Brooke Henderson won last years Portland Classic by eight strokes after joining the field as a Monday qualifier.
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The 18-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., became Portland’s first back-to-back champion in 13 years when Henderson shot a final round 1-under 71 to win by four strokes over American Stacy Lewis at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. But Henderson’s main opponent was Mariajo Uribe, who was tied for the lead with seven holes remaining but finished with two double bogeys. The powerful Henderson, who attacks the tee ball with a long, whiplash swing and crinkles her nose at unsatisfactory shots, has the flair to be a fan favorite, especially if she keeps piling up wins at this rate-three in less than 11 months. Uribe, who was trying to sew up her first win in seven years on the LPGA Tour, said she’ll try to take the finish, which was her best this year, and build on it.
“Getting the major championship win just a couple weeks ago in Washington and knowing that I can win a major championship was definitely a huge momentum changer, confidence boost”, Henderson said.
Brooke Henderson, of Canada, hits a tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic golf tournament Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Portland, Ore.
“I am just going to go home and practice”.
Since that victory a year ago, the Canadian teenager has won her first major title, at the women’s PGA Championship earlier this month, and risen to number two in the world rankings.
Henderson, who became the No. 2 women’s golfer in the world after winning her first LPGA major – the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – last June will tee up for another major, the U.S. Women’s Open, next week.
“It was kind of a weird day of golf”, the 18-year-old told Golf Channel. Even with a four-shot deficit, the 24-year-old fourth-year LPGA Tour member is eager to start the chase.
The Canadian teenager recovered from her lone bogey of the day at 17 with a birdie on the final hole.
“I love match play, so today I just went out with the mentality of playing match play against (Henderson) and staying alive until 18, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow”.
“It’s cool to think I’ve won in three different ways”, Henderson said. Today, I felt like I could make anything. “I tried to take advantage of the little softer greens this morning and little purer greens as well”.
Uribe fell two back with a bogey at 15 before her collapse on the last two holes while Henderson closed with five pars, escaping 17 with a par after finding the rough by sinking a 15-foot putt from the fringe. Uribe and Stanford shot bogey-free rounds. However, her game wasn’t very sharp on Saturday. But Uribe hit her third shot 50 feet past the hole and made double bogey, while Henderson was able to get up and down to save par, making an eight-foot putt.
Henderson, who had three birdies and two bogeys, said it had been a odd round. Pace shot 68, while Woods had a 72 for her first career top 10.
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American Morgan Pressel was 2-under after posting her best round of the week, a 67.
