CALGARY — Brooke Henderson had to try to contain herself as a well-served group of fans on The Rink hole began to serenade her with a — fascinating — version of ‘O Canada.’ She gave them a thumbs-up and a smile. Hit her tee shot to about 20 feet. And then got another version of the anthem sung to her as she walked up to the green.
“It’s just hard to describe honestly how much it means to me, all the love and support,” Henderson said. “It’s hard to hit a tee shot right after (the anthem) but it’s such an amazing feeling and I just can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting the event.”
Henderson did not win this year’s CPKC Women’s Open — Lauren Coughlin topped Mao Saigo by two – but in terms of her weekend effort, it was mission accomplished.
Henderson shot a 4-under 68 Sunday at Earl Grey Golf Club, her low round of the week. She, like last year in Vancouver, captured the Sandra Post Medal as low Canadian. Although she ended up seven back of Coughlin, she said there were plenty of positives to take away from this week — and into Paris.
Henderson notched her seventh top-10 finish of the season Sunday.
“I think the weekend I played really solid,” Henderson said. “If I cleaned up the first two rounds a little bit, I feel like I could have been right in the mix which is a great feeling to take away. It’s awesome to finish Sunday with a minus-4 round because you feel like you did climb the leaderboard a little bit.
“Feel you have lots of positives and confidence to take forward which is a good thing for me going into Paris in ten days or so.” Henderson opened her day by hitting it into the exact same bunker on the first hole that she had the previous three days (she was asked if staff at Earl Grey should rename it the ‘Brooke Bunker’ and with a laugh Henderson said she hoped they don’t, “but maybe they should”) but rallied to shoot a 2-under 33 on the front side after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. The birdie on the par-3 9th wasn’t long, but Brittany Henderson told her sister that that putt was “super lightning.”
Henderson added birdies on No. 14 and No. 16 when she made the turn, extracting a bit of revenge on the latter after bogeying it two of the three days.
Throughout the week Henderson did everything she was asked, and more. This year’s event, which set an attendance record, featured Henderson everywhere. She remains the biggest draw and demands the biggest crowd, even though she sometimes gets surprised by how many people are there.
“I had so many people out there watching me today and I wasn’t necessarily expecting that. I was thinking they might go watch the leaders. It was just so cool,” Henderson said. “It’s just hard to describe honestly how much it means to me, all the love and support.”
Between the off-course requirements and the, well, actual tournament itself, it’s always a very busy week for Henderson. She admits that the pressure is cranked up high every year at this tournament, but she’s managed to compartmentalize it well and has finished in the top 15 on the leaderboard in five of the last six editions.
“I would say that I feel more pressure at this event than most, but that’s just because I’m trying to play so well. This event has always really meant a lot to me. And pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something you have to embrace and deal with the best you can,” Henderson said.
Coughlin, who won in her 103rd start on the LPGA Tour, had never had to navigate pressure in her career like she did Sunday.
It was a tight battle between Coughlin and Haeran Ryu – who she played with in the final group for the second day in a row – before Ryu made double bogey on the par-4 11th and then stumbled into the finish line with three bogeys in a row to finish. There was a two-shot swing when Coughlin made an electric birdie on No. 17 (“The Rink” hole) to Ryu’s bogey.
Saigo, who was briefly tied for the lead Sunday after shooting a tournament scoring record 11-under 61 on Saturday, also bogeyed the penultimate hole of the tournament and as Coughlin stayed patient, her steady effort paid off.
She said she built off her good results at two of the LPGA Tour’s major championships to help her navigate the anxiety that came along with a late Sunday tee time.
“As the year progresses, I think I started seeing myself get there. (The Chevron Championship) was a huge turning point, and even (the Amundi Evian Championship) two weeks ago was a huge learning opportunity and something that I hadn’t really been in.
“I think I learned a ton from that, and I think that’s a big reason why I ended up getting the win today.”
Coughlin will not be in Paris as an Olympian, but she has basically wrapped up her spot on the American team for the upcoming Solheim Cup competition in September, which will take place about an hour from where she grew up.
Henderson knows what it’s like to have a dream come true. And now Coughlin does too.
“The adrenaline and everything that I felt today and the emotions and everything, it was awesome,” Coughlin said. “It was incredible. I want to do it again.”
