This year Ko broke her schedule in America and Asia to return to New Zealand and win the NZ Open at Clearwater.
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Both continued to make pars until the 17th when Henderson dropped a 50-foot birdie putt after pulling her tee shot to the wrong side of the green on the par 3.
The 19-year-old Ko used her deft short-game to save shots on the 16th and 17th holes, but couldn’t avoid dropping a shot at the last when her third shot went to the back of the green and she missed a 15-foot par putt. “I don’t know if I ever thought it would come true”.
“The last couple of days the support for Canada has been really incredible”, Henderson said. “I got to play in this wonderful event and maybe I can continue to play and compete, but I still want to keep in touch with my kids”.
The momentum changer was her eagle putt. “That fairway is really well guarded with trees and I have a tendency to draw my 3-wood pretty well”, said Henderson of the 13-degree club.
The celebration for Brooke Henderson, who pulled off what is probably the second biggest victory in Canadian golf history on Sunday, was dinner at a Mexican chain restaurant followed by a 240-kilometre drive to Portland, OR.
Ko, trying to win her third-straight major, had another 70 to finish at 2-under for the tournament, a shot ahead of Gerina Piller, who had a 71 to sit at 1-under with Brittany Lincicome, who also had a 71.
“It does change a little bit”. She completed her par and then watched Henderson roll in the winning putt. But last time they were just yelling Go Canada. “You work so hard to get here and to finally be able to put the trophy up, there’s no way I can describe it”. But I’ve been putting really solid in that range, especially on the second day. In 2012, at just 14, Henderson won on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour at Beloieil Golf Club.
Considering her rise to stardom, Henderson’s victory isn’t a huge surprise. Just don’t worry about what everybody else does.’ That’s all I can do. The China Open victor a year ago, Wu finished at 13-under 275 at Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg, Austria.
“We love her”, said Mike Pinter, also down from Vancouver, first to watch fellow Canadian James Paxton pitch for the Mariners on Saturday night, and then watch Henderson on Sunday. “We didn’t think it had to be ideal all the time but we just knew how to make a number and that’s how she plays and it’s kind of refreshing to watch, that it’s not always looks flawless but the number at the end looks pretty good”.
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“I’m very proud and getting a lot more confident”, said Jutanugarn, “especially today, in a major”. There’s still three major championships left.
