Brooke Henderson has an entire country on her side as she continually moves up in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. But this week the Canadian is even more comfortable because it’s family week at the Kia Classic, with her older sister, Brittany, continuing to work as her caddie, her instructor father, Dave, on site to offer a few tips and mother Darlene also in attendance in Carlsbad, Calif.
Henderson has stormed out of the gates in 2016 with a focus on not only being Canada’s best golfer, man or woman, but also one of the world’s top players. The Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, resident has recorded four consecutive finishes of top nine or better, including a runner-up at the Coates Championship, and has just one round over par in 20 rounds to begin 2016. Her worst finish in five starts is a T21. Last year, when she won the Cambia Portland Classic in August, she was the first Canadian woman to win on the LPGA since Lori Kane in 2001 and now is the first woman, at eighth this week, to be ranked in the top 10 in the world.
Henderson, 18, is the youngest player ranked in the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, approximately five months younger than No. 1 Lydia Ko. She has risen to No. 8 in this week’s ranking after standing 209th one year ago soon after turning professional in December 2014 and beginning 2016 ranked 17th this LPGA season. Mike Weir has been the highest-ranked Canadian golfer in the world rankings, reaching No. 3 in 2003, the year he won the Masters Tournament.
“In the offseason I wanted to be better,” Henderson said this week. “I wanted to be able to contend at the top of the leaderboard more often, get more top-10 finishes and really move my world ranking up.”
There are a handful of reasons that Henderson has elevated quickly.
First off, she has gotten stronger and longer. An accelerated offseason workout program allowed the former Canadian hockey player to build more strength. Also thanks to a new driver with a 48-inch shaft, the longest length allowed by the USGA, Henderson is much longer off the tee. Last year, she averaged 253.6 yards on her drives. This season, she is nearly 20 yards longer, standing 13th in Driving Distance with a 272.3-yard average, and averaged a whopping 288.6 in the season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, right up there with playing partner Lexi Thompson, the LPGA’s longest hitter.
Henderson is also calmer about her schedule and routine in tournaments. Last year, she was dividing time between the LPGA and Epson Tours as she was too young to be an LPGA member.
“We have booked flights months in advance, where last year we were kind of booking flights the day before we went somewhere new,” Henderson said.
Brittany’s presence has also been a factor. They have caddied for each other in competitions for years, but this season, the 25-year-old older sister set her Epson Tour career aside to help out.
“We’re still working through a couple different things and how she helps me out there, but I can always ask her and I can always depend on her opinion and we work really well together,” Brooke said.
Another motivation has been the upcoming return of golf to the Olympic Games. Henderson and Alena Sharp are in line to represent Canada in Rio. They will be in somewhat of a defending champion scenario as Canadian George Lyon won the last Olympic golf gold medal in the 1904 St. Louis Summer Games. Adding to Henderson’s interest is that good friend and Smiths Falls resident Bailey Andison, a freshman at the University of Denver, is aiming to swim for Canada at the Games, meaning that three women (the Henderson sisters and Andison) from a town of approximately 8,000 could be representing Canada. As a final incentive, the women’s Olympic competition is followed the next week by the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
“It will kind of be the ideal scenario to bring home gold for Canada,” Henderson said.
)
)
)
)
