Tag: Brooke Henderson

Brooke Henderson upset by 194th-ranked player in LPGA Bank of Hope Match Play

Brooke Henderson is fifth in the Rolex Rankings but suffered a round-robin loss at the LPGA Bank of Hope Match Play.

Brooke Henderson, currently fifth in the Rolex Rankings, lost to 194th-ranked Jenny Coleman on the first day of the LPGA Bank of Hope Match Play on Wednesday.

Henderson isn’t out of the event; the first three days use a round-robin format, with knockout rounds starting on Saturday.

Henderson took a quick 3 up lead with birdies on the first three holes but it was all square after Coleman birdied Nos. 5, 10 and 11. They traded birdies on 13 and 14 and it was a birdie on the par-5 16th by Coleman that proved to be the difference maker.

In other matches, top-ranked Jin Young Ko beat Natalie Gulbis 4 and 2, Danielle Kang knocked out Albane Valenzuela 7 and 6 and Patty Tavatanakit beat Sarah Kemp, 1 up.

Also Wednesday, Carlota Ciganda lost her match to Sarah Schmelzel due to a slow-play penalty that resulted in loss of the 18th hole.

The women’s tour hasn’t had a match-play event on its schedule since 2017 when Lorena Ochoa hosted a tournament in Mexico City that wasn’t even televised. This week, the famed Shadow Creek course is host. The Tom Fazio design hosted The Match: Tiger vs. Phil in 2018 and the PGA Tour’s CJ CUP last October.

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols contributed to this article.

Showstopper Brooke Henderson collects 10th career victory at Hugel-Air Premia LA Open

Brooke Henderson ended a victory drought that dated back to June 2019 in show-stopping fashion.

The winningest Canadian player in history returned to her winning ways at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Brooke Henderson ended a victory drought that dated back to June 2019 in show-stopping fashion, toppling No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko, Jessica Korda and Hannah Green at historic Wilshire Country Club with a closing 67.

The victory gives 23-year-old Henderson her 10th career victory, tying Ariya Jutanugarn, Shanshan Feng and Paula Creamer among active players. With golf courses closed in Henderson’s native Ontario until at least May 20 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the victory at last gave some of Henderson’s biggest supporters reason to smile back home.

“I think as I age I’m getting more nerves,” said Henderson when it was over.

Henderson, who finished at 16-under 268, looked anything but nervous when she hit a gutsy pitch on the closing par-3 18th to keep her one-shot cushion over Korda, who knocked it in close for birdie to finish solo second.

“That would be hard to pull off if she was by herself on Tuesday,” marveled Golf Channel analyst Judy Rankin of the deft up-and-down Henderson pulled off on the 72nd hole.

Sparked by a stuffed approach on the 11th and a chip-in for birdie on the 12th, Henderson started the day four strokes back of Korda but opened up a three-shot lead with four to play over Ko, Korda and Aussie Hannah Green.

Korda, winner of the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, had plenty of chances down the stretch but several misfires with wedge in hand, plus a bogey on the drivable par-4 14th and a par on the reachable par-5 15th, kept her from collecting another trophy.

As the tour heads to Asia for events in Singapore and Thailand, both Jessica and Nelly Korda, two of the hottest players in the game this season, will have three weeks off.

“Really frustrating, really couldn’t get anything going,” said Korda. “I was hitting it really good and then just it wasn’t happening for me for some reason.

“Just kept getting screwed and the wind kept dropping and then coming back up and we were – we just – it just wasn’t happening. I don’t know.”

Green carded a final-round 66 that included an eagle on the 14th to vault into a share of third.

Henderson came into the week with a pair of top-10 finishes on the season and hasn’t had her father/coach Dave on the road with her since January 2020. The Hendersons travel often with their two daughters, particularly at big events.

With dad back home in Smiths Falls, Ontario, they’ve used FaceTime to keep on track. Big sister Brittany helps too, particularly on the greens. Henderson noted after Friday’s round that she finally felt comfortable with the putter.

“I felt like I was playing really great golf,” said Henderson of the nearly two-year drought. “It just wasn’t my time. God has a plan for everything, and just really happy. Brit and I been working really hard, and so it’s nice to get the win and get some confidence back.”

