Belmont, MI. – The LPGA Tour returned to Blythefield Country Club this week for the eighth playing of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.

Coming off her victory last week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Brooke Henderson fired a 72 to finish at 15-under.

In addition to her win in NJ, Henderson now has five additional top-10s this season, including a solo second at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and a tie for fourth at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Though she struggled with her game after the Asian swing, a change in her putting grip seems to have made a major difference, which will be critical as she looks to add a third Meijer LPGA Classic to her resume.

“I started off the year really hot and I had a lot of great finishes, and kind of cooled off and I wasn’t feeling so well and things kind of went a little bit cold there for a little while,” said Henderson. “Definitely having the putting back in my corner and feeling a little bit more comfortable all the time is really key. I feel like left-hand low has made a big difference and so I’m excited moving forward.”

Henderson is the only player to win the Meijer LPGA Classic multiple times; she was victorious in 2017 and 2019, on Father’s Day both years.

After missing a two-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a playoff, Jennifer Kupcho won the LPGA Meijer Classic when Leona Maguire’s three-foot birdie try lipped out on the second extra hole.

Fellow Canadian Maude-Aimee LeBlanc finished the weekend 8-under (T40), with Alena Sharp coming in at minus 6 (T56).

Full leaderboard here.

Brooke Henderson returned to the winning circle with a comeback victory at the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic.

The 24-year-old trailed by four strokes entering the final round, but rallied on Sunday, firing a bogey-free, seven-under par 64 on the Bay Course at Seaview Golf Club en route to her 11^th LPGA Tour title.

“Coming into today I just was trying to go low and see what happens. I didn’t think — I mean, I thought the victory was a possibility, but there are a lot of really talented players ahead of me and I think I was four shots back starting the day,” said Henderson. “I knew it was going to take a little bit of magic, and I’m just really happy that I’m sitting here next to the trophy.”

Henderson tapped in for birdie on no. 18 to secure the clubhouse lead at 12-under, but Lindsey Weaver-Wright matched the Canadian’s effort to force a playoff. In extra holes, Henderson prevailed, making an eagle to claim the trophy.  

“I had 193 to the pin. It was a little into the wind and I hit knock-down 7-wood. It’s the same club I hit on 9 that I made eagle there, too, so that was — that club was definitely working for me today. I’ll have to give it a pat on the head later,” said Henderson.

Henderson’s final round score of 64 is the Smith Falls, Ont. native’s lowest score of the 2022 season, and lowest score on the LPGA Tour since the final round of last year’s LPGA Classic where she finished T2. 

The winningest Canadian in golf history inched closer and closer to the top in Galloway, before finally getting her hands on the trophy this week. 

In 2019, Henderson notched a T11 finish, followed by a T6 result in 2020. One year later, in 2021, she returned to Seaview Golf Club and secured a T2 finish, before competing her run to glory on Sunday for her first LPGA win since the 2021 DIO Implant LA Open. 

With her win, Henderson is projected to climb ten spots, from 12^th to second, on the CME Globe points list.  

Next up for the Canadian is the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, an event Henderson has won twice before, in 2017 and 2019.

Canada’s Brigitte Thibault is ready to take the next step in her career.

The product of Rosemere, Que., said on Wednesday that she plans to turn professional sometime this summer after a successful career as an elite amateur, competing in the NCAA and representing Canada internationally.

“Next will be half pro events this summer, half amateur events,” said Thibault after competing in her last tournament with the Texas Longhorns. “Just making sure I get in the best field I can to challenge myself as much as possible.

Thibault said that she intends to turn professional either before the LPGA’s Q School or the CP Women’s Open, both of which will be held in late August.

Stage I of the Q School will be held Aug. 18-21 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the CP Women’s Open is at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club Aug. 22-28, and Stage II of the Q School will be held Oct. 18-21 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.

