Canada’s Henderson wins LPGA Classic, her 11th pro title

While Lindsey Weaver-Wright finished her round at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Canada’s Brooke Henderson got ready.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., held a one-shot lead over the American, but with No. 18 a par-5, the Canadian knew a playoff was a possibility. Sure enough, Weaver-Wright birdied the hole and forced an extra hole of golf at the LPGA event.

Henderson had made the most of her time waiting for Weaver-Wright and gotten prepared.

“It was a bit of a long wait, which makes it tricky,” said Henderson. “I just tried to eat a lot to get the energy up, and then I just went to the locker room and just reflected a little bit.

“I was just grateful for the opportunity to go out there.”

Henderson’s preparation paid off in an eagle on the playoff hole — again on the par-5 No. 18 at Seaview Bay Course in Galloway, N.J. — to win her 11th title on the LPGA Tour. She was already the winningest pro golfer in Canadian history, but her latest victory added to her ongoing legacy.

She started Sunday in ninth, well back of Sweden’s Frida Kinhult, the tournament’s leader after two rounds. But Kinhult faltered on Sunday with a 4-over round as Henderson came out firing with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close the gap, peppering in two more birdies on the back nine for a bogey-free 7under round.

“To start the day if they would’ve said ‘you’re in a playoff to win’ I would’ve been super happy,” said Henderson.

Weaver-Wright, who finished her round after Henderson, birdied her final two holes to tie the Canadian at 12-under overall and force the playoff. “I was just like extremely calm out there the last three days,” said Weaver-Wright. “It’s kind of strange. Never felt like that before really but, it was nice not to get so worked up.