to fall into a four-way tie with Jutanugarn, Korda and So Yeon Ryu.

With a birdie on her first hole, Ryu was 10 under and among the leaders. She didn’t have another birdie the rest of the day and had four bogeys, including on Nos. 16 and 17, to fall to 3 over for the day and 6 under for the tournament and into a sixth-place tie with Belen Mozo (70) and Marina Alex (75).

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson shot even-par and moved into a tie for 9th. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Quebec City’s Anne Catherine Tanguay matched 75s on the day and sit T59 and T73, respectively.

Brooke Henderson LPGA Tour

Henderson climbs to T10; Jutanugarn takes two-shot lead

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Brooke Henderson (Leon Halip/ Getty Images)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn tore her scorecard into pieces after walking off the 18th green at Travis Pointe, proving the competition isn’t the only thing she is tearing up.

Jutanugarn moved a step closer to winning a third straight LPGA Tour title by shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead in the Volvik Championship.

She had four back-nine birdies, including No. 18 when her approach went off a hospitality suite and landed in a greenside bunker 20 yards from the hole.

“Hit cut 3-wood and it didn’t cut,” she said.

As Jutanugarn dug her heels into the sand, it sounded as if a spectator dropped something in an elevated viewing area just behind her. She stepped away from the ball, then addressed it again. Clearly unfazed, she blasted out of the bunker well enough to set up a 1-foot putt that pushed her to 11-under 133.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is coming off a win at the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history at the previous tournament in Alabama. She insisted a third straight title isn’t on her mind.

“I’m not thinking about I’m going to win, I’m going to lose,” she said. “But just have fun.”

Second-ranked Inbee Park, who withdrew Thursday with a thumb injury, was the last LPGA Tour player to win three straight tournaments in 2013.

So Yeon Ryu (67), Marina Alex (67) and first-round leader Christina Kim (71) were tied for second.

Jessica Korda (65), Giulia Molinaro (67) and Brittany Lincicome (67) were 7 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 2 under after her second straight 71.

Unlike some of the other top players, Jutanugarn doesn’t have a driver in her bag this week.

The powerful player simply doesn’t need it, outdriving people in her group with 270-yard shots with a 2-iron or 3-wood. Her touch around and on the greens are appear to be superior.

Usually, she keeps an eye on the leaderboard. On Friday, though, she didn’t.

“I forgot,” she said.

If Jutanugarn puts up another low score after her 65-68 start, the remaining field may be relegated to vying for second place.

Kim opened with a 64 for a one-shot lead over Jutanugarn.

Alex pulled into a first-place tie in the morning with her fourth birdie on the front nine, playing a steady game that included hitting the fairways and greens and making the most of opportunities on makeable putts such as the 4-footer on No. 9.

The 163rd-ranked player in the world missed the cut in her first four tournaments this year and hasn’t finished better than ninth in her career.

“There’s really no expectations for the weekend,” she said.

Michelle Wie wasn’t close to the 2-over cut, going 8 over with two 76s. She has missed two straight cuts and three of four and six this year.

Ryu, meanwhile, is one of the many South Koreans having a great year. She tied for 10th at her last two tournaments, was fifth at an event a month ago and has four top-10s in her last six starts.

“I was so close to winning the last three tournaments, the final round wasn’t good enough to get the trophies so I was really disappointed in myself,” she said. “But the good thing is, I just kept in contention, just kept fighting. I really want to hold this and I really want to keep my positive mind until Sunday.”

A 5-under 67 performance saw Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson climb into a tie for tenth place. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., is T37 at 1-under, while Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City sits T58. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp will not advance to the weekend. Sherbrooke, Que., product Maude-Aimée LeBlanc was forced to withdraw.

LPGA Tour

Richdale shares 6th as Kim leads Volvik Championship

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Samantha Richdale (Golf Canada Archives)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Christina Kim took advantage of favourable conditions Thursday morning, shooting an 8-under 64 to top the leaderboard in the inaugural Volvik Championship.

She didn’t expect to stay there.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone gets me by two,” Kim said.

No one did.

Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off consecutive wins on the LPGA Tour, was a shot back after her morning round at Travis Pointe Country Club.