Angela Stanford, 43, had a roller-coaster round that had her within two shots early in the back nine after a holed bunker shot on the 11th. A double-bogey on the 12th, however, took her out of the conversation down the stretch on Saturday. A closing 70 put the assistant Solheim Cup captain in a share of fifth.

USC grad Tiffany Chan played so much golf at Wilshire in college that she considered the club her second home. Chan posted a career-best tie for eighth this week thanks to a closing 69.

UCLA grad Alison Lee Monday-qualified for the LA Open with a closing eagle. After a third-round 79 send her tumbling down the board, the former Solheim Cup player carded five consecutive birdies on the back nine to shoot 66 and finished tied for 39th in her second start of the season.

 

10 players to watch at the 2021 ANA Inspiration

These 10 players are worth watching at the 2021 ANA Inspiration, the LPGA’s first major of the year.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — As a major championship on the LPGA, the ANA Inspiration annually boasts one of the strongest fields in women’s golf.

And like some other majors, the ANA seems to reward some players with strong performances over and over again, with multiple wins or constant appearances in the top 10 of the event year after year.

The ANA Inspiration has been played at Mission Hills Country Club’s Dinah Shore Tournament Course in Rancho Mirage, California, since the tournament was founded in 1972. The event will be played at 6,769 yards with a par of 72.

Here are 10 players to pay attention to this week as the tournament begins for the 50th time:

Brooke Henderson re-signs equipment deal with Ping

The Canadian has won nine LPGA events and uses a full set of 14 Ping clubs.

Brooke Henderson, the sixth-ranked female player in the world in the Rolex Rankings and winner of nine LPGA titles, re-signed an equipment contract with Ping, the equipment maker announced on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not revealed.

The 23-year-old Canadian, winner of the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is in the field of this week’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

“From the tour staff at Ping who fit me into the game’s best clubs, to the great teams at Ping Canada who’ve supported me since my earliest junior days, being treated like family has contributed to my success for sure,” Henderson said in a media release announcing her new contract. “Because I have the backing of so many people, and I’m playing clubs that bring out the best in my game, I give myself an opportunity to play well every week. I’m really happy to pursue more victories with Ping and build on all that we’ve accomplished together.”

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Ping has listed on its website that Henderson plays a full bag of 14 of the company’s clubs: G400 driver and two fairway woods, a G400 hybrid, i210 irons (5-UW), two Glide Forged wedges and a Sigma 2 putter.

“Brooke is the pride of Canada, and I can tell you we are very proud of her in the United States for her winning track record, her competitive fire, and how she represents the game and our brand with such class and positive energy,” Ping President John K. Solheim said in the media release. “Since she burst onto the scene with an eight-shot win her rookie year, she’s never let up, putting together four consecutive multiple-win seasons, a mark of consistency few can match. We’re thrilled she’ll continue representing Ping; in turn, we will continue to surround her with the support she needs to achieve her goals.”

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CME Group Tour Championship notes: Nelly Korda rides back-nine 31 into contention

Nelly Korda got on a run Friday at the CME Group Tour Championship to vault up the leaderboard and into contention.

What’s been a strange year for everyone because of the coronavirus pandemic got stranger for Nelly Korda  a couple of months ago.

The 22-year-old cracked her back during the KPMG Women’s LPGA Championship in October, and it went into spasm. Korda made sure she took off enough time to be completely healed, then returned for the U.S. Women’s Open in Houston, missing the cut with a pair of 73s.

“It was more of like my feel wasn’t really there,” she said. “At the end of the day, no one really pays attention I think to like, ‘Oh, she was injured.’ They pay attention to the score.

“For me to step back and say, OK, my team knows I was rusty and I didn’t play well. It’s OK. You’re going to have bad tournaments. Just focus on the upcoming one and do as well as you can.”

Korda has done just that during the CME Group Tour Championship so far. After playing her first 11 holes Thursday at 2 over, she has played the last 25 holes in 7 under to vault up the leaderboard and into contention.

Korda got an assist from her dad, former tennis star Petr Korda.

“It was really nice to roll in some putts,” she said. “I wasn’t putting too well (Thursday), but my dad — behind the fence — saw me putt on the putting green after my round and helped me out a little bit.

“So that really helped today.”

Korda hasn’t had any hiccups with her back so far.

