Six years to the day since she earned her first major title at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Brooke Henderson rallied from four shots back at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer to earn her 11th LPGA Tour title. Henderson, who entered Sunday in a tie for ninth, recorded a bogey-free 64 to finish at -12 and ultimately win a playoff against American Lindsey Weaver-Wright.
“I actually thought I was too far back coming into today, and I just tried to go as low as I could and see what happened and here we are, said Henderson, who became the 29th player in Tour history to earn at least $9 million in career earnings after taking home the $262,500 winner’s prize. “Yeah, it's amazing. I love when I can win with my parents and sister. She's on the bag always, but just makes the win a little bit extra special.”
Henderson, who hit every fairway on Sunday and 16 of 18 greens, was 5-under for the day through her first nine holes, highlighted by an eagle on nine to first tie the leader. Two more birdies on Nos. 12 and 18 sealed the clubhouse lead, until Weaver-Wright carded a birdie on her last to force extra holes. Rising to the moment, Henderson’s approach on the playoff hole, No. 18, landed seven feet from the pin and, as Weaver-Wright made a par, the Canadian superstar sank her eagle look to win for the first time since the 2021 DIO Implant LA Open.
“I obviously only really had one opportunity, so I just tried to go at it and hit really solid shots.
<>To walk up the fairway and see that I was pretty short was a big relief. Then just needing two putts to win was awesome,” said Henderson, who is now 2-for-1 in playoffs. “Lindsey played great, and I'm just super excited. It's my tenth victory and I've been putting in some work and my sister and my dad have been right there and my mom is here, too. Just their support through the tough times and the good times is just amazing.”Jodi Ewart Shadoff finished in solo third behind Weaver-Wright at -11 overall after shooting a 67 for the second-consecutive day. It’s her best result on Tour since the 2020 Dana Open, when she finished in a tie for second. Ewart Shadoff sealed third place after a final eagle on the 54th hole, which she called the highlight of her round.
“I had a nice number in, 180 front I think, so it was like a perfect 4-hybrid with a little bit of wind,” said Ewart Shadoff. “Yeah, I hit the ball really good, so I thought it had a chance of going in at one stage. Yeah, really nice way to finish.”
Lydia Ko finished in a tie for fourth with Albane Valenzuela, who was vying to be the first Swiss winner on the LPGA Tour. Both players posted 4-under 67s, with Ko carding six birdies and two bogeys and Valenzuela recording a bogey-free day with four birdies. The 2004 ShopRite LPGA Classic champion Brittany Lincicome along with LPGA Tour winners Marina Alex and Nasa Hataoka tied for sixth at -9. Defending champion Celine Boutier carded the low round of the week – a 8-under 63, the same score she recorded on the final day in 2021 – to finish in a tie for ninth with Jenny Shin and Brittany Lang.
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