The course conditions got tougher later in the day when the wind picked up and the pins got tougher to shoot for on drying greens.

Minjee Lee, So Yeon Ryu and Marina Alex shot 68, putting them four shots behind Kim.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., shot 69, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot 72 and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 73.

Second-ranked Inbee Park’s lingering thumb injury led her to withdraw from the tournament. Haru Nomura and Perrine Delacour also were unable to complete their first rounds.

Kim ended a 24-round streak in which she didn’t break 70, but wasn’t surprised.

“I’ve been playing really well,” she insisted. “It’s just the scores haven’t reflected how I’ve been playing.”

The three-time LPGA Tour winner, though, was able to withstand her relative slump because of her perspective on the game and life.

“At the end of the day, you know, things will balance out,” Kim said. “We all end up six feet under.”

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is coming off a victory at the Kingsmill Championship after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history in Alabama.

One of her friends saw this coming.

“She’s been playing like this since she was 17 years old,” Kim said. “I think that for her it was just a matter of breaking the shell and getting over that first hump and getting that first win. She is going to just be an absolute world-beater.”

Kim might be one of the people who paves the way after she was in a rough patch of her career.

“Last year, I played bad,” Jutanugarn recalled. “And, she the only person come and talk to me.”

Jutanugarn played through a stiffer wind on her back nine, competing well enough to give herself a chance to possibly win three straight tournaments.

Her ability to play without a driver in her bag or a 3-wood in her hand may help her make the most of opportunities on a layup set up to give players success.

“The course pretty firm so I not even need to hit 3-wood,” Jutanugarn said. “Two-iron fine because I can keep it low.”

LPGA Tour

Maude-Aimée LeBlanc earns a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open

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Maude-Aimée LeBlanc (Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)

Maude-Aimée LeBlanc will be participating in the U.S. Women’s Open from July 7 to 10. She won her spot Tuesday at the Hermitage Country Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va., finishing three shots ahead of the field.

The qualifying selections are decided during a marathon 36-hole event.

LeBlanc had started off with a solid 71 in the morning round and came back stronger in the afternoon with a 68 bogey-free round featuring four birdies.

She is eligible as a regular LPGA member for all tournaments except invitational tournaments and national championships which include the British Open.

The U.S. Women’s Open will be held at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., in six weeks.

LeBlanc’s decision to remain in Virginia despite the disappointment of being eliminated last Friday midway through the Kingsmill Championship paid off for the Sherbrooke, Que. native.

“It’s official, I’ll be playing in the 2016 Open,” she proudly posted to Facebook after securing her spot.

LPGA Tour

Jutanugarn wins 2nd in a row on LPGA Tour

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Ariya Jutanugarn (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Ariya Jutanugarn quickly has made winning a habit on the LPGA Tour.

The 20-year-old shot a nearly mistake-free 4-under 67 on Sunday and won the Kingsmill Championship by one shot for her second consecutive victory. The bad news for the rest of the tour is that she said this one was much easier to finish off than her first two weeks ago.

That one, she said, allowed her to accomplish her goal for the season. Everything else, it seems, is gravy.

“I mean, last win was like breakthrough everything, so after I won one tournament – because I really want to win one tournament this year – and after I do that, I just feel like whatever it is, I’m just going to take it and have fun, so that’s the only thing,” Jutanugarn said.

After two final-round meltdowns, Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in tour history two weeks ago in Alabama. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth – two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.

On Sunday, she gave up the lead briefly after an early bogey. She recovered quickly with back-to-back birdies, and played the final 16 holes in 5 under.

“I didn’t feel pressure,” she said. “Today I just feel like whatever is fine because I just really want to have fun. I’m not really care. Actually I know they play good, but I’m not really care about them. I really worry about like what I want to do more.”

She finished at 14-under 270 at Kingsmill’s 6,347-yard River Course.

So Oh finished was second after a 65, with Gerina Piller and Sei Young Kim two shots back.

Jutanugarn, also the third-round leader, closed the round by getting up-and-down from the right side of the green on the 18th hole, hitting her chip to within about 5 feet and rolling it in to become the first player with back-to-back wins since top-ranked Ko in Southern California in the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration.

