NATIONAL PARK: SOUTH KOREAN WINS IN OTTAWA
Local favourite Henderson finishes six back of Canadian Pacific Women’s Open champ
It says here that Brooke Henderson will one day win a Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title.
That day, achingly for the 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., and her thousands of followers, wasn’t Sunday.
On the other hand, it was a fantastic day for Sung Hyun Park. The 23-year-old added a Canadian title to the U.S. Women’s Open title she captured last month, sweeping through the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club tournament course with a bogeyfree 7-under-par 64 for a total of 271 and a two-stroke victory over fellow South Korean Mirim Lee (68).
In winning, Park one-upped South Korean golfing idol Se Ri Pak, who finished second — one stroke behind Australian Katherine Kirk — in the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open.
Park confided she had received a congratulatory call from Pak following her U.S. Open triumph. Was she expecting another call?
“I’m not sure,” Park said through an interpreter. “Se Ri Pak’s always so busy, so maybe. I’m not 100 per cent confident, but we’ll see.”
With the title came a cash prize of US$337,500, giving Park a total of more than $1.8 million in her first season as a member on the LPGA Tour. She has made the cut in all 17 tournaments she has entered and has five top-10 finishes in addition to the two victories.
In other words, she’s one tough golf nut to crack, and she certainly didn’t break after securing the lead for good on Sunday with a birdie on the par-4 16th hole. On the par-5 18th, she blistered a long drive down the middle of the fairway, lofted her second shot onto the putting surface and easily two-putted for a clinching birdie.
Lee, playing with Henderson, made an eagle on 18, but that only reduced the gap to two.
In Gee Chun was the only remaining player with a shot at catching Park, but Chun’s second shot landed in a green-side bunker and her shot from there barely reached the putting surface. Chun then three-putted for bogey to fall into a tie for third at 10-under 274 with China’s Shanshan Feng (68), Marina Alex (68) and Cristie Kerr (69) of the United States and Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen (71).
Chun said she knew that she needed to make eagle if she was to tie Park. She also said she was aware of the hullabaloo surrounding Henderson three groups back.
“I could hear it on the course,” Chun said. “It was amazing, so now I’m really missing playing for my club in Korea.”
Next on the leaderboard, at 275, were Jane Park (65) and Mo Martin (72) of the U.S. and Hyo Joo Kim (66) of South Korea, with Beatriz Ricari (68) of Spain in 11th at 276.
Then came Henderson and three others at 277: South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur (71) and So Yeon Ryu (71), and Stacy Lewis (71) of the U.S.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, Michelle Wie, the 2010 winner of the Canadian Women’s Open in Winnipeg, had her appendix removed at The Ottawa Hospital on Sunday. She had been tied for 23rd through three rounds of this year’s tournament at 4-under-par 209. Wie is not in the field for next week’s Cambia Portland Classic in Oregon.
Henderson’s hopes of becoming the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event on home soil in 44 years were foiled by a cold putter — 31 strokes Sunday — and she admitted to feeling some tension when she started the round.
She split the fairway with her tee shot on No. 1, but aggressively targeted a flag stick that proved to be too close to the edge of the green and pulled that shot into a bunker. She put her third shot on the green, but missed the par putt and took some of the air out of the massive gallery surrounding her group.
“That’s one of those putts that just barely missed, and I thought it was in with a foot to go,” said Henderson, who will fly to Portland, Ore., on Monday to prepare for defence of her successive titles in the Cambia Portland Classic. “So maybe that would have changed the way the day went a little bit, but I can’t complain too much.
“Best finish I’ve ever had at a Canadian Open. Lots of incredible memories, lots of amazing fans that followed me all week, and hopefully I can do it a little bit better next week in Portland and hopefully do it a little bit better next year in the Canadian Open as well.”
Best finish I’ve ever had at a Canadian Open. Lots of incredible memories, lots of amazing fans that followed me all week, and hopefully I can do it a little bit better … next year in the Canadian Open.
Her improved play on the back nine helped Henderson earn a cheque for US$36,564. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., the other Canadian to make the cut, received US$16,964 after closing with a 69 for 281 and a share of 30th.
As leading Canadian, Henderson received the Sandra Post Medal from the Hall of Fame golfer during a presentation on the 18th green.
“I take it very seriously and I’m proud to be low Canadian,” Henderson told the crowd, which had just showered her with cheers. “Ottawa Hunt’s a beautiful golf course and I’m so happy I got to play it all four days.”
That was a wry nod to Henderson’s struggles to make the cut after the second round. She got there with a birdie on her last hole on Friday, then established a course record with an 8-under 63 on Saturday.
There was no such magic for the hometown favourite on Sunday. That special touch and special feeling belonged to Sung Hyun Park.
Coincidentally, Park plans to take a two-week break in Orlando, Fla., where to this point in time she has never visited Disney’s Magic Kingdom. She also intends to spoil her dog Ato.
“I think it was a perfect game today,” Park said. “There were no mistakes today, and I think it was perfect.”