Thibault had an exemplary NCAA career, winning five titles while as an undergrad at Fresno State between 2018 and 2021. She won the 2019 Mountain West Conference Championship, the 2019 Ontario Women’s amateur Championship, the 2020 Women’s Western Amateur Championship, the 2020 Women’s Dixie Amateur and the 2021 Rebel Beach Intercollegiate. She also won bronze with Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games in the mixed team event.

She moved from Fresno State to the University of Texas at Austin for her fifth and final year of eligibility as a graduate student. Her best result as a Longhorn was tying for 14th at the Bruzzy. She also helped the Texas Women’s Golf squad to a one-over-par 289 on Monday to close out the season in 13th-place at the NCAA Championship.

“I think it hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest,” said Thibault of her collegiate career coming to an end. “I was just with my teammates today and reminiscing on all of the years.

“I’m at a loss for words, I’m just super grateful for all the years, all the learning experiences, and it’s just a lot of emotions altogether.”

Thibault said her next event will still be an amateur tournament, either the British Women’s Amateur Championship at Hunstanton Golf Club in Norfolk, England, on June 20-25 or the Porter Cup at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y., on July 13-16.

LPGA TOUR _ Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was paired with Jeongeun Lee6 at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in Las Vegas. The event at Shadow Creek Golf Course will have three days of round-robin play and then the knockout round.

EPSON TOUR _ Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., will tee off on Friday in the Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Costabile is 66th on the Epson Tour’s money list and Szeryk is 148th.

CP WOMEN’S OPEN _ The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, host of this summer’s CP Women’s Open, posted on Sunday that its course was severely damaged by a severe storm that swept through the area over the weekend. The club shared photos of several uprooted trees in an Instagram post announcing that the club would be closed until further notice.

PGA TOUR _ Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., are the only Canadians in this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Taylor enters play this week 112th in the FedEx Cup rankings and Svensson is 126th.

KORN FERRY TOUR _ Toronto’s Albin Choi leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s NV5 Invitational at the Glen Club Golf Course in Glenview, Il. He’ll be joined by David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont. Choi is ranked 89th on the second-tier tour, Hearn is 117th and Silverman is 190th.

One year ago, almost to the day, Brooke Henderson entered the final round at the DIO Implant LA Open four shots back of the 54-hole lead. The Canadian opened with a 33 on the front nine thanks to three birdies and one bogey and hit her stride at the start of her final nine holes. A birdie on No. 11 gave her the outright lead, with two more carded on 12 and 14. A bogey on 17 cut her lead to two, and with a clutch par on the final hole, Henderson earned her 10^th career victory and first since the 2019 Meijer LPGA Classic.  

“I just came off a bogey on 17 and I knew 18, it’s a very difficult tee shot, even though it’s just a par 3, you definitely don’t want to be over on the left-hand side where I ended up being,” said Henderson. “I was able to get that up and down in that situation where Jess [Korda, the 54-hole leader] had hit it really tight and looked like she was going to make birdie so I needed to get up and down to avoid a playoff and get the win. So yeah, a lot of nerves, but happy I was able to get job done.”

Wilshire Country Club and the LA Open have embraced Henderson’s win, decking out the tunnel that connects the front and back nines with her image and pictures from her victory, thanks in part to mutual partner Sketchers. Henderson, who leads the Tour in Strokes Gained Total per round with 2.22, likes the challenge of this week’s host course, and is feeling refreshed after having to withdraw last week at the LOTTE Championship due to illness.

“You have to think your whole way around and you have to play smart. Even when you have a good plan, you have to execute the shots,” said Henderson, who ranked T5 in driving distance, T4 in greens in regulation and first in scrambling in Los Angeles last year. “It’s definitely going to challenge all parts of everybody’s game physically and mentally. I think that’s what makes this week fun, just that you know it’s going to be a fight from everybody.”

She’ll play alongside friend and World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who was also in Henderson’s final grouping last year. The two will also be joined by 2022 LPGA Tour rookie and Epson Tour alum Maddie Szeryk, who replaced Jessica Korda in the field after the American withdrew due to injury on Wednesday. The two Canadians grew up playing on the National Team together, and Henderson said she was excited to be competing in a comfortable setting through the first two rounds.

