Just a toddler then, she followed her sister around the course. And for good reason. “I didn’t say that this week” – they didn’t realize it was the auto hole – “but I’m really happy to give it to her”. “I’d never really experienced that before”. “And even I was reading some of the names on this trophy and it’s very, very cool”.
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The 18-year old Canadian and world number four holed a birdie on the first playoff hole at the Sahalee Country Club to become the second youngest victor of a major and end Ko’s quest for a third-straight major title. 16 and 17. Ko finished regulation with seven consecutive pars.
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.
Henderson’s putt denied Ko, who is only 19 and was trying to become only the fifth player in LPGA Tour history to win three majors, that opportunity.
She then held her nerve in the play-off to become just the second Canadian to win a women’s major after Sandra Post, who won the 1968 Women’s PGA Championship.
Her heroine, Brooke Henderson, was in the process of winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, so that called for a lot of celebration.
Her debut win in Portland toward the end of last summer effectively made Henderson the latest teenage sensation on the LPGA.
Henderson, a native of Smiths Falls, Ontario, about an hour south of Ottawa, isn’t afraid to make reaching No. 1 in the world a personal goal and said she hopes to win another of the three majors left on the calendar this year. Now, I’m No. 2 in the world, which is really cool. She played a near-perferct final round at 4-under but was outdone by the brilliance of Henderson on the day.
But time is on the side of these talented two young women’s players who look set for more duels down the line. “For Brooke to shoot 65 on the final day at a major, at a course like this is very impressive”.
The playoff between the two teenagers was the final act of this tournament, but could be just the first of what might be a lengthy play between what are now the top two golfers in the game.
Ko had come from behind to win the last two major championships, the Evian Championship in September and ANA Inspiration in April.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who was attempting to tie Nancy Lopez’s record with a fourth straight victory on the Tour, shot a five-under 66 on Sunday to finish in solo third place at five-under for the tournament. The 20-year Thai player missed a birdie putt on the 18th that could have put her into the playoff. She’s still doing all the same things she was doing when she first started pursuing a pro career, “just a lot better”. “Certainly, outside of hockey, she’s sort of the next big sports hero right now”. A moment earlier, Ko had missed her birdie putt from 15 feet. “To get that world ranking up to No. 2 is kind of surreal, kind of unbelievable, but I still have one more spot to go”. “I didn’t feel like it was a bad stroke”.
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Lydia Ko has strengthened her stranglehold on golf’s No 1 ranking but has her Canadian conqueror Brooke Henderson on her heels in what could be a terrific teenage rivalry.
