The 18-year-old Canadian claimed the title when she rolled in a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole at the Sahalee Country Club course near Seattle, Washington.
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Henderson made her birdie putt to lock up the title and become the youngest victor in this championship’s storied history – first as the LPGA Championship, now as the Women’s PGA Championship – and the second-youngest woman in history to win a major, only behind Ko, who accomplished the feat past year.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson is a LPGA major victor at just 18-years-old after defeating two-time major victor Lydia Ko in a play-off. Her brilliant, bogey-free, 6-under-par 65 only got her into a sudden-death playoff with Ko, who fired a 67.
The eagle got Henderson within a shot of Ko, who had stiffed approaches on the first and fourth holes to set up easy birdies and added another one from eight feet on the hard par-4 eighth.
Senior: Bernhard Langer won the Constellation Senior Players Championship for the third straight year, holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory at windy Philadelphia Cricket Club.
New Zealander Ko was chasing a third straight major championship title but succumbed after pushing her 25-foot birdie putt wide. Henderson edged out Yani Tseng, who in 2008 became the first teenager to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the age of 19 years, 4 months and 16 days. Henderson also is the second Canadian woman to win a major championship, following Sandra Post’s victory in the 1968 event, and is projected to jump from fourth to second in the world on Monday. “I knew I needed to make birdie”. She then hit a 7-iron from 158 yards to 3 feet for what is being called possibly the greatest shot in Canadian golf history.
Michael Collins and Bill Fields of espnW wrap up the incredible finish in the KPMG Women’s PGA and look forward to what the rest of the summer has to offer.
Henderson wasn’t finished. She birdied No. 12 to move back to within one stroke of Ko. “I’d like to get my name on all three of those”, Henderson said.
The playoff went to the 18th hole, the long, uphill par 4 that regularly plays as a par 5 for club members.
I’m sure tournament officials are doing a happy dance today about the marketing potential. When Ko’s birdie attempt missed, Henderson tapped in to begin the celebration. “I didn’t feel it was a bad stroke”. “And for her to do that, you kind of get the feeling maybe it’s her day”. “She was a little bit before me”.
But Henderson said at the time that the situation wouldn’t limit her.
Starting the 2015 LPGA season without exempt status, Henderson used weekly qualifiers and sponsor exemptions to carve a spot for herself on tour, and the native of Smith Falls, Ontario, won the Cambia Portland Open. “And it definitely really has helped me to be better and to believe in myself, too, just watching her”.
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“Yeah, it’s pretty cool we’re both coming on to the stage”, Henderson said. “I hope we have lots of extra holes like that or lots of times where we’re contending for the championship”.
