Women descend on Illinois for PGA Championship
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Brooke Henderson, who defends her title beginning Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is only 19. Already she’s the second-youngest woman to win an LPGA major championship, and there’s no reason to think the Canadian couldn’t become the first repeat winner since Inbee Park won three in a row from 2013 to 2015.
Despite her youth, Henderson is a proven winner. Her victory in last year’s KPMG event at Sahalee, in Washington, was no fluke. She has won twice since, the latest coming June 18 in the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan, where she shot a career-low 63 in the first round and held off American stars Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie for a two-stroke victory.
Henderson’s win in last year’s KPMG event elevated her to No. 2 in the world. She’s since dropped to No. 12 in the Rolex Rankings, but that could be deceiving. She has 12 top-25 finishes in 15 starts this season and ranks third on the tour with 206
birdies.
Clearly the talent is there, and she’s rested after taking last week off from tournament play.
“My game is in a great place right now,” Henderson said. “I’ve been saying that all year, but when I won the Meijer, that proved to some of the naysayers and proved to myself that I am in a great position. It always comes down to a few breaks and making a few putts to get the momentum going your way. Hopefully this week I can start out fast and then keep the momentum throughout the weekend.”
Henderson has a great record in KPMG events. She received a sponsor’s invite in 2015 and tied for fifth after leading early. That was a confidence builder for a 17year-old. Last year at Sahalee she holed a 7-iron in the third round for a hole in one, then went on to beat Lydia Ko in sudden death for the victory.
The prize for getting the ace was a car, and Henderson promptly gave it to her sister, Brittany, who is seven years older and doubles as her caddie. In fact, Henderson’s golf career is a family affair. Her father, Dave, is her coach, and both par- ents are on hand for this week’s 72-hole, $3.5 million battle that concludes Sunday.
Olympia Fields did not produce a great result when Henderson first visited six years ago. She lost in the first round of match play in the U.S. Junior Girls Championship, an event played on Olympia’s South Course. This week’s event is on the North, which hosted — among many other big men’s events — the 2003 U.S. Open won by Jim Furyk.
“I like to hit the ball long and hit my driver as much as I can,” Henderson said. “Olympia Fields sets up well for my game. If I can hit it straight and can get it down the fairway, I’ll take an advantage over the rest of the field.”
That formula has worked for quite a while. Henderson took up golf at 3. She won the Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2013, was runner-up in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2014 and tied for 10th in the U.S. Women’s Open when she was 16.
Henderson was 17 when she turned pro. She won her first event on the LPGA’s Symetra Tour and petitioned LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan for membership on the premier circuit after winning the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic. Whan obliged, and Henderson has steadily climbed into the ranks of the circuit’s premier players.