SWINGING TO THE OLDIES
21-year-old now tied with Post, Weir, Knudson for Canadian win record
Brooke Henderson’s record-tying eighth LPGA title at age 21 puts her in an elite club among Canadian golfing greats,
Brooke Henderson didn’t join the LPGA Tour thinking she would end up among the best Canadian golfers of all time — at least not so soon.
The 21-year-old Henderson tied the Canadian record for victories — on the LPGA or PGA Tour — when she captured her eighth by winning the Lotte Championship for the second year in a row on Saturday.
Sandra Post had eight career victories on the LPGA Tour between 1968 and 1981, while Mike Weir and George Knudson equalled that on the PGA circuit
“When I was younger, it was just a goal to be on the LPGA Tour, to win my first event,” Henderson said. “And when that happened and I won my first major the year after, things kind of just started to fall into place. I knew the record was eight. Just kept creeping toward it the last three years, which was really exciting.” Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., won last year’s event in Hawaii for her sixth tour victory. Last August, she became the first Canadian in 45 years to win the CP Women’s Open.
“I think starting last year, I sort of saw that it was within my reach if I had two good seasons,” she said of the record. “Last year put me into great position, and coming back this year it’s been on the back of my mind every week that I tee it up. I’m just really happy that I have finally done it.
“Looking forward to overtaking it now.”
She finished 16 under par at Ko Olina Golf Club, beating runner-up Eun-Hee Ji by four strokes.
Nelly Korda, 20, tied with Henderson for the third-round lead, finished with a quadruplebogey 8 for a 77 that left her seven strokes back. She hit into the water twice on 18, then threw her ball in after finishing. The American also had a double bogey on the par-4 seventh.
“Pretty bad,” Korda said. “I mean, it was a tough day, but I ended really poorly and I’m pretty disappointed in that ... It was an unfortunate final round, but there is nothing I can do about it anymore.”
Henderson bogeyed her first hole, but that was the only blemish in the final round with three birdies and 14 pars. She looked to be in some trouble on the par-4 16th but saved par when she holed a putt from off the green.
“It’s really amazing to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Mike Weir, George and Sandra,” Henderson said. “This week was really special. I always love coming to Hawaii. Last year was such an incredible week for me, to be able to hoist that trophy for the first time.”