Uncharted Territory
Wisconsin golf and the Green Bay area will be new for several players this week at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, including Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson. The 19-year-old will be playing golf in the Badger State for the first time in her life as she tees it up fresh off of a win and a runner-up finish in her last two starts.
Henderson visited the area briefly earlier in the year and is excited for the event to get underway: “It’s really exciting to have a new event on the schedule and especially here in Wisconsin. I haven’t spent a ton of time here before, but when I was here, it was beautiful, so I’m really happy to be back. My agent has been talking about this tournament almost all year, so I’m excited to finally be here and get started.”
Henderson’s 2016 season, which featured two wins and 13 additional top-10 finishes (2nd on Tour), is certainly a tough act to follow. She had just two top 10s through her first 14 starts of 2017 but has been on top of her game in the past month.
In her last three starts, Rolex Rankings No. 8 Henderson hasn’t finished outside the top-11. She captured her fourth career LPGA victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and followed that up with a runner-up finish at last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, falling one shot shy in her title defense at the major championship.
Party In The USA
Through 17 events of the 2017 season, American players have taken home four tournament titles: Brittany Lincicome (Pure-Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic), Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship) Lexi Thompson (Kingsmill Championship) and Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). During the 2016 season, Thompson and Brittany Lang were the only Americans to take home a tournament title. Americans have won at least five LPGA events in eight of the last ten seasons, with the exception of 2016 (two) and 2011 (four).
The last time Americans won back-to-back events on the LPGA Tour was in October of 2015 when Jessica Korda won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and was followed by Lexi Thompson winning the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.
Rookie Roundup
The Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic field features 30 of the 37 2017 LPGA Tour rookies, the most to tee it up at a tournament season. The 2017 LPGA season features players from 33 countries, the most in Tour history, with 126 active international players.
In 2017, the LPGA expanded its global representation with the addition of five rookies from new countries: Aditi Ashok (India), Laura Gonzalez Escallon (Belgium), Daniela Darquea (Ecuador), Olafia Kristinsdottir (Iceland) and Krista Puisite (Latvia). Four of those international rookies (Ashok, Escallon, Kristinsdottir and Puisite) will be in action this week in Wisconsin.
Up for grabs for these rookies on Tour at the end of the season is the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, leading the chase right now is Sung Hyun Park with 697 points. Below is a look into the standings heading into the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Quotable
“The players are getting stronger. Until, I guess, Arkansas we didn’t have a repeat winner this year, which is pretty incredible, and so I guess it just kind of shows that everybody is at the top of their game. They’re very strong, and it’s continuing to grow all around the world, which is really cool. And like you said, four new events this year, higher purses, and more media coverage, more fans, everything is on the upswing, which is amazing, and I’m really glad that I can be a part of that and hopefully see it grow for the rest of my career.”
- Brooke Henderson on the state of the LPGA
Quick Hits
Brooke Henderson has played in 16-of-17 events in 2017, tied for second most among all players behind only Megan Khang who has started in every tournament this season. In 2016, Henderson led the LPGA playing in 31-of-33 tournaments.
Henderson has a streak of eight consecutive rounds in the 60s heading into this week. The LPGA record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s is 14 by Annika Sorenstam in 2005, with only two other instances of a player reaching double-digits in LPGA history (Annika Sorenstam, 11 in 2002; Lorena Ochoa, 10 in 2004).
Three of Henderson’s four career LPGA wins have come in her last 34 starts (1 win every 11.33 starts).
Henderson won in her 15th start of 2017 at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. In 2016, Henderson won in her 15th start of the year at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and then again in her 18th start at the Cambia Portland Classic.
Henderson’s 223 birdies this season ranks third on the LPGA behind Ariya Jutanugarn (236) and Moriya Jutanugarn (235). Brooke finished second in birdies in 2016 behind Ariya.
Sponsor Spotlight: Oneida Golf Enterprise Corporation
- The Oneida Nation is located on a reservation located immediately outside of Green Bay, WI. They have approximately 17,000 enrolled Oneida citizens world-wide. The Oneida Nation is a sovereign government with a nine member council that governs their tribal affairs. The council is elected every three years by the qualified citizens.
- The Oneida Nation has a strong sense of cultural identity within their tribal community. Their vision is a Nation of strong families built upon Tsi?ni yukwalihot^ (an Oneida term that translates to, “The way we are to be”) and a strong economy. Their mission is to strengthen and protect their people, reclaim their land and enhance the environment by exercising their sovereignty
)
)
)
)
