AURORA, Ont. – If Thursday was a day when ‘everything just sort of went right’ for Brooke Henderson, then Friday was a day when everything just went okay.
After a fairytale start to her title defense at the CP Women’s Open, in which she opened with a 6-under par 66 to take the lead on Thursday morning, Henderson continued to advance up the leaderboard on Friday, but was disappointed with her bogey-free, 3-under par, 69 that left her three-strokes back of 36-hole leader Nicole Broch Larsen.
“Not quite as easy as yesterday,” Henderson after her round. “Not as many birdies, not as many good looks, but I still played pretty simple.”
Friday, temperatures remained cool and the wind also picked up. Henderson, who began her round six-strokes back of Larsen, started her day on the back nine at Magna Golf Club. She quickly added a birdie at the par 4, 11th and looked to be on track for another low round. But Henderson sprinkled in just two more birdies among 15 pars as she struggled to judge the winds, which were gusting between 10 and 20 miles per hour when she teed off just after one o’clock in the afternoon.
“If the wind stays up like this, I think it’s definitely a factor,” Henderson said. “I think if we can just judge the wind a little better tomorrow maybe I can post another low round.”
Henderson has successfully defended her title twice in her career at the Cambia Portland Classic and the LOTTE Championship. On both occasions the Canadian held at least a share of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Henderson will need to make up some ground on moving day if she wants to hold the same position come Sunday.
“I feel confident going into tomorrow that I could get a run and make a bunch of birdies, which is always a great feeling,” she said. “I’m excited to tee it up.”
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