Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson salvages 1st Olympic round with closing eagle
After a rough start to her Olympics, Brooke Henderson may have given herself a chance to stay in medal contention on her final hole on Wednesday. The Canadian star drained a 48-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 18th, pushing her to 2-over 74 on a roller-coaster day at Le Golf National. It certainly wasn’t an ideal Round 1, but the two-shot swing gives the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., some momentum heading into the final 54 holes.
Henderson bogeyed four consecutive holes from Nos. 2-5 before getting back to 1-over after 14 holes. But a double bogey on the par-4 15th and another bogey on No. 17 dropped her back to 4-over before the dramatic finish. Upon conclusion of Henderson’s round, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez had the clubhouse lead at 2-under. Many golfers, including Canada’s Alena Sharp, remained on course, however.
American star Nelly Korda finished at even par.
Three years ago in Tokyo, Henderson was 3-over after the first round and ended up in a tie for 29th. The Canadian tied for seventh in her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Henderson is a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