“Hopefully all of us can hit really good spots and push each other to make a bunch of birdies and hopefully be in contention come the weekend,” said Henderson.

When Maude-Aimée LeBlanc has been on this season, she has very much been on. And now she’s hoping she’ll continue to trend in right direction as the springtime stretch kicks into high gear.

LeBlanc, who retired from professional golf in 2019 but made a hearty return in late 2020 and re-earned her LPGA Tour card for 2022, has notched two top-10 results so far this season. Her tie for 4th at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol in late March was her career-high finish on the LPGA Tour and it helped earned her a spot in The Chevron Championship – the first major of the season.

The native of Sherbrooke, Que., also finished tied for 8th at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in January.

LeBlanc, who is part of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad for 2022, was re-motivated to pick the clubs up again in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. She decided to step away from professional golf after a disappointing season in 2019, but when golf returned to TV – as one of the first sports back in June 2020 – she decided she wasn’t done yet.

She played a handful of Epson Tour (then Symetra Tour) events later that year before putting her foot on the gas in 2020. She finished sixth on the Tour’s season-long money list to re-earn her LPGA Tour card for this season.  

LeBlanc’s previous best LPGA Tour result was a tie for 7th, which came in 2017. Now she said she’s thriving when she’s near the top of the leaderboard.

“I think I have a tendency to play better under those circumstances when I’m playing with really good players or moving up the leaderboard,” said LeBlanc. “That motivates me to play better, more so if I’m fighting to make the cut. It’s a lot harder for me to focus or find the motivation to grind it out.”

Through the early part of the season LeBlanc has leaned on her incredible length and solid tee-to-green game. She’s averaging more than 277 yards off the tee so far in 2022, which is good for 7th on Tour. She’s also 7th in Greens in Regulation. In her prior run on the LPGA Tour LeBlanc, who will be the first to admit as such, struggled with her putting. But she’s also turned that into a strength the last few years.

LeBlanc also had a front-row seat to greatness earlier this season, playing alongside world No.1 (and reigning CP Women’s Open champion) Jin Young Ko. LeBlanc said she “really wanted” to see Ko’s game up close and observe how she’s been able to go on her record-setting run. When LeBlanc and Ko played together the 2021 Player of the Year was in the midst of a streak of 34 rounds under-par in a row.

“I usually don’t watch other players swing but I think she has a really good one and I did watch it a lot,” said LeBlanc. “Her tempo and the consistency she has is amazing. That makes the difference between her and everyone else – and she’s able to make a lot of putts, too.”

Although LeBlanc didn’t get the prep work she would have liked at Mission Hills Country Club – she missed the cut at the first major of the year after being part of the final group of players to earn a spot in the field – she’s quickly getting reacquainted with the LPGA Tour’s layouts. She admitted she may not have kept playing had she returned to the Epson Tour this year, but between her solid early-season results and her tee-to-green successes already, she’s as excited as ever to keep things going.  

“It’s been a good beginning so far,” said LeBlanc. “It’s been really fun.”

The LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship begins April 13th from Hoakalei Country Club. LeBlanc, Maddie Szeryk, and Brooke Henderson – who won this event in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019 – make up the Canadian contingent.

Following his victory at Augusta on Sunday, 2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler said a few words that have hit a chord with many people around the world, including Canadian star Brooke Henderson.

“We talked about that God is in control and that the Lord is leading me. And if today is my time, then it’s my time,” said the 25 year old.

While Henderson couldn’t watch the final moments at Augusta National on Sunday, she was able to catch Scheffler’s post-win press conference and was taken with his eloquent words about how a big win will – or won’t – affect you as a human being.

“What an amazing champion and what a year he’s had so far,” said Henderson. “I just really loved a lot of the things he had to say and how he approached the Sunday after feeling not his best in the morning time. I really learned a lot actually, so that was pretty cool.”