If not the chip from about 80 feet on the last hole, Jutanugarn’s pivotal moment came at the par-5 15th when she chipped the ball from tall greenside rough with the ball well below her feet to about 5 feet and made the putt, doubling her lead as she reached 14 under par.

She played the entire tournament without a three-putt.

Oh, 19, started the day in a tie for eighth, then played the front nine in 5 under to grab a share of the lead at 12 under. She gave one back on the par-4 12th, got back to minus 12 at No. 15 and holed a lengthy putt from the back fringe on the 72nd hole to finish at 13 under. It was just the second birdie of the day at No. 18.

“I knew I had to get off to a really good start, and I did,” Oh said. “It was just one shot at a time.”

Piller, seeking her first career victory, trimmed three strokes off par on the front and got to minus 12 with a birdie at the par-4 16th, but she missed lengthy birdie putts on her last two holes. She has finished in the top 20 29 times in her career, including six this year.

Kim shot a 66, finishing with a birdie putt of her own on the finishing hole.

Mi Jung Hur used the round of the day to gain a share of fifth. She had nine birdies and got to 11 under at No. 17, but she made bogey at the par-4 18th and finished tied with Lexi Thompson and Pornanong Phatlum at 274.

All three reached 11 under at one point but faltered in an intermittent light drizzle.

Defending champion Minjee Lee shot even Sunday and finished in a tie for 10th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had her best round of the tournament Sunday, shooting 3-under 68 to finish tied for 26th at 4 under.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis closed with a 74 and remained winless in her last 49 starts. She tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama, her 10th runner-up finish during the drought and the 23rd of her career.

Thompson, ranked third in the world and trying to follow a victory two weeks ago in Japan, was 6-under for the day and got to minus 11 through 11 holes but followed with consecutive bogeys.

Ko started the day tied for 24th. She shot 69 and finished tied for 18th.

LPGA Tour

Jutanugarn takes lead in Kingsmill Championship

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Ariya Jutanugarn (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Ariya Jutanugarn moved into position for her second straight LPGA Tour victory Saturday, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 65 to take the third-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine on the soggy River Course and birdied three of the last six. She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago in Alabama that made her the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history.

Jutanugarn had a 10-under 203 total.

Second-round leader So Yeon Ryu bogeyed the final hole to drop a stroke back along with fellow South Korean player In Gee Chun and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.

Ranked 11th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu shot a 69.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., is well back in a tie for 43rd after shooting a 71 in her third round.

Chun had a 62 to tie the course record set by Jiyai Shin in 2012. The U.S. Women’s Open champion is eighth in the world and fourth in the South Korean Olympic race.

Phatlum shot a 65.

Defending champion Minjee Lee was 8 under after a 68. The 19-year-old Australian won last year at Kingsmill in a Monday finish and added her second tour title last month in Hawaii.

Laetitia Beck (66) and sixth-ranked Amy Yang (69) also were 8 under.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, a stroke behind Ryu after a second-round 66, had a 70 to fall into a tie for eighth at 8 under. Lewis tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama for her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson had a 67 to move into a tie for 18th at 5 under. She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago on the Japan LPGA.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 24th at 4 under after a 68. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California.

LPGA Tour

So Yeon Ryu shoots 64 to take Kingsmill Championship lead

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So Yeon Ryu (Hunter Martin/ Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – So Yeon Ryu had six birdies in an eight-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

Ranked 11th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu opened with a bogey on the 10th hole, then used the birdie run to make the turn in 5-under 30.

“I’ve been putting really nice,” Ryu said. “My first hole I made a bogey, but it felt really great the next two holes. I made birdie-birdie right away. Even my shot and birdie putt, and putting – I think today just everything was really working well.”

The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion added birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-5 seventh and closed with two pars to reach 7-under 135 on the soggy River Course.

“This one is definitely my favorite golf course that we play,” Ryu said. “I consistently play really well here, so I feel really comfortable to stay here. I think I just really like the atmosphere, so I really enjoy it. So enjoying it makes me play better.”

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, No. 6 Amy Yang and first-round leader Mika Miyazato were a stroke back. Lewis had a bogey-free 66, Yang had a 67, and Miyazato followed her opening 65 with a 71.

