“I haven’t even really thought about it yet”, Henderson said.
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Henderson never allowed an opening on Sunday.
Henderson’s win comes in a year when she had to rely on sponsor’s exemptions and Monday qualifying to get into events.
Smiths Falls, Ont., golfer Brooke Henderson applied skill, discipline and focused confidence to give herself an early birthday present as she claimed her first LPGA Tour title Sunday, becoming only the third player to win such a title before turning 18.
That wasn’t the end of her remarkable accomplishments on the West Coast.
Defending champion Austin Ernst made four birdies and four bogeys and shot 72.
Ko is a delicate tactician where Henderson, more like Lexi Thompson and Hyo Joo Kim, overpowers the golf course by sheer force of her will. And Henderson’s game is fueled by a bloodlust that will make her a force to be reckoned with well beyond her rookie year, whenever that may begin.
“I hit it great and I putted well”, Pace said.
Henderson also became the first Canadian victor since Lorie Kane in the 2001 Takefuji Classic and joined Laurel Kean as other only Monday qualifiers to win. Because she’s assured of finishing in the top 40 in earnings, Henderson will earn a tour card for 2016.
Henderson has played well in several LPGA Tour events this season, including a tie for third in the Swinging Skirts Classic at San Francisco and a tie for fifth in both the U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s PGA Championship.
“This is as easy a loss as I’ve ever had because I felt that I not only couldn’t do much about it as the round went on, I also accomplished one of my lifelong goals in the sport of golf”. Masson bogeyed the par-5 12th, giving Henderson a four-stroke lead. Even the last couple days I received a lot of Twitter messages and text messages and emails, just cheering me on and wishing me the best.
“I’m just super proud of her”, she said. The 27-year Australian shot a 5-under 67 for a three-shot victory and broke Tiger Woods’ major record for strokes under par by finishing at 20 under. Another Canadian, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, goes into Sunday tied for ninth, nine strokes back, after a Round 3 70.
She shot a third-round 7-under-par 65 on Saturday at Columbia Edgewater and now leads the field by a full five strokes, with a three-round total of 18-under 198, with 18 holes to play. Henderson made her final birdie at the par-4 17th, knocking in a 10-foot putt from the fringe.
Henderson finished eight shot ahead of three golfers who tied for second, the largest margin of victory in tournament history, two better than those of Juli Inkster (1999) and Ayako Okamoto (1986), who won under a 54-hole format. “Just to be able to finish the way I did was wonderful”.
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Henderson, who turns 18 in September, has made $466,818 in nine LPGA Tour tournaments and has the outright 36-hole lead for the third time. In May, she teamed with Robynn Ree to finish second in the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Bandon Dunes.