“My caddie was funny,” she said. “I would hit like – I would go after a shot like in the rough and my caddie was like, ‘Are you OK?’ Yeah, I’m fine.”

Korda’s play at Tiburón isn’t a surprise. She’s been in the top 10 in each of her three appearances in Naples.

Still, she was able to put together a 5-under 31 on the back nine, starting out in chilly temperatures.

“It was a little nippy,” Korda said. “Not going to lie, I didn’t feel my fingers on the range. I stayed aggressive, hit some really close shots, and capitalized on them.”

Korda’s happy that temperatures will warm up into the upper 70s and near 80 over the weekend.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m a Florida girl. I do not like this. I like fall fashion, but I do not like playing golf in this kind of weather.”

Henderson rallies into top 20

Miromar Lakes resident Brooke Henderson continued her comeback from a triple-bogey on her second hole Thursday, shooting a 4-under 68 to tie for 16th. That included an eagle Friday on the par-5 17th.

“No. 17 was a really nice bonus,” Henderson said. “It was up and over a ridge, and it was a long one.”

Henderson, who is from Canada, said she just got into trouble after a bad tee shot on the triple-bogey.

“I felt like I battled back pretty well (Thursday), getting it back to 1 over,” Henderson said. “I was sort of happy at the end of the day, and happier now to get a solid round.”

Henderson, even before she bought a place here, always had the more-than-supportive Canadians in Southwest Florida come out. Like everywhere this year, the fans are missed, but Henderson and the Canadians had their own connection.

“There’s always tons of Canadians down here supporting me,” she said. “I definitely miss them this year, but hopefully next year things will get back to a little more normal.”

More than a tough start

Nanna Koerstz Madsen shot a 6-under 66 to move into second place Thursday, and said she had no expectations.

“I just want to go out and play and see if I can do good mentally,” Madsen said.

That didn’t happen at the start of Friday’s second round. Madsen bogeyed No. 2, double-bogeyed No. 3, quadruple-bogeyed No. 4, and bogeyed No. 5. She parred No. 6, and ended up playing the final 13 holes in 3 under.

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Cristie Kerr shoots 68 at CME Group Tour Championship just weeks after dislocating ribs

Cristie Kerr shot a 68 just weeks after an injury in a golf cart accident and all the news from Thursday at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Cristie Kerr, winner of the 2015 CME Group Tour Championship, shot a 4-under-par 68 in the first round on Thursday.

That part isn’t a surprise.

Considering she’s still recovering from three dislocated ribs she suffered in a golf cart accident two weeks ago, though, it’s quite something.

“I actually feel a little bit better today, but I just thought it was really important to get through last week,” said Kerr, who played in the frigid conditions in the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Monday in Houston. “There were points where I didn’t think that I was going to be able to, but I guess when they say there is a will there is a way.”

Kerr decided not to will her way through the entire pro-am Wednesday, stopping with five holes to play. She said the pain level for her was improved Thursday.

“It was like a two to three today, so it was a little bit better,” Kerr said. “Honestly, Sunday last week when we played the one hole it was like nine. I got very lucky to not play that day and to go get treatment and come back out the next day and finish the round, to be able to finish.

“It was pretty bad. Of there were points last week where I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. Since coming here and getting therapy and doing more cryotherapy, I definitely felt — in the pro-am as the day went on it got a little bit worse and I saved myself a few holes there, but today of the best I’ve felt in two weeks.”

CME Group Tour Championship: Leaderboard | Lexi leads early

Playing partner and rookie Andrea Lee was impressed with Kerr’s play Thursday. That included some up-and-downs for par, including chipping in for par on one hole.

“We just call her the Short Game Queen because she gets up and down from everywhere,” Lee said.

Back on course after positive COVID test

Andrea Lee had to miss the U.S. Women’s Open last week after testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 8, and withdrawing.

“It was definitely the worst week to get it,” Lee said Thursday. “I was really looking forward to playing Champions (in Houston). I’ve played there before a long time ago and was really looking forward to it. it happens. There’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve just got to hope that your health is good, and that you’re ready to go for the next one.”

Lee could not be cleared to play either day of the pro-am at the CME Group Tour Championship, and flew in Wednesday night, then played the first round Thursday. She shot a 1-under 71.

