I've seen the future of women's golf, and she comes in a tiny package from north of the border, Brooke Henderson could be the next big thing on the LPGA Tour.
"She's going to be No. 1 in the world," said Mike Stoll, father of Beaverton amateur Gigi Stoll, Henderson's playing partner for the first two rounds of the Cambia Portland Classic. "She's an animal. She has the most aggressive swing I've ever seen for a female golfer."
Henderson shot a 5-under par 67 Friday to go with a first-round 66 for a 36-hole total of 11-under 133, good enough to take a one-stroke lead into Saturday's third round of the $1.3 million event.
To think that four days ago, Henderson didn't even know if she was going to be in in the field.
Then she shot 68 to grab one of two spots in a Monday qualifier. Now she's in position to become the first qualifier to win an LPGA Tour tournament since Laurel Kean in 2000.
What's more, Henderson could join Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson as the only players to win an LPGA Tour event before they turn 18.
"That'd be really cool, but I'm still a long way from that," Henderson said. "I have to go low and shoot some good numbers for that to happen."
Henderson has been doing that with regularity since she turned pro last December. In nine LPGA Tour events this year, she has amassed $466,264 in earnings. That would rank 20th on the money list if she were a member of the LPGA Tour -- despite playing fewer events than anyone ranked among the top 50.
But she's not a member. Henderson's request to the LPGA for a waiver of the 18-year-old rule for membership was denied -- though that had not been true in the cases of Ko and Thompson before her.
"At first I was (upset), but it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me," Henderson said. "It made me bear down and focus and become a lot more dedicated and desire what I wanted."
Henderson did not come out of nowhere, though some might argue Smiths Falls is close. She was a force on the Canadian amateur circuit who became, at 14, the youngest ever to win a Canadian Women's Tour event in 2012. She played in her first U.S. Women's Open the next year.
In 2014, Henderson made the cut in all four of her LPGA Tour events -- including a 10th-place finish at the U.S. Open -- won the individual title at the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, was runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur and climbed to No. 1 in the world amateur rankings before turning pro.
Now Henderson -- who had verbally committed to Florida before opting for the pro route -- has signed with IMG and already has an endorsement deal with Ping, among others.
A strong family unit has helped Brooke go platinum in her young career. Her sister, Brittany, 24 is also a pro who participated in the Portland Classic this week (she shot 74-75--149 and failed to make the cut). Their father, Dave, was an elementary school teacher for 31 years before retiring. Their mother, Darlene, worked with the mentally disabled before retiring in December. Dave, who remains the coach for both daughters, is caddying for Brooke this week.
"It's been great being able to travel with my dad and my sister this week, and having him on my bag the last two days," Brooke said. "I have a great support system around me. That's going to really help moving forward."
Brooke is focusing totally on golf these days, but that wasn't always the case. She played goalie on a girls' hockey team in Smiths Falls through age 14.
"I had a lot of fun with it," she said. "I love hockey. Got to meet a lot of great girls on my team. It was really important for my golf game. It gave me a lot of strength, not only mentally but physically."
Non-LPGA members can participate in six age-limit sponsor exemptions per year. Henderson will use her sixth at next week's Canadian Pacific Open at Vancouver, but she has gotten into five other LPGA events -- three through qualifiers, two through special exemptions at the U.S. Women's Open and British Women's Open.
Henderson has made the most of her opportunities. She finished third in the Swinging Skirts Classic at San Francisco in April, missing a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put her in a three-way playoff with Ko and Paula Creamer. Henderson later tied for fifth in both the Women's PGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open.
"I've played pretty well," she said."Two top fives in majors, third in San Francisco, and quite a few other solid rounds. I feel really good out here."
Henderson has been almost unerring the first two rounds of the tournament, with only a single bogey and 14 birdies through 36 holes. She bombs her drives, puts her approach shots within range and makes her mid-range putts as often as not.
"We have similar distance, but the accuracy she has on her irons is the biggest thing she has going for her," said Gigi Stoll, the two-time state prep champion who heads to the University of Arizona next week to begin her college career. "And making the putts. I've only seen her twice, but she's been so consistent. If she keeps that up, she'll be one of the top players on the LPGA Tour."
Funny, because all Henderson wants for now is to be one of the players on the tour.
She can accomplish that by a) winning the Portland Classic or b) finishing among the top 40 on the year-end money list.
"Hopefully this week I can secure my card and be full-time on the tour for next year," Henderson said.
Henderson led midway through the Swinging Skirts Classic only to falter on the final day.
"I learned a lot that weekend, about myself and how I face pressure," she said. "I enjoyed being in the final group. I'm excited to be in position to be in the final group here. Hopefully I can get good, solid rounds Saturday and Sunday."
Henderson is already commanding plenty of attention on the LPGA Tour, and she'll need to be able to deal with it.
"When I was playing high amateur golf, I was used to big galleries and a lot of media and television, but it's a little bit different on the LPGA Tour," she said. "It's something I've gotten more comfortable with this year. If I can just stay patient and play my own game and not focus on outside factors, good things will happen."
As long as she keeps socking the ball with that big swing, she'll have a chance. Where'd she learn to do that?
