Tag: Brooke Henderson

Pain-free, aggressive Brooke Henderson jumps out to four-stroke lead at LPGA TOC; Annika Sorenstam weighs in on her swing

After some time away from everything, Henderson began to strengthen her back and reports that it “feels really good right now.”

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ORLANDO, Florida – Brooke Henderson first started feeling pain in her upper back at the Aramco Series event in New York last October. It was a slow build-up, she said, until the pain reached its peak at the Pelican Women’s Championship in November, where she withdrew after the first round.

At the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she manufactured a swing that got her through the tournament and, soon after, she had her wisdom teeth removed. Henderson, 25, does believe there might be a small connection between the two health concerns, though her oral surgeon didn’t seem to think so. After some time away from everything, she began to strengthen her back and reports that it “feels really good right now.”

She’s able to be aggressive again with her new bag of TaylorMade equipment, and she likes what she sees. Playing alongside the legendary Annika Sorentam for the first time, Henderson fired a 6-under 66 on Friday at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and jumped to a four-shot lead over Nelly Korda.

“I said ‘good shot’ many times,” said Sorenstam, who trails Mardy Fish by nine points in the tournament’s celebrity division, which uses a Stableford scoring format.

Henderson, the winningest Canadian golfer in history, got off to a scorching start, making four birdies in a row to begin her second round. She’s at 11 under for the tournament. England’s Charley Hull and Wei-Ling Hsu are five shots back at 6 under. Defending champion Danielle Kang trails by seven.

Henderson, a longtime Ping player, switched to TaylorMade equipment this season after using the TP5x golf ball last year.

“I feel like a lot of things have been working really well, especially the wedges,” she said. “Feels really nice to be able to feel aggressive, and they’re holding really well, which is sort of a new thing for me.

“On No. 2, I was able to spin it back, which is also a great feeling.”

Last year, Henderson lost a good deal of distance with her driver after the LPGA chose to implement the USGA’s new Model Local Rule, which forced her to switch from a 48-inch driver to one that’s 46 inches.

Henderson, a 12-time winner on the LPGA had used a 48-inch driver for her entire career on tour. Known for her aggressive style, power and the way she chokes down on her clubs, Henderson finished ninth on tour in driving distance in 2021 with an average of 274 yards. Last year she dropped to 25th on the list, averaging 267 yards.

The new TaylorMade ball and Stealth 2 Plus 9-degree driver, she said, have helped her get some of it back.

2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Annika Sörenstam of Sweden looks on after her shot on the 18th tee during the second round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club on January 20, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Sorenstam was asked to weigh in on the length of Henderson’s swing after their first round together.

“I know she has this little drop-kick,” said Sorenstam, “but she hits it out there. She gets some good distance, some good carry.

“A lot of times when we look at people and people say, ‘Hey, give me swing advice.’ If she wasn’t a professional, we probably would tell somebody, ‘Hey, shorten your swing a little bit.’ But somebody like that, you just don’t want to touch it. She’s got good feel and good touch and she hits it a long ways, so it works perfectly for her.”

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Brooke Henderson officially signs with TaylorMade, makes gains on distance lost from rule change

“I switched to the ball last year and really saw a big improvement in my game,” said Henderson.

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ORLANDO — Brooke Henderson and Nelly Korda warmed up side-by-side on the range Tuesday afternoon at the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions sporting their new, red TaylorMade bags. Korda’s official announcement dropped on Monday, and Henderson’s followed on Wednesday. Canada’s all-time winningest player became the first to elevate from a TaylorMade ball deal to a full bag.

“I switched to the ball last year and really saw a big improvement in my game,” said Henderson. “Just with further testing, I really loved their clubs, and I’m really excited to make the switch this week.”

Henderson, formerly a longtime Ping player who won twice last season, including her second major, said that she gained 5 yards with her driver using the TP5x golf ball last year.

“With the driver change last year from 48 to 46, I lost a lot of distance with my driver,” she continued, “so I was trying to find some different things that could bring that back. So this driver I’ve been able to get a little bit of distance back too, which is good.”