“I’m pretty satisfied with that honestly because I haven’t hit a ball in like 10 or 11 days,” said Lee, who had said she had mild symptoms. “I’ve just been stuck in my room trying to putt. I kind of went out there and trusted my caddie (Andrew Dearden) because he’s seen the course many times, so that was helpful.

“… I’m honestly glad that I’m just even here playing, even though I didn’t have any prep.”

In the field with just enough notice

Knowing she would have to go through the coronavirus testing protocol turned out to be a good thing for Robynn Ree. She saw she was first alternate, so decided to make the trip to Naples, because if she’d have to be tested and cleared in case she got in the field. So Ree flew in on the red eye, got tested, and went to play a practice round.

Wednesday afternoon she found out that Mi Hyang Lee had withdrawn, putting her into the tournament.

“I’m just really grateful to be play one more tournament before the season’s over,” said Ree, who shot a 2-over 74.

Masson with the eagle

Caroline Masson was playing steadily, sitting at 1 under through 12 holes. But the 13th ended up being lucky for her. She hit a 9-iron on the short par-4, and it went in for an eagle.

“It was pretty cool,” she said. “I had a pretty good number for a 9-iron, a little downwind, and kind of hit the shot I wanted and it pitched on top and just released a little bit. I kind of wasn’t really looking anymore because I thought it was good, but I didn’t realize it would go in.

“There were a couple people up by the green, which was nice. Started cheering and, yeah, definitely obviously a great bonus. It was a good shot, so nice to see something like that go in. You can never expect it.”

Masson also holed out during the pro-am Tuesday.

“So I’m hoping that they come in three this week,” she said.

Henderson bounces back

Brooke Henderson, who has a condo at Miromar Lakes, had an inauspicious start at home. She made a triple bogey on No. 2, but Henderson was able to come back enough to get to 1 over.

After the double, Henderson played the next 14 holes at 2 under, and bogeyed No. 17, but came back with a birdie on No. 18.

Kang birdies for St. Jude

Danielle Kang was moved during her media session Wednesday by an interaction with childhood cancer survivor Mary Browder, 17, who was at this tournament a year ago and beat Hodgkins lymphoma.

Kang pledged to donate $1,000 per birdie this week in Browder’s honor. She made four in Thursday’s first round.

CME Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy said a flat $500,000 donation for its season-long hole-in-one program will be made to St. Jude this year due to the abbreviated LPGA Tour schedule.

TV talent

Terry Gannon is back for his second straight week at Tiburón. He did play-by-play for the PGA Tour’s QBE Shootout that ended Sunday, and he’ll do play-by-play for the CME Group Tour Championship through Sunday. Judy Rankin will be the analyst, with Tom Abbott in the tower, and Jerry Foltz and Karen Stupples as on-course analysts, and Damon Hack doing interviews. Foltz also was here for QBE coverage.

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Sei Young Kim leads by two at Women’s PGA, with a trio of major winners on her heels

The petite South Korean with an aggressive game leads the third major of the season by two strokes after a third-round 67.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Sei Young Kim came into the flash area of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship wearing a broad smile. She’d bogeyed the 18th hole, but you sure couldn’t tell it.

The petite South Korean with an aggressive game leads the third major of the season by two strokes after a third-round 67. Her 7-under total puts her two strokes ahead of Anna Nordqvist and Brooke Henderson, both past champions of this event.

A 10-time winner on the LPGA, Kim took home a $1.5 million check at the season-ending event in Naples, Florida, last November. It was the largest payday in LPGA history. No, she hasn’t yet splurged on anything. And while that victory was certainly momentous, it wasn’t a major.

That’s the next step in Kim’s decorated career, one that surely feels even more pressing given the number of South Koreans who have won majors in recent years. No one on tour is more overdue for a major than Kim.

“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous,” she said through an interpreter, “but I’m also excited about going into the final day. I just want to take each shot at a time and just keep focus, and the results will follow.”

SCORES: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Henderson’s 65 matched rookie Bianca Pagdanganan’s effort as the best round of the day. The 23-year-old Henderson won the Women’s PGA at Sahalee four years ago in a playoff against Lydia Ko. She has won at least once each season on the LPGA since 2015 and looks to keep that streak alive this week.

