Henderson faces deep field in Vancouver
As Ontario golfer gets set for Canadian Women’s Open, here are five other contenders
The LPGA Canadian Women’s Open starts Thursday morning at the Vancouver Golf Club, and Canadian golf prodigy Brooke Henderson scored an invite to the party.
Earlier this week her status was uncertain. At 17, the Smiths Falls, Ont., native is a year too young to apply for tour membership but Henderson isn’t a regular teenage golfer, as her eight-stroke victory at last weekend’s Cambia Portland Classic attests.
But after she successfully petitioned the LPGA for tour membership, Henderson is now set to take part in the Canadian Open. She tees off Thursday at 10:48 a.m. (All times Eastern), but she’s hardly the only golfer with a solid shot to win this tournament.
A look at five top contenders:
Inbee Park Age: 27 Country: South Korea Tour wins: 16
2015 earnings: $2,196,982 Tee time: 11:10 a.m. Already a contender for the hypothetical but hotly debated GOAT (greatest of all time) designation. Park’s seven victories at majors tie her for seventh all time, but she’s won six of those titles in her last 14 major starts. Only one other LPGA golfer has gone on a 6-for-14 run at majors: Annika Sorenstam. Park and Sorenstam are also the only two golfers to win three straight LPGA Championships.
Lydia Ko Age: 17 Country: New Zealand Tour wins: 7
2015 earnings: $1,365,922 Tee time: 10:59 a.m. Like Henderson, Ko had to petition for early admittance to the LPGA Tour. She’s already a two-time Canadian Open champ, and in March she became the youngest person ever to achieve a No. 1 ranking. Earlier this season, Ko recorded 29 consecutive rounds under par, a feat only Annika Sorenstam had previously achieved. Describes herself as a “morning person.” That’s fortunate give that she tees off before 8 a.m. Vancouver time on Thursday.
Stacy Lewis Age: 30 Country: United States Tour wins: 11
2015 earnings: $1,249,672 Tee time: 4:10 p.m. Lewis reached the top of the LPGA rankings in March 2013, and her website still describes her as “the best golfer in the world.” Stats don’t bear out that claim these days, but she remains in near her peak. Lewis suffered from scoliosis as a child, and wore a back brace for more than six years after undergoing surgery.
Sei Young Kim Age: 22 Country: South Korea Tour wins: 2
2015 earnings: $1,162,243 Tee time: 11:21 a.m. Kim is the third-ranked player on the LPGA Tour this season, but her caddy’s misadventures have generated more headlines than her play. During the U.S. Open in June, her caddy was disqualified when officials discovered he had taken photos of the course with his cellphone, a violation of the rules. Kim played the remainder of the tournament with a replacement caddy. Unrelated: She’s a third-degree black belt in taekwondo.
Amy Yang Age: 26 Country: South Korea Tour wins: 2
2015 earnings: $1,128,265 Tee time: 4:32 p.m. Born in South Korea, Yang moved to Australia with her family at 15 to advance her golf career. They’re now based in Orlando. She birdied four consecutive holes at the U.S. Open and took a three-stroke lead into the tournament’s final day, but from there she faltered. Six bogeys later she limped to a second-place finish. The placement still equalled her highest at a major.