She’s not quite to where she was distance-wise with the 48-inch driver, but gaining on it with the Stealth 2 Plus 9-degree driver.

Last spring, the LPGA instituted the Model Local Rule, which gives tours the option to limit the maximum length of a driver to 46 inches. The new local rule was put forth in October 2021 by the U.S. Golf Association and R&A.

Henderson, a 12-time winner on the LPGA had used a 48-inch driver for her entire career on tour. Known for her aggressive style, power and the way she chokes down on her clubs, Henderson finished ninth on tour in driving distance in 2021 with an average of 274 yards. Last year she dropped to 25th on the list, averaging 267 yards.

The rest of Henderson’s bag includes

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Report: LPGA star and world No. 6 Brooke Henderson to sign equipment deal with TaylorMade

Brooks Henderson has been the face of Ping on the LPGA.

Brooke Henderson had a great year in 2022. She first captured the ShopRite LPGA Classic then claimed her second career major championship at the Amundi Evian. Despite the great results, a change is coming for the sixth-ranked player in the world.

According to SCOREGolf (the self-proclaimed voice of Canadian golf), Henderson and TaylorMade have agreed on an equipment deal. The specifics have yet to be released.

Last year, Henderson signed a ball and glove deal with TaylorMade.

Originally reported by NUCLR GOLF on Twitter, Henderson has been removed from Ping’s website.

She has used Ping clubs for all of her LPGA wins. Her contract expired on Dec. 31st, 2022.

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An elite Florida women’s amateur event to be held this week has spawned stars like Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson

The 97th-anniversary edition of the tournament tees off this week — a field of golfers that grows younger and deeper by the year.

ORMOND BEACH, Florida — The 97th-anniversary edition of the Sally Championship tees off this week in its modern form — a field of golfers that seems to grow younger and deeper by the year.

The Championship Division features 85 golfers from top college programs and plenty of even younger talent from the top rungs of the national junior rankings, all here to face the unique challenges presented by Oceanside Country Club, where the fickle beachside elements always play a role.

Following Tuesday’s annual Member-Sally event, the 72-hole, stroke-play tournament — formally known as the Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Championship — runs Wednesday through Saturday.

Leading the way is defending champion Emma McMyler, a junior at Xavier University, who won by a stroke last year with a total of 1-under 287. She tees off at 10:02 Wednesday morning to start her title defense.

Ellen Hume
Ellen Hume won the Sally Amateur to start 2021. (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Emma McMyler won last year’s Sally Championship by one shot.
A few other golfers from last year’s top-10 finishers return this year, including the nation’s top-ranked junior, Ohio’s Gianna Clemente. She made history last summer as a 14-year-old, earning three straight LPGA Tour starts through Monday qualifiers.

The second-ranked player on the current junior rankings, Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, also returns this year after tying for fourth with Clemente, at 2 over par, in last year’s Sally. Schroeder, who enrolls this month at the University of Alabama, was the 2022 American Junior Golf Association’s Player of the Year.

This week’s field also includes a handful of high school golfers from the nearby Daytona Beach area: Amelia Cobb (Seabreeze), Riley Fletcher (Seabreeze), Vanessa Perry (Spruce Creek) and Alexandra Gazzoli (Matanzas).

The Sally’s history is tied to a wintertime group of amateur tournaments in Florida dubbed the Orange Blossom Circuit. Its list of past champions includes a pair of Hall of Famers — Patty Berg (1938-39) and Babe Zaharias (1947) — as well as some modern LPGA Tour stars such as Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda and Brooke Henderson.

Nelly Korda, the younger sister of LPGA player Jessica Korda during the first round of the 86th South Atlantic Amateur at Oceanside Country Club.

From the 1920s to the 2020s, an oncoming Sally sends golfers to the oncoming forecast. This week’s daily offerings from Wednesday through Saturday, at least so far, include a temp range from low 80s to low 50s, predominant winds from three different directions, and a decent chance of thunderstorms during Thursday’s second round.