Henderson certainly knows victory. The 24-year-old has 10 LPGA Tour wins, making her the winningest professional golfer, male or female, in Canadian history. Two of her victories came in Hawaii, with Henderson taking consecutive LOTTE titles in 2018 and 2019. Henderson has never finished worse than 27th at the LOTTE Championship and the mere mention of Hawaii brought a big smile to her face.

“I love coming back to Hawaii. It’s just beautiful everywhere. The surroundings, the ocean, the mountains, the flowers, people are so kind and nice,” said Henderson. “It’s just a great atmosphere and I just always enjoy spending time here. Obviously won here twice, so many great memories. I love that trophy.”

Henderson’s recent play certainly makes her a contender for a third LOTTE title this week. Since missing the cut at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June 2021, she has finished in the top 40 for 18 straight tournaments. Her 2022 schedule features six starts with six top-15 finishes, highlighted by a solo second at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. 

Both Henderson and Scheffler are scheduled to play on Canadian soil this summer at Golf Canada’s National Open Championships. Henderson will compete in the CP Women’s Open taking place August 22-28, 2022 (tickets here), and Scheffler will participate in the RBC Canadian Open from June 6-12, 2022 (tickets here).

Brooke Henderson has lost count of all the tweaks and adjustments that have been made to her driver heading into The Chevron Championship.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., estimates that she’s tried over a dozen different shafts ahead of Thursday’s first round at The Chevron, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. The switch was necessary as the women’s professional golf circuit changed its rules so that a 46-inch shaft was the maximum length allowed, while the 24-year-old Henderson has used a 48-inch shaft since she was 15.

Henderson said she has been practising with the new, shorter club leading up to The Chevron Championship, where the rule will come into effect. She said she has been holding the driver closer to the end of the grip, which has also had a weight added to it.

Henderson has been on a tear to start 2022, starting with a second-place finish at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 20. She followed that up with a tie for sixth at the Gainsbridge LPGA at Boca Rio on Jan. 27, a tie for 11th at the LPGA Drive on Championship at Crown Colony on Feb. 3, a tie for sixth at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on March 3, and finally a tie for fourth at the Honda LPGA Thailand on March 10 before taking a week off.

Starting 2022 with strong, consistent play was a priority for Henderson after last year which she said wasn’t her best. She said that she worked with her team in the off-season on adjusting several aspects of her play, beyond testing new drivers.

“Short game I think is where I felt like I could really make the biggest difference in my game,” said Henderson. “So spending a lot of time around the greens and just mentally, my mindset, was a big change as well.”

The Chevron Championship is also known as the Dinah Shore, the singer and actress, who founded the tournament in 1972. It has also gone by several sponsored titles including the Nabisco Championship, Kraft Nabisco Championship, and ANA Inspiration.

Regardless of its name, this year’s edition of The Chevron Championship will be its last at Mission Hills. It will move to a new location for 2023, likely near Houston.

Henderson said she hopes she can jump into Poppie’s Pond on Sunday, a tradition dating back to 1988 where the tournament’s winner splashes into the water surrounding the 18th green.

“It’s a little bit sad to leave behind the tradition and history that this course and Poppie’s Pond have,” said Henderson. “It would definitely be an amazing chance to have that last spot in history of making that leap into the pond. That would be very cool.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) – Atthaya Thitikul won the JTBC Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, three-putting for bogey on the second hole of a playoff to outlast Nanna Koerstz Madsen.

“It’s just crazy in my mind right now,” Thitikul said. “I cannot believe that I became LPGA winner. It’s feel amazing as well.”

Canada’s Maude-Aimée LeBlanc finished tied for fourth for her best performance of the season. Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 4-under 68 round.

After Koerstz Madsen’s 15-foot bogey putt hit the edge of the cup and stayed out away, the 19-year-old Thitikul rolled her 10-foot par try close and holed out for the breakthrough victory.

“A lot things going through my head,” said Thitikul, a two-time champion of the World Junior Girls Championship. “But one thing that I really want to focus is like just, `Do your every single shot.? Just like, `If you lose, if you win, this is another chance to learn. So do your best every single shot.? That’s it.”