Lewis tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama for her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

“The putts were going in,” Lewis said. “I hit the ball a lot better today and gave myself some better looks and made the putts. The golf course is just playing hard. It’s playing long. You have a lot of long irons into the par 4s, so you’re not going to make a ton of birdies, and when you do hit it close, you need to make the putt.”

Yang birdied the first three holes. She’s No. 2 in the South Korean Olympic standings.

“I was hitting better than yesterday, more solid at impact, making more solid putts, and made some, too,” Yang said. “I left a couple of good chances out there, but looking forward to playing on the weekend. I’ve been working with my coach on my swing and feeling good about it.”

Rain is expected over the weekend on the already wet course.

“It’s just going to be a long weekend,” Lewis said. “You get ready for that. You get ready for delays and playing in the wet, and this golf course is going to get even harder. You just kind of mentally prepare for it and know it’s going to happen, and if it doesn’t, that’s a great thing.”

Defending champion Minjee Lee was in the group at 5 under after a 71. The 19-year-old Australian won last year at Kingsmill in a Monday finish and added her second tour title last month in Hawaii.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 1 under after 68. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California.

Second-ranked Inbee Park, playing alongside Ko, withdrew after six holes because of a lingering left thumb injury. The tournament was her first after a month out because of the injury.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson, also in the group with Ko, matched Ko at 1 under after a 69. Thompson is coming off a victory two weeks ago on the Japan LPGA.

Fifth-ranked Brooke Henderson, playing with Lewis, also was 1 under after a 71.

Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 72 and 78. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 35 events.

Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., carded a second consecutive 74, while Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale shot 73.

LPGA Tour

Mika Miyazato shoots 65 to take Kingsmill Championship lead

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Mika Miyazato (Hunter Martin/ Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Mika Miyazato had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and finished with a 6-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

In tricky conditions on the rain-soaked River Course, the 26-year-old Japanese player closed her opening nine with the birdie run, dropped a stroke on the par-5 third and rebounded with birdies on the par-4 sixth and eighth holes. She won the 2012 Safeway Classic in Oregon for her lone tour title.

The greens where a lot faster than expected, though they were receptive and the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways.

Defending champion Minjee Lee and Brittany Lincicome were a stroke back.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko closed with a birdie for a 73.

Brooke Henderson’s 1-under 70 has the Smiths Falls, Ont., native tied for 31st. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., opened with a 74, while Kelowna, B.C., product Samantha Richdale carded a 76.

LPGA Tour Team Canada

Sharp’s excitement for Rio Olympics on steady rise

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Alena Sharp (Golf Canada/ Brent Long)

TORONTO – Alena Sharp tried not to think about the Rio Olympics last year when she was among a pack of players in the mix for one of two spots on the Canadian women’s team.

Since then she has raised her game and her ranking, making herself a virtual lock to be named to the squad this summer along with world No. 5 Brooke Henderson.

“I just kept on it and played really well last year and distanced myself,” Sharp said.

The 35-year-old Hamilton native made 21 of 26 cuts last year. She had two top-10 finishes and was 65th on the money list, her highest position since 2010.

Sharp is off to a decent start again this year, posting her best result of the season last week at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic with a tie for 22nd place. She’s currently 121st in the world rankings but holds the No. 37 position in the Olympic rankings of eligible golfers for the 60-player field.

Sharp’s excitement level about the Games has been on a steady rise of late, stoked by her steady play and the regular Olympic commercials she sees on television. She was on hand Wednesday at Lambton Golf and Country Club as Golf Canada unveiled the national team uniforms for the Rio Games.

“It’s just more of a realization,” Sharp said. “To represent Canada and wear the red and white and to see these uniforms today, it’s an amazing dream that’s going to come true.”

Sharp’s game appears well-suited for the Olympic Golf Course in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca district. The 18-hole course will be 6,500 yards for the Aug. 17-20 women’s competition, which should give a big hitter like Sharp an edge.

“She’s been one of the longer players for a long time,” said Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally. “It’s a golf course that will require some precision off the tee but you’ve also got to be long enough to give yourself chances. The par fives are long and the par fours, you’re going to be hitting a long fairway wood in. So that gives her an advantage. It’s certainly going to be super-windy.