Tee times run from 7:30 a.m. to about noon each day.

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With so much on the line, Player of the Year contender Lydia Ko opens with a 65 to take early lead at CME

Ko holds the course record at Tiburon, 62, and won this tournament in 2014.

NAPLES, Fla. – Lydia Ko made bogey on the opening par 5 at Tiburon Golf Club to begin the CME Group Tour Championship, but that did nothing to foreshadow the rest of the day.

Ko, leader of the Rolex Player of the Year race and Vare Trophy, paces the field after an opening 7-under 65. The 25-year-old Kiwi holds the course record at Tiburon, 62, and won this tournament in 2014. She recorded eight birdies on the day and shot 31 on the back nine. This week’s winner earns a record-setting $2 million.

“The first four holes into the wind is a beast,” said Ko. “It’s a beast without the wind. So I knew that if I could just hang on and just stay patient, there was going to be a lot of opportunities, and I was able to grab a lot of them in the back nine. So definitely nice to finish off that way.”

An 18-time winner on the LPGA, Ko last won the LPGA Player of the Year in 2015. She leads Minjee Lee by one point in the POY race. Lee opened with a 71 and is tied for 23rd. Players must finish in the top 10 to earn points.

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Nelly Korda, winner of last week’s Pelican Ladies Championship and current No. 1, made a 20-footer for bogey on the second hole that felt like a birdie. She opened with a 4-under 68 with two dropped shots, hitting all 14 fairways.

“It was kind of sporadically windy,” said Korda, “but then I guess once I got over a couple of my shots the winds died, so those were my like two really about mistakes.”

CME: Full leaderboard

Brooke Henderson withdrew from last week’s Pelican event with an injury to her upper back and said that she wasn’t even sure if she could tee it up this week. The Canadian lives part-time here in Naples and felt well enough on Thursday to shoot 68. Henderson, a two-time winner this year, said she made some adjustments to her swing to be able to play.

2022 LPGA CME Group Tour Championship
Brooke Henderson hits her second shot from the first fairway during the first round of the 2022 LPGA CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Lynne Sladky/Associated Press)

Danielle Kang spent four days with Butch Harmon last week in Las Vegas and felt good about swing changes they’re making coming into the week, jotting notes down on her glove. Kang spent a month in South Korea with Inbee Park, where she tied for 10th at the BMW Ladies Championship.

Kang, who revealed over the summer that she has a tumor on her spine, lost in a playoff at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship to Atthaya Thitifkul and tied for third at the LPGA Mediheal, after returning to competition after a months-long break.

“I really wish at one point we can just get to a point where I don’t want to be associated with so much health things as I’m here, I’m standing in front of you guys, I’m playing golf,” said Kang.

“Body and being physically in the top best shape is something we’re always going to be thinking about as athletes. So the way I warm up, the way I have to approach certain type of things, is — there has been obstacles that’s been set in front of me, but that’s kind of part of life, right? Nothing is going to be fluid.”

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Here’s what’s on the line at this week’s CME, including a jam-packed LPGA Player of the Year race

Several awards are on the line on top of the $2 million first-place prize.

The drama that surrounds the CME Group Tour Championship typically centers around much more than the mega-money awarded to the winner. In addition to the $2 million payday that’s on the line, the Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy winners will also be decided this week. Both awards come with one LPGA Hall of Fame point.

Atthaya Thitikul, a two-time winner this season who also spent a brief time as world No. 1, clinched Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors last week. Minjee Lee already has locked up two awards – the Rolex Annika Major Award and Aon Risk Reward Challenge, which comes with a $1 million prize.

Here’s what’s yet to be decided this week in Naples, Florida:

LPGA: Madelene Sagstrom, Ally Ewing hope CME Group Tour Championship brings community sense of normalcy after Hurricane Ian

“Hopefully we can provide a sense of happiness for them for a few days.”

NAPLES, Fla. —  Perhaps it was the piles of concrete washed away by the powerful storm surge that now sit on the side of the road.