"I take after my dad, actually," she said with a laugh. "I haven't touched it since I was a little girl. I was born with it, and I love it." (Golf Master Tips article source and author: Kerry Eggers)
"She's going to be No. 1 in the world," said Mike Stoll, father of Beaverton amateur Gigi Stoll, Henderson's playing partner for the first two rounds of the Cambia Portland Classic. "She's an animal. She has the most aggressive swing I've ever seen for a female golfer."
The Future of Women's Golf
Hardly what you'd expect from a 5-4 native of Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada -- population 9,000 --who might tip the scales at 120. But Henderson knocks the stuffings out of a golf ball, and still a month shy of her 18th birthday, she might just become the biggest thing out of Canada since Justin Bieber.Henderson shot a 5-under par 67 Friday to go with a first-round 66 for a 36-hole total of 11-under 133, good enough to take a one-stroke lead into Saturday's third round of the $1.3 million event.
To think that four days ago, Henderson didn't even know if she was going to be in in the field.
Then she shot 68 to grab one of two spots in a Monday qualifier. Now she's in position to become the first qualifier to win an LPGA Tour tournament since Laurel Kean in 2000.
What's more, Henderson could join Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson as the only players to win an LPGA Tour event before they turn 18.
"That'd be really cool, but I'm still a long way from that," Henderson said. "I have to go low and shoot some good numbers for that to happen."
Henderson has been doing that with regularity since she turned pro last December. In nine LPGA Tour events this year, she has amassed $466,264 in earnings. That would rank 20th on the money list if she were a member of the LPGA Tour -- despite playing fewer events than anyone ranked among the top 50.
But she's not a member. Henderson's request to the LPGA for a waiver of the 18-year-old rule for membership was denied -- though that had not been true in the cases of Ko and Thompson before her.
"At first I was (upset), but it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me," Henderson said. "It made me bear down and focus and become a lot more dedicated and desire what I wanted."
Henderson did not come out of nowhere, though some might argue Smiths Falls is close. She was a force on the Canadian amateur circuit who became, at 14, the youngest ever to win a Canadian Women's Tour event in 2012. She played in her first U.S. Women's Open the next year.
In 2014, Henderson made the cut in all four of her LPGA Tour events -- including a 10th-place finish at the U.S. Open -- won the individual title at the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, was runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur and climbed to No. 1 in the world amateur rankings before turning pro.
Now Henderson -- who had verbally committed to Florida before opting for the pro route -- has signed with IMG and already has an endorsement deal with Ping, among others.
A strong family unit has helped Brooke go platinum in her young career. Her sister, Brittany, 24 is also a pro who participated in the Portland Classic this week (she shot 74-75--149 and failed to make the cut). Their father, Dave, was an elementary school teacher for 31 years before retiring. Their mother, Darlene, worked with the mentally disabled before retiring in December. Dave, who remains the coach for both daughters, is caddying for Brooke this week.
"It's been great being able to travel with my dad and my sister this week, and having him on my bag the last two days," Brooke said. "I have a great support system around me. That's going to really help moving forward."
Brooke is focusing totally on golf these days, but that wasn't always the case. She played goalie on a girls' hockey team in Smiths Falls through age 14.
"I had a lot of fun with it," she said. "I love hockey. Got to meet a lot of great girls on my team. It was really important for my golf game. It gave me a lot of strength, not only mentally but physically."
Non-LPGA members can participate in six age-limit sponsor exemptions per year. Henderson will use her sixth at next week's Canadian Pacific Open at Vancouver, but she has gotten into five other LPGA events -- three through qualifiers, two through special exemptions at the U.S. Women's Open and British Women's Open.
Henderson has made the most of her opportunities. She finished third in the Swinging Skirts Classic at San Francisco in April, missing a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put her in a three-way playoff with Ko and Paula Creamer. Henderson later tied for fifth in both the Women's PGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open.
"I've played pretty well," she said."Two top fives in majors, third in San Francisco, and quite a few other solid rounds. I feel really good out here."
Henderson has been almost unerring the first two rounds of the tournament, with only a single bogey and 14 birdies through 36 holes. She bombs her drives, puts her approach shots within range and makes her mid-range putts as often as not.
"We have similar distance, but the accuracy she has on her irons is the biggest thing she has going for her," said Gigi Stoll, the two-time state prep champion who heads to the University of Arizona next week to begin her college career. "And making the putts. I've only seen her twice, but she's been so consistent. If she keeps that up, she'll be one of the top players on the LPGA Tour."
Funny, because all Henderson wants for now is to be one of the players on the tour.
She can accomplish that by a) winning the Portland Classic or b) finishing among the top 40 on the year-end money list.
"Hopefully this week I can secure my card and be full-time on the tour for next year," Henderson said.
Henderson led midway through the Swinging Skirts Classic only to falter on the final day.
"I learned a lot that weekend, about myself and how I face pressure," she said. "I enjoyed being in the final group. I'm excited to be in position to be in the final group here. Hopefully I can get good, solid rounds Saturday and Sunday."
Henderson is already commanding plenty of attention on the LPGA Tour, and she'll need to be able to deal with it.
As long as she keeps socking the ball with that big swing, she'll have a chance. Where'd she learn to do that?
"I take after my dad, actually," she said with a laugh. "I haven't touched it since I was a little girl. I was born with it, and I love it." (Golf Master Tips article source and author: Kerry Eggers)
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