Henderson is just the second Canadian to win a women’s major, following Sandra Post who won the Women’s PGA Championship in 1968.
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She had been a major champion for a few hours.
Ko was going for her third major championship victory in a row, but Henderson secured her first instead.
“There’s a strategy to get to number one, and I’m pretty happy with the way it’s been going”, she said.
The 68-year-old Post watched Henderson throughout the entire tournament and says that the turning point for the teenager came during her opening round on Thursday.
“Majors are what define careers”, said Post, whose victory made her the youngest woman to win a major until Ko broke the mark nearly five decades later.
“I’m not really sure if I pushed it”, Ko said.
Henderson was just five years old at the time, but there are parallels in her win on Sunday and another victory by a Canadian athlete – Mike Weir at the 2003 Masters.
Henderson has said she expects to be on Canada’s team when golf makes its return to the Olympics this summer in Brazil.
Putting uphill through about 20 feet of fringe, Henderson gauged the right-to-left eagle effort perfectly even after having to reassess where she was aiming when a spectator in the gallery that she was targeting moved as she got over the ball. She beat Ko, the 19-year-old LPGA dynamo, on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
“I was trying to take advantage of every opportunity I was given”, said Henderson, who earned full-time LPGA Tour status after winning Portland last August as a Monday qualifier and has had several top-10 finishes since.
Ko missed, and Henderson calmly sank her winning putt. Henderson also made a long eagle putt on the par-5 11th and birdied the par-3 13th. “I would have liked to be the youngest ever to win a major championship, but to be able to win this one is a good second best”.
Lydia Ko reacts to one of her four birdies on the final day of the PGA Championship.
Two of the best moments: as they prepared for the playoff, which would start on the 18th hole and continue on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes if necessary, there were two carts parked on the fairway side of the 18th green. Dustin Johnson shot 63, setting the back-nine record with 29, to finish at 9-under 271. “We didn’t think it had to be flawless 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 ideal but the number at the end looks pretty good”. She later holed another monster putt, this time from 40 feet at the 17th, to draw level with Ko.
And Henderson became the second woman from Canada to win a major.
“I thought I was doing well, then she showed me that there was much more”, Henderson said. “I think it’s great for the Tour”.
“I knew this was my chance”, she said.
Both found the fairway off the tee at the extra hole and Ko then hit her approach to within 20 feet but Henderson sent her’s to three feet for a birdie to become the youngest victor in the event’s history. It gave her the best angle into the flag 158 yards away.
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While Ko’s bid to win three straight majors fell short, the women’s game still got a huge boost from one of the most promising young talents taking it with that brilliant approach shot on top of the flag in a playoff.
