Canadian Brooke Mackenzie Henderson is
proud her forefathers were Scottish
Photo Credit: 2016 Getty Images
Four years ago on Monday, Brooke Henderson made her first mark in
professional golf. At age 14, she won on the Canadian Women’s Tour to
become the youngest known winner of a professional golf event.
In
winning the 36-hole event near Montreal, she was two days younger than
Lydia Ko when she won in Australia earlier in 2012.
Cut to last week in suburban Seattle where Henderson, now 18, had the
week of a lifetime to beat Ko, 19, on the first play-off hole of the KPMG LPGA Championship.
At Sahalee Country Club, the Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada native made an ace in the first round (the prize car went to older sister/caddie Brittany), holed a 90ft momentum-changing eagle putt on the 11th hole in the final round, canned a 40-footer for birdie on the 17th, sank a 12-foot par putt on the final green and then stuck a 7-iron to 3 feet on the play-off hole to make birdie and earn her first major championship.
At 18 years, 9 months and 2 days, Henderson
(pictured left) was just more than 4 months older than Ko when the New Zealander with a South Korean background won the Evian
Championship last fall to become the youngest major winner.
Adding to the age qualification, third place last week went to Thailand’s 20-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn, who was going for a fourth consecutive LPGA victory. The first three places and their final-round scores included an 18-year-old firing 65, a 19-year-old shooting 67 and a 20-year-old with a 66. Henderson became the youngest winner this season where the average age of LPGA winners over 16 tournaments is 21.
Taking the age factor even further with Henderson goes back to her home country, Canada. She is only the second Canadian to win a women’s major championship, following Sandra Post, who was 20 when she beat Kathy Whitworth, the defending champion, at the 1968 LPGA Championship.
Post also won a play-off, beating Whitworth 68-75 in an 18-hole play-off at Pleasant Valley in Sutton, Massachusetts.
Post, now 68 years old, sent good wishes to Henderson before last week’s event from her golf academy near Toronto. The only victory that might supercede Henderson’s victory came at the 2003 Masters when Canadian left-hander Mike Weir won on the first hole of a play-off. Henderson was aged 5 years then.
“Yeah, it will be a big story in Canada,” Henderson said on Sunday. “The last couple of days the support from Canada has been really incredible. Walking down the fairway, they were yelling my name. But last time they were just yelling Go Canada. And that was kind of a surreal feeling. I can't really put words to it. But I’d like to say that I am the Canadian face to women’s golf. And I'd like to say I'm a good athlete for Canada.”
Colin Farquharson writes: Brooke Henderson likes to use her middle name which is Mackenzie because she is proud of her Scottish ancestry. She is descended from a Scots couple who emigrated to Canada near the end of the 19th Century.
KPMG LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
278 Brooke M Henderson 67 73 73 65 (won play-off) $525,000.00
278 Lydia Ko 71 70 70 67 $321,675.00
279 Ariya Jutanugarn 70 75 68 66 $233,352.00
282 Hee Young Park 70 74 72 66 $148,230.00
282 So Yeon Ryu 72 70 73 67 $148,230.00
282 Mirim Lee 71 69 73 69 $148,230.00
SELECTED TOTALS
286 Catriona Matthew 76 67 71 72 (T12) $56,179.00
287 Charley Hull 73 74 72 68 (16th) $48,255.00
288 Jodi Ewart Shadoff 72 75 70 71 (T17) $42,197.00
295 Becky Morgan 75 73 75 72 (T50) $11,095.00
296 Felicity Johnson 75 73 74 74 (T58) $ 8,912.00
MISSED CUT (149 and better qualified)
150 Laura Davies 77 73
150 Melissa Reid 72 78
153 Holly Clyburn 77 76
At Sahalee Country Club, the Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada native made an ace in the first round (the prize car went to older sister/caddie Brittany), holed a 90ft momentum-changing eagle putt on the 11th hole in the final round, canned a 40-footer for birdie on the 17th, sank a 12-foot par putt on the final green and then stuck a 7-iron to 3 feet on the play-off hole to make birdie and earn her first major championship.
Adding to the age qualification, third place last week went to Thailand’s 20-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn, who was going for a fourth consecutive LPGA victory. The first three places and their final-round scores included an 18-year-old firing 65, a 19-year-old shooting 67 and a 20-year-old with a 66. Henderson became the youngest winner this season where the average age of LPGA winners over 16 tournaments is 21.
Taking the age factor even further with Henderson goes back to her home country, Canada. She is only the second Canadian to win a women’s major championship, following Sandra Post, who was 20 when she beat Kathy Whitworth, the defending champion, at the 1968 LPGA Championship.
Post also won a play-off, beating Whitworth 68-75 in an 18-hole play-off at Pleasant Valley in Sutton, Massachusetts.
Post, now 68 years old, sent good wishes to Henderson before last week’s event from her golf academy near Toronto. The only victory that might supercede Henderson’s victory came at the 2003 Masters when Canadian left-hander Mike Weir won on the first hole of a play-off. Henderson was aged 5 years then.
“Yeah, it will be a big story in Canada,” Henderson said on Sunday. “The last couple of days the support from Canada has been really incredible. Walking down the fairway, they were yelling my name. But last time they were just yelling Go Canada. And that was kind of a surreal feeling. I can't really put words to it. But I’d like to say that I am the Canadian face to women’s golf. And I'd like to say I'm a good athlete for Canada.”
Colin Farquharson writes: Brooke Henderson likes to use her middle name which is Mackenzie because she is proud of her Scottish ancestry. She is descended from a Scots couple who emigrated to Canada near the end of the 19th Century.
KPMG LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
278 Brooke M Henderson 67 73 73 65 (won play-off) $525,000.00
278 Lydia Ko 71 70 70 67 $321,675.00
279 Ariya Jutanugarn 70 75 68 66 $233,352.00
282 Hee Young Park 70 74 72 66 $148,230.00
282 So Yeon Ryu 72 70 73 67 $148,230.00
282 Mirim Lee 71 69 73 69 $148,230.00
SELECTED TOTALS
286 Catriona Matthew 76 67 71 72 (T12) $56,179.00
287 Charley Hull 73 74 72 68 (16th) $48,255.00
288 Jodi Ewart Shadoff 72 75 70 71 (T17) $42,197.00
295 Becky Morgan 75 73 75 72 (T50) $11,095.00
296 Felicity Johnson 75 73 74 74 (T58) $ 8,912.00
MISSED CUT (149 and better qualified)
150 Laura Davies 77 73
150 Melissa Reid 72 78
153 Holly Clyburn 77 76
Labels: Pro Ladies
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 4:20:00 pm
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