EVIAN-LES-BAINS – Hopefully, Brooke Henderson signed up for a frequent flyer program before the start of this season.
The world No.3 has soaked in every last drop of her first full season as a member of the LPGA Tour, playing in every event but one since January. That week, Henderson opted not to play the Honda LPGA Thailand and instead teed it up on the Ladies European Tour at the RACV Ladies Masters.
She leads the Tour in rounds played at 89, eight more, or the equivalent of two tournaments more than her closest competitors. Henderson also represented Canada in the Olympics in August during what would have been a week off from the Tour, then flew from Rio to Calgary to embark on a two-week stretch in Canada where she was the star attraction with her sister Brittany on the bag.
Feeling tired yet?
“Yeah, they were extremely busy weeks for me, but it went really well. The Olympics was a lot of fun, an experience that my sister and I will never forget,” Henderson said. “Calgary, I don't think I've ever had that many people watch me play before, and I wasn't even leading. I turned to Brit at one point, and I said, imagine if I was leading like how many people there would be, so hopefully that will be next year.”
But, the three-time winner isn’t letting up.
After a rare week off with the Tour on a break last week, Henderson returns to action at the Evian Championship where she’s making just her second start in this event. The memories of her first trip came flooding back as Henderson made her away around Evian Golf Club during this week’s practice rounds.
“I had so much fun here last year. It was my 18th birthday on the Thursday, and I walked up 18, and when I finished they presented me with a cake,” Henderson said about her trip last year. “It was so cool. It was kind of like the dream 18th birthday, celebrating in France and playing the Evian Championship.”
Her play that week was memorable as well, finishing with a four-under par, 67 to climb to T-25 for the week.
“I definitely have a ton of great memories, and getting to know the course the first time I think was really important,” Henderson said. “I made the cut, and then on Sunday I was able to shoot minus four to kind of climb up the leaderboard, and that was really important, getting to know the greens a little bit better, where the slopes are, even in the fairways knowing where the slopes are is really important.”
All three of Henderson’s victories on the LPGA Tour have come on heavily tree-lined golf courses which is something she says she has found on a few of the holes at Evian Golf Club that has helped her feel right at home.
“I feel a lot better on the course, and there are a couple tee shots that are very narrow, tree-lined, which I like, and then just I think the person that plays well here is -- you have to ball strike extremely well,” said Henderson. “Off the tee you need to hit fairways because the rough is pretty long, and on the greens you need to know where it place it because of all the slopes. But I think somebody that is confident enough to take on those lines and knows exactly where to hit for certain pin positions, I think that's the person that plays well this week.”
Henderson added that her caddie, Brittany, has been taking quite a bit of notes during the week while Henderson has focused on boosting that confidence in hopes the two will lead to a winning combination on Sunday.
“I think this course requires somebody that has all factors of their game, all assets, I guess, of their game working, and hopefully that'll be me or at least I'll finish on the top of the leaderboard.”
While this is the year’s final major it’s far from the end of the road for Henderson, who is planning to keep her same pace through the season’s final stretch and play in all six events of the Tour’s swing through Asia.
“I'm feeling really well right now, and I think the week at home was really nice, and I'll have a week at home again next week. But if I was at home I'd practice anyway, so I may as well have a chance to win.”
To be 19 again.
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