Henderson, who lost in a playoff last month at the ANA Inspiration to Mirim Lee, finished in the top six at the KPMG Women’s PGA in her first four appearances at the event. She described the victory at Sahalee as life-changing.

“Eighteen years old and it was only my second win on tour,” she said, “so it was really a huge highlight for me and still is. Just sometimes it’s hard to believe that I’m a major champion, but definitely in times like this it gives me a little bit of confidence, and I’m excited to try to do it again tomorrow.”

The final group of Kim, Nordqvist and Henderson tees off at 8:49 a.m. ET due to a 2 p.m. finish on NBC. What’s even rarer about Sunday’s tee times at the KPMG is that six groups will go off after the leaders – three on each side.

Kim said she’ll make sure to have her hand warmers ready.

Sei Young Kim of Korea plays a shot on the tenth hole during the third round of the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on October 10, 2020, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Lurking three shots back of Kim is LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park, who carded a 66. Park looks to become only the second player in history to win four Women’s PGA titles, joining Mickey Wright (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963). Park won this championship three years in a row from 2013 to 2015.

Going into Saturday’s round, Park thought that anything within four of the lead would have a good chance on Sunday. Only 10 players are under par after three rounds.

“The course is getting firmer and faster,” she said, “so it’s getting tougher, and there are a lot of pins that we can’t go at. … It’s great fun.”

Sunday’s forecast, however, does call for rain.

Pagdanganan, playing in her first major championship, carded a second consecutive 65 to vault into solo fifth. The LPGA rookie helped Arizona win the 2018 NCAA Championship and made her first start to the 2020 season after the tour’s 166-day break. She tied for 28th in July at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness, which like Aronimink is a Donald Ross design. The KPMG marks her fifth LPGA start as a pro. She’s currently ranked 712th in the world. Sophia Popov was 304th when she won the AIG Women’s British Open in August at Royal Troon.

“It’s just overwhelming the support that I’m receiving,” said Pagdanganan of the number of messages she has received from the Philippines.

Imagine what Sunday might bring.

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Mel Reid in front at Shoprite LPGA Classic after three rounds

Mel Reid leads the Shoprite LPGA Classic after 3 rounds at 15 under. Jennifer Kupcho and Jennifer Song are T-2 at 14 under.

With one more round to go in the Shoprite LPGA Classic, they’re all chasing Mel Reid.

The 33-year old was consistent throughout the day at Seaview Resort in Galloway, New Jersey, but arguably her finest moment came at the halfway point. A 3-wood into the par-5 ninth hit the edge of the green and rolled several feet toward the hole, setting up an eagle. Three additional birdies propelled Reid to a 5-under 66 and 15 under par: one shot clear of second place.

England’s Reid tied for seventh at the ANA Inspiration and tied for fifth at the Cambia Portland Classic. A win at the Seaview this week would be her first career victory on the LPGA Tour.

Jennifer Kupcho and Jennifer Song may have something to say about that, though.

ShopRite LPGA Classic: Leaderboard

Kupcho, a former NCAA Division I champion with Wake Forest, carded a 6-under 65 to put herself into a tie for second. The 23-year old from Littleton, Colorado, dealt with pain in her upper back throughout the third round and still managed six birdies.

“Yeah, I mean, the golf course is definitely tricky,” said Kupcho. “I think it really actually makes me focus a lot more just because some of the holes you have to like hit right on the spot going into the greens. I’ve played through a lot of things in my career.”

Song equaled Kupcho with a 65 of her own. The 30-year old dual citizen of the U.S. and South Korea remained clean and finished strong, holing the last of her six birdies on No. 18.

“I love it,” Song said about her performance. “First and third round it was bogey-free, and I just want keep that going and have the same momentum going into tomorrow. I’m not going to change a lot of things. I think just focus on my rhythm and be aggressive out there.”

The top of the leaderboard remains fairly crowded, with a number of other contenders lurking. Fourth-place Nasa Hataoka of Japan finds herself within striking distance at 12 under. Malaysia’s Kelly Tan and California’s Ryann O’Toole are T-5 at 11 under, while Canadian Brooke Henderson is also in the hunt at 10 under, which leave her in seventh place.

