Henderson takes swing at links golf
Strong outing in Scotland could cement LPGA card
The mysteries of links golf can be difficult to unravel.
The legendary Bobby Jones, a 19-year-old in 1921 during his first visit to St. Andrews, shot 46 on the front nine and, unable to escape a bunker on the 11th hole, ripped up his scorecard.
It took PGA Tour star Phil Mickelson until the final stages of his Hall of Fame career to learn how to co-exist with the links and finally win The Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013.
Smiths Falls, Ont., teenager Brooke Henderson will get her second chance at links golf this week at the Ricoh British Women’s Open at the Trump Turnberry Resort in Scotland on Thursday.
Another strong performance in a major — she already has two ties for fifth place in majors this season — will all but guarantee her LPGA Tour card for next year.
Henderson, who turned pro in December, was granted an exemption into the British Women’s Open by the Championship Committee based on her “impressive professional debut.”
It would seem the 17-year-old is already on her way to learning links golf is not always fun or fair and accepts that. Attitude and patience can go a long way to success amid the fescue-covered dunes and steep-faced bunkers on a link course.
In her first experience as a 15-year-old at the remarkably difficult Carnoustie in 2012 — the course rating was 79 — Henderson had rounds of 76-76 and tied for 17th in the medal competition at the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship.
Henderson lost in the round of 32 in the event’s match play, but quickly showed she has the chops to handle links golf.
She also appreciates the op- portunity to play in the home of golf and that can go a long way to having the right attitude when the wind and the game go sideways.
“I got to walk 17 and 18 at St. Andrews before when I was there. That was unbelievable,” she said in an interview. “That’s an experience I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Watching the men play (at the Open Championship) and walking across the (Swilcan) Bridge brought back some memories because I stood and took a picture there.”
Henderson, who dropped a spot this week in the Rolex world rankings to 32nd, is coming off a successful defence at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada last week at the Burlington Golf and Country Club where she had rounds of 65-67 to win by two shots.
She tied for ninth on the weekend at the Symetra Tour’s Fuccillo Kia Championship in Albany, N.Y.
“(The PGA win) is definitely a good momentum builder and confidence builder,” Henderson said before leaving for Scotland. “I think I’ll have to work on a couple of lower trajectory shots just because it will super windy over there. I know I have to be creative around the greens. It’s much different than North American golf.”
This will be Henderson’s third straight LPGA Tour major. Her performances in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and at the U.S. Women’s Open have given her confidence and are evidence her game is improving to the point where a win is a possibility.
“I’m definitely a lot more solid all around in my game,” she said. “Mentally I’ve become a lot stronger. I know I can compete here. I just have to stay patient and keep working and hopefully a win will come.”
The cheques earned in those two majors have helped in large part to push her LPGA earnings to US$458,866 this season and have her on the cusp of earning an LPGA card for next season. If she can earn as much as the player who finishes in 40th place on the money list this season, she will earn her card for next season without having to go to qualifying school. She would be in 21st place right now. Last season, 40th place on the money list was worth about $448,000.
All that to say that a strong performance in Scotland should lock up that card.