Henderson eyes prize at CP Women’s Open
Headline attraction at August event is ready to embrace extra pressure
Brooke Henderson was standing behind a podium on Monday afternoon when she glanced to the right and paused to address the elephant in the room.
One of the LPGA Tour’s most coveted prizes was sitting on a nearby table — close enough to touch — as Henderson spoke during a media-day visit to promote the 2018 CP Women’s Open at the Wascana Country Club in Regina.
“This trophy right here was kind of been haunting me all day,” Henderson said with a laugh. “I just want to pick it up (but) I have to work really hard for that. It would really be a dream come true for me to be able to hoist this trophy some day.”
There’s no time like the present. The 2018 CP Women’s Open is scheduled for Aug. 20-26 in Regina, marking Henderson’s fourth crack at the trophy since she turned pro in 2015. She has finished in the top 25 each of the past three years, with her best performance coming in 2017 (tied for 12th) at her home course, the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
“I knew almost everybody in the crowd, it felt like,” said the native of Smiths Falls, Ont. “It’s going to be a little bit different this year but it doesn’t really matter where you come from in Canada. If you’re Canadian, you’re part of the family and that’s how I always feel at Canadian women’s opens.”
Not only is Henderson expected to be a headline attraction at this year’s tournament, she’s also serving as a CP ambassador alongside Canadian golf legend Lorie Kane.
Both were on hand for Monday ’s gathering, which was the first time Henderson had visited Saskatchewan.
She also got a chance to tour the course with Wascana head pro Todd Zado.
“I’ve been really looking forward to it all summer to be able to come here for the first time,” said Henderson, who noted that it’s “very flat” in Saskatchewan. “I was told that coming here. This course, the layout is awesome. I feel like I could play really well here. There are some unique things about it that make it really cool and make it a little bit more fun. If the prairie winds come up, that’s where the challenge is really going to present itself.”
At age 20, Henderson is already one of the most successful golfers in Canadian history. She has six LPGA wins to her credit — including one major — and will look to make it lucky No. 7 at the CP Women’s Open.
“To win six times on the LPGA Tour is crazy,” she said. “I’m so happy about it. This trophy, it would mean the world to be able to hoist it, especially here in front of the fans. (But) you can’t really expect to do that. You can wish for it, you can dream about it, but there’s a lot of hard work that has to go into it and a lot of breaks have to go your way. I’ll work hard for the rest of the summer and hopefully peak for this event.”
Referring to herself as “a proud Canadian,” Henderson doesn’t mind saying that the CP Women’s Open is much more than another stop on the tour.
Regardless of the locale, it’s still home.
“This event is kind of like the sixth major on the LPGA Tour,” she said. “It means a lot to me. Everybody out on tour loves this event. They always feel like they ’re treated the best. I’m just excited to be here in Regina and hopefully shoot really well.”
Henderson sits fifth on the money list so far this season ($602,142) after posting a win at the Lotte Championship on April 14 in Hawaii. As Canada’s top female golfer, she’s certain to be under the microscope during the CP Women’s Open in Regina, but that’s just fine with her.
“Absolutely there’s more pressure, but pressure is good,” she added. “You just have to learn to embrace it. The extra little adrenalin can actually help you hit it a little bit further and help you make birdies down the stretch.”
You can wish for it, you can dream about it, but there’s a lot of hard work that has to go into it and a lot of breaks have to go your way.