“We’ve worked with her game over the last nine months (to a year) _ not necessarily for the wind, but just in general _ (to) try to be a little more solid and have some more variety with shots. That’s going to play when it is windy.”

Sharp plans to take next week off before playing in eight tournaments in a row, capped by the Women’s British Open near London in late July. The windy conditions there should help ahead of Rio as well.

“I’ve done well in the wind this year and in the past I haven’t,” she said. “So I already see my game suiting it.”

Sharp is 25th on the LPGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 265.56 yards.

“I think looking ahead she’s starting to see how good her game is,” Mullally said. “She’s almost been under-achieving up until now.

“I’m excited to see where she goes.”

Sharp and Henderson – who’s expected to be a medal contender – essentially have the women’s spots nailed down. The two men’s spots could go down to the wire in early July with several players in the mix.

“Everybody knows about the Olympics,” Sharp said. “Maybe not everybody knows about golf’s majors because they don’t follow golf. But everybody knows about the Olympics and I think it’s a huge thing to be a part of. It’s something on my resume. No one can ever take that away from me. When I’m older, I can say I was an Olympian.

“To go there and do well and to possibly win a medal, that would be something that would be huge on my bucket list and obviously one of the biggest accomplishments I could probably ever have.”

LPGA Tour

Henderson finally back home after great start to LPGA season

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Brooke Henderson (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

DUNROBIN, Ont. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is finally getting to enjoy some quality time at home after a whirlwind start to her 2016 golf season.

Her first full campaign with full-time status on the LPGA Tour has been a busy one and the Smiths Falls, Ont., native has shown her rookie season was no fluke.

Henderson has picked up where she left off last year, finishing in the top 10 at eight of the 11 events she has entered this season. She has risen to fifth in the world rankings and is ninth on the money list.

Not bad for someone still four months shy of her 19th birthday.

“I’m playing really well but I know I have big goals and big dreams ahead of me,” Henderson said. “I’m still pushing to be that little bit better.”

Henderson was back in the Ottawa area on Tuesday with her sister Brittany for an appearance at the Kevin Haime Kids to the Course Classic at Eagle Creek Golf Club.

It was her first trip home since Christmas Day.

“It’s really nice to see everybody and be back home in Smiths Falls and sleep in my own bed,” Henderson said.

She plans to relax at her family cottage later this week before getting ready for the May 19-22 Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Va. That will kick off another busy run of nine tournaments in a row for the 2015 Canadian Press female athlete of the year.

Henderson is planning to play over 30 tournaments in 2016 and is a virtual lock to be named to the Canadian team that will participate at the Rio Games in August. Right now she’s focused on maintaining her consistent play and continuing her push to reach the top spot in the world rankings.

Henderson became the third-youngest winner in LPGA Tour history last summer when she won the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots. She was immediately given full Tour membership after the victory.

After rising over 200 spots in the world rankings, she set a pre-season goal of reaching the top 10 and improving her consistency around the greens.

Her top result this season was a second-place showing in early February at the Coates Golf Championship. That kicked off a run of eight straight top-10 finishes.

Consistency has been key to her strong play. Henderson is fifth in scoring average (70.02), 14th in average driving distance (268.36 yards) and 25th in putting average (29.55 putts per round).

She has strayed wide of the fairway at times (108th in driving accuracy at 66.01 per cent) but is 13th in greens in regulation (74.37 per cent).

“I’ve definitely had a really good start and my game is in a good place,” Henderson said. “I definitely have small improvements that I want to make just to become a little bit better.”

The Summer Games will be like a sixth major this season. Henderson said she’s still stunned that she’ll get to enjoy the Olympic experience and represent her country.

“It’s kind of both ways,” she said. “Sometimes it’s really surreal, and other times it’s like, ‘You know what, I can go and win there.”’

Henderson added she feels more mature now and is getting used to the extra attention from fans and media. She’s trying to take it all in and really enjoy the experience.

“It’s gone by super fast,” she said. “I’ve been able to travel all around the world and go see a ton of different places and play a lot of really good golf on a lot of really good golf courses. So it’s been a lot of fun.

“I’m definitely living the dream. But it’s nice to back home.”