“Yeah, first two days I didn’t really score as well as I felt like I was actually hitting it,” said Henderson, who achieved seven birdies and one bogey. “Today I kind of made some putts that I wasn’t expecting to make, so it was a little bit of a bonus. Evens out, but hopefully tomorrow I can continue to make all those putts that I made today.”

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At last! Sunday at the ANA poised to deliver long-awaited star-studded showdown

Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson are all in contention at the ANA Inspiration entering the final round.

As LPGA stars cranked up the heat midway through the second round of the ANA Inspiration, technical difficulties brought the desert party to a screeching halt. Golf Channel viewers were suddenly forced to watch reruns of the second round.

Nancy Lopez spoke for all of us when she tweeted: “Ridiculous!”

Mercifully, live golf came back after 20-plus minutes, and when the dust settled in the desert, the board at the ANA was a commissioner’s dream. Three of the most popular players in the women’s game are duking it out at the top: Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson.

“I think this is exactly what everyone has been waiting to see,” said Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples.

No doubt.

LEADERBOARD: ANA Inspiration

The first major of the year delivered an unforgettable Cinderella Story with Sophia Popov’s unlikely victory at Royal Troon. (Regrettably, she wasn’t invited this week.)

Now the storylines shift from longshot to long-awaited, with co-leader Nelly Korda looking to break through for her first major title. She’ll be in a comfortable pairing alongside Brooke Henderson, a friend since junior golf. The winningest Canadian golfer won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship four years ago, and most would’ve predicted that she’d have a second by now.

Lurking two shots back in the penultimate group is Lexi Thompson, the 2014 ANA winner who still seeks vindication from that four-stroke penalty fiasco in 2017 at Dinah’s Place. As 1976 winner Judy Rankin says, “it’s like she owns this course.”

With brother Curtis leading on the Korn Ferry Tour, it could be a sensational Sunday for the Thompson crew.

Lexi recently went back to her childhood swing instructor, Jim McLean, and they spent time looking at old swing footage – the library goes back to around age 11. Thompson decided to stop fighting how she’s always naturally played: aim it up the right and draw it back.

Lexi Thompson during the third round of the 2020 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Golf Club. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

“Basically what I saw is a lot of people always notice my foot movement and how I get off the ground,” Thompson, “and when I was little it might have been even more than it is now. There was no restriction, I just hit it hard and got off the ground and I knew it was going up the right and turning back … that confidence is what I’ve kind of changed.”

Korda will have dinner with her parents on Saturday night, as they always do, and she predicted that they’ll talk about everything but golf.

While her father, Petr, owns a Grand Slam tennis title, winning the big ones is no one-size-fits-all proposition, she said. They’ll remind her to take deep breaths and use her sun umbrella to stay out of the heat.

“Honestly, it’s just about experience and going through it yourself,” she said.

Karrie Webb owns the largest come-from-behind victory at the ANA. She holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole in 2006 and ultimately won in a playoff against Lorena Ochoa. Webb started the day seven back.

Among the notable chasers this year are No. 2 Danielle Kang, a two-time winner since the tour restarted its season. She trails by five. Stacy Lewis, the 2011 champion who recently won in Scotland, sits four back alongside 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Rose Zhang.

Katherine Kirk and Mirim Lee, two veterans looking for their first major title, are two back.

The only thing that seems certain about Sunday at the Dinah’s Place is that the giant blue wall that’s on the back of the island green on No. 18 will most assuredly be a factor. The forward tee is traditionally used in the final round, and with this year’s structure taking up a tremendous amount of space, players will bomb it at the wall like a backboard and hope for the best.

“Hopefully it doesn’t affect tomorrow’s outcome,” said Stacy Lewis.

One can only hope.

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ANA Inspiration: Canada’s Brooke Henderson is red hot

Brooke Henderson and Nelly Korda share the lead at 12 under headed into the final round of the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration at Dinah Shore.

For much of the day Saturday at the ANA Inspiration, it was impossible not to expect Canadian flags to start waving from homes at Mission Hills Country Club or to hear the cheers of “Brooke! Brooke! Brooke!”

But the irony of Canadian star Brooke Henderson’s run up the leaderboard at the ANA Inspiration, a tournament where she is wildly popular, is that no spectators were on the golf course and most if not all of the Canadian snowbirds who live in the desert and root for Henderson aren’t present to support their favorite golfer this year.