Or the massive mounds of debris, mostly downed trees and limbs, some so tall they block the view of the beachfront condos from the street.

Or those towering condos sitting directly on the Gulf of Mexico, still abandoned, residents replaced by construction crews and heavy equipment working to make their homes relivable once again.

Madelene Sagstrom, who owns a home in Orlando and has lived through her share of storms, was overwhelmed when she drove along the beach Tuesday and saw the destruction from Hurricane Ian.

“All the destruction,” she said. “It’s just mind-blowing how local it can be. You’re out here and you don’t realize anything.”

Sagstrom is part of the 60-woman field for the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club, the final event of the LPGA season that starts Thursday. Tiburon sits about four miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 42 miles south of where Hurricane Ian came ashore with 150 mph winds seven weeks ago.

2022 LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup
Madelene Sagstrom lines up a putt on the 11th green during the first round of the 2022 LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, New Jersey (Photo: Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

Tiburon, which has 36 holes, including the Gold Course where this week’s event is being held, received little damage outside of 350-400 trees being uprooted, and some flooding.

After crews worked tirelessly to remove and replant trees and repair the turf, the Gold Course reopened four days after Ian made landfall. Work then started on cleaning up the areas outside of play.

That work assured the LPGA this event would go on as scheduled.

“It was very devastating what happened here and it’s nice to see everything rebuilding and everything getting more back to normal,” said Brooke Henderson, No. 6 in the women’s rankings. “Hopefully we can continue to recover and just grow stronger from all of this.”

2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic
Brooke Henderson hits off the 13th tee during the final round of the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey. (Photo: Matt Rourke/Associated Press)

Henderson was born and raised in Canada but also lives in Naples. Her home survived the storm.

Tiburon general manager Kevin DeDonato was relieved when he saw the impact the storm had on the property. Irma, which hit in September 2017, toppled about 1,000 trees.

“I kind of knew what to expect,” DeDonato said. “The damage we had from Irma … 400 is impactful but it was almost a relief.

“The thing that was so unique about this one was how long it was. It was 12 hours of just hurricane winds. It just felt like it was never going to end.”

The challenge at Tiburon was putting the finishing touches on the course for this week when so much time was dedicated to clean up.

“As you get closer to this time it’s more detail stuff, outside of play, edging cart path and bunkers,” DeDonato said. “After opening the course we spent two weeks cleaning up outside of play. That takes away from us prepping for a lot of the detail stuff.”

Now, all the work is up to the best women golfers in the world to decide their season-ending champion, much to the delight – and relief – of LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

After she received assurance the course pulled through the storm, she started working on how to help out any partners and others in the area that were impacted.

Ian caused about $40 billion in property damage in Florida, about $2 billion of that was in Collier County.

“We were really looking to see if there were ways to see if we could help this specific area,” said Marcoux, who lives in Orlando. “And will continue to support those efforts.”

The tour made a donation to the red cross and with each purchase of a limited-edition CME Group or LPGA-Florida T-shirt, $10 will be donated to the Collier Relief Fund.

For the golfers, part of the joy will be seeing those whose lives were upended two months ago enjoying a couple of normal days on a golf course.

“It’s sad to think about the people who have been displaced,” said Ally Ewing. “Hopefully we can provide a sense of happiness for them for a few days.”

Sagstrom, a Swede, believes this weekend is a snapshot of how sports can help heal in times of adversity.

“Coming back to some kind of normalcy, getting the community back together and going to watch some golf, I think people will like that,” she said. “I know people lost a lot. But it’s kind of what sports did during COVID, brought everyone together. That’s what we’re hoping.”

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LPGA Player of the Year race tightens with only four events left in 2022, and a rookie might steal the show

The Rolex LPGA Player of the Year race could once again turn into a doozie.

With four events left in the season, the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year race could once again turn into a doozie.

As it stands, the Rolex Annika Major Award winner Minjee Lee holds a 19-point lead over Brooke Henderson. Unlike the PGA Tour, the LPGA’s POY is based on a points system, with no player votes. A victory is worth 30 points and a second place is worth 12. A 10th-place finish is worth one point.