At 19 years, 25 days, Thitikul is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since Brooke Henderson in the 2016 Portland Classic at 18 years, 9 months, 23 days. The Thai player also has two victories on the Ladies European Tour.

Koerstz Madsen lost two weeks after winning a playoff in Thailand to become the first Danish champion in LPGA Tour history.

They matched pars on the first extra trip down 18, with Thitikul missing an 8-foot birdie try. Koerstz Madsen drove left on the second playoff hole and hit her second from an awkward stance near the cart part into the greenside water.

“It’s a hard shot,” Koerstz Madsen said. “It’s a hybrid from the rough _ not a very good lie, above the feet. I just tried not to pull it too much from that lie, and then obviously I did not pull it. I pushed it quite a lot.”

Thitikul shot an 8-under 64, making nine birdies and a bogey to post at 16-under 272 at Aviara Golf Club in the final event before the first major of the season next week at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage.

Koerstz Madsen, three strokes ahead of Na Rin An and and six in front of Thitikul entering the round, had a 70. She took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 17th, then bogeyed 18 to fall into the playoff.

“It wasn’t a very good playoff,” Koerstz Madsen said. “I played a good week and I’m happy with the game. I could have maybe have done a little better today, but it was what I could do.”

An was third at 15 under after a 68.

“I think I played well overall, but there were some parts that were a bit disappointing,” An said. “With a major tournament next week, I want to focus on my game even more.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko (68) was 14 under with Pajaree Anannarukarn (68) and Canada’s Leblanc. Coming off a victory three weeks ago in Singapore, Ko extended her tour record for consecutive sub-par rounds to 34. She’s won six of her last 11 tournaments.

“I’m very excited to play next week’s major,” Ko said. “But this is a little sad, too, last tournament at Mission Hills.”

Last week, the LPGA Tour headed to Thailand for the 15th edition of the Honda LPGA Classic.

During the four-day competition, temperatures reached upwards of 42C prompting Brooke Henderson to comment, “I think today was the hottest I’ve ever been in my life.” Still, that didn’t stop the Smith Falls, Ont. native from posting a T4 finish at 23 under – three shots back from leader Nanna Koerstz Madsen.

“Yeah, it was a good finish. I felt like I’ve been playing really well, which is a really good feeling, especially after last year wasn’t my best year,” said Henderson. “So to come out this year so strong, I’m definitely happy and proud of that. I feel like I’m inching my way closer every week to getting a little bit more comfortable and just enjoying those final groups as much as I have been. It’s just so fun, so exciting to be in them. I just look forward to when I have my opportunity to win.”

For Henderson, that win seems just around the corner as the 24 year old recorded her fourth top ten finish in five starts for the 2022 season.

While Henderson was competing abroad, International Women’s Day took place in North America. When asked about the celebration and the women’s game, Henderson responded:

“I think the women’s game is in a great spot. The depth of the tour and the strength of the players coming out every year just keeps getting better. It’s exciting to be part of the LPGA Tour right now just because you feel like you’re part of a movement and part of pushing it forward, which is amazing. It’s nice to see some of the sponsors step up, and to get to play better golf courses at some of our major championships, it’s definitely a cool time to be part of the tour, and hopefully I can keep getting better, too, and keep pushing the boundaries.”

Next up, Henderson heads to Carlsbad, Ca. to compete in the JTBC Classic.

Click here for the full leaderboard from the Honda LPGA Classic.

SINGAPORE – Last Thursday, the LPGA Tour took to Sentosa Golf Club for the 14th time for the HSBC Women’s World Championship. It was here where Brook Henderson recorded her third top-10 LPGA finish of the season, firing five under 67 to finish tied for sixth place.

Leader Jin Young Ko earned her sixth win in her last 10 LPGA Tour starts and set two new benchmarks in the record books, marking her 15th consecutive round in the 60s and her 30th consecutive round under par.

Next week the LPGA Tour heads to Thailand where Henderson will compete in the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Full leaderboard here.