“It’s definitely really noticeable,” Henderson said after a 7-under 65 that gave her a share of the 54-hole lead in the LPGA major championship. “But the thing about this place is there’s so much tradition and history here, it’s really special. Even without the fans that we miss a lot, it’s still a great place to be.”

LEADERBOARD: ANA Inspiration

Whether the Canadian fans are back in their home country avoiding the 100-degree temperatures of a desert summer or stuck at home in the desert not able to be on the spectator-less course, they certainly were cheering for Henderson’s best run at the ANA title.

A quick start featuring an eagle on the par-5 second hole and four more birdies on the front nine allowed Henderson to reach 12-under 204. She is tied with Nelly Korda entering the final round of the 49th tournament on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course.

Korda, who held sole possession of the lead after the first and second rounds, stumbled early Saturday with a double bogey on the par-4 sixth hole but rallied on the back nine for a 71 to maintain a share of the lead.

Korda and Henderson will tee off with Katherine Kirk on Sunday in the chase for the major title. Kirk is one of three players at 10-under par, having shot 67 on a hot but windless day at Mission Hills on Saturday. Also at 10 under are 2014 ANA Inspiration winner Lexi Thompson, who shot 69 on Saturday, and South Korea’s Mirim Lee, who shot a 71 while looking for her first major win.

Brooke Henderson during the third round of the 2020 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Scoring pace slows down

After two days of relatively low scoring on the Shore course with Korda reaching 11 under through 36 holes, the players chasing Korda continued to make birdies and eagles early in the third round.

Korda let those players see the top of the leaderboard when she bogeyed the par-3 fifth hole, then dumped her second shot in the lake in front of the green on the par-4 sixth hole on the way to a double bogey. That dropped Korda back to 9 under, while Henderson was completing a 6-under 30 on the front nine to take the lead.

“I actually missed a short birdie putt on 1, so I was a little bit upset about that,” Henderson said. “I thought I could have a nice eagle opportunity on 2 if I hit a good drive and second, which I was able to do. I just had about maybe 12, 15 feet for eagle and was able to make it.”

Henderson followed that with four more birdies on the front nine, including a birdie on the par-5 ninth just as Korda was making her double bogey.

“You always have to take some time to cool down and process everything, but there’s still so much time, or so much golf to be played,” Korda said of rebounding from the double bogey. “So I mean, I was just thinking one shot at a time.”

While other players slowed down the scoring barrage on the back nine – Henderson had two birdies but one bogey on the closing nine – Korda moved back up the leader board with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th holes.

Lee grabbed a share of the lead with Henderson on the back nine, but consecutive bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes dropped her back. Thompson reached 11 under through the front nine, but bogeyed the 10th hole. She then made eight consecutive pars, including a scrambling par at the 13th and a par on the 18th hole where she was one of the few golfers to reach the island green in two from the 525-yard tees for the day.

Nelly Korda during the third round of the 2020 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Beating the desert heat

Korda’s back-nine run came as the temperature in the desert was hitting its highest point of the day, creeping over 100 degrees. But Korda said she didn’t mind the heat too much.

“I’ve been actually very impressed with myself. I’m drinking a lot of water out here. Mixing a little Gatorade in it, though,” she said.

Like Lee and Kirk, Korda will be looking for her first major championship Sunday, while Henderson and Thompson will each be trying for a second major title. Thompson is looking for a second win at Mission Hills.

“There are some leaderboards out there on the back, and I did take a quick glance a few times,” said Kirk after her 67. “But this golf course is not easy, and you have to hit fairways to have a chance, really, of making any birdies. That was the quickest way to get me back into the game plan and focus was to realize, hey, I’ve got tough shots ahead of me. I’ve got to go hit good shots and forget about the leaderboard and just go play golf.”

All the contenders will finish the tournament on the 18th hole without the event’s typical closing atmosphere, though there will still be a leap into Poppie’s Pond by the winner.

“It’s probably most noticeable walking up 18, having the fans there for high-fives and their support coming down the stretch,” Henderson said. “Like you said, it’s still a great place, and it’s still a lot of fun to be here.”

Larry Bohannan is The Desert Sun golf writer. He can be reached at (760) 778-4633 or larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at Sun.@Larry_Bohannan. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Desert Sun.

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