Points were doubled at the majors, which explains why four of the top six players in the standings are 2022 majors winners.

Jennifer Kupcho has won three times this season, but her victory with Lizette Salas at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational wasn’t eligible for POY points. She’s sixth on the list and trails Lee by 54 points.

Last season, Jin Young Ko had to win the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship to overtake Nelly Korda in the points race, and she did just that, earning an LPGA Hall of Fame point in the process. Ko won three of her last four starts to make a dramatic late-season push.

This year, both Ko and Korda have battled health issues and are T-10 and 43rd, respectively, in the POY standings.

Here’s a closer look at the top four in the running as the race winds down:

Lexi Thompson breaks three-year victory drought at Aramco Team Series event in New York

“I came into today just the way I played yesterday, just playing aggressive golf, and being kind of fiery.”

Lexi Thompson hoisted a trophy for the first time in three years at the Aramco Team Series in New York. The 27-year-old American star, who last won at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic, closed with a 69 at Trump Golf Links Ferry Point to win by three over Brooke Henderson and Madelene Sagstrom.

“I came into today just the way I played yesterday, just playing aggressive golf, and being kind of fiery,” said Thompson.

“I hit a great shot on No. 1 to like 6, 7 feet and made it and I wanted to play fearless golf and not play away from pins by any means and commit to my shots. I hit some really good ones and I hit some iffy ones but with this wind and everything, you have to take the bad ones as best you can.”

Thompson played the team portion of the event with former NFL player Brice Butler.

“We had a good time the last two days,” she said. “I think what Aramco and Saudi Golf does for golf and women’s golf especially is growing and very honored to be here.”

Former No. 1 Nelly Korda carded an even-par 72 to finish solo fourth, four shots back.

“It’s really nice to see her win and it’s really good for golf for her to win as well,” said Korda. “She played really solid golf, and she’s been playing really solid golf this year. It was just around the corner.”

Thompson, like Korda and Henderson, will skip the next two events in Asia and return to the LPGA for the final two events in Florida. Thompson lost to Korda last year in a playoff at the Pelican Women’s Championship. She’s a former champion of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, one of her favorite stops on tour.

The victory in New York serves as a significant confidence boost for the 11-time LPGA winner. Her only other victory on the LET came at the 2011 Dubai Ladies Masters.

“I have about two and a half, three weeks off,” said Thompson, “and I’m going to be working my butt off to keep on improving and hopefully finish strong in my last few events of the year.”

The Aramco Series carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer.

Golf Saudi backs six of the events on the LET schedule. The tournaments, backed by the Public Investment Fund, remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

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Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson among big names at Saudi-backed Aramco event at Trump Ferry Point

Golf Saudi backs six of events on the LET schedule.

The stars will be out in New York this week as the Aramco Team Series heads to Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson headline the Ladies European Tour event on U.S. soil. The LPGA does not have a tournament this week and heads next to South Korea.

Charley Hull, who recently won on the LPGA in Texas, clinched last year’s Aramco event in New York at Glen Oaks Club. The Englishwoman is among the field of 78 that includes fellow past and current Solheim Cup players such as Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist, Madelene Sagstrom, Catriona Matthew and Dame Laura Davies.

Also in the field is Sweden’s Maja Stark, the LPGA rookie who earned her card via victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Stark has won three times on the LET this season.

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The Aramco Series carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer.

Golf Saudi backs six of events on the LET schedule. The tournaments, backed by the Public Investment Fund, remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

Former World No. 1 Nelly Korda won the Aramco Team Series event at Sotogrande in Spain in August while big sister Jessica won the team portion. The series consists of five events, with the final being held next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In New York, the 54-hole individual stroke play event will take place alongside the 36-hole team event, with each tournament having a purse of $500,000.

Golf Channel will air the event live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will also be streamed on GolfChannel.com and the NBC Sports app.

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