Lake Merced Golf Club
Daly City, Calif.
April 25, 2015
17-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson eschewed a fierce Northern California wind on Saturday for an even-par 72 to take a one-shot lead after the first three rounds at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Henderson could become only the third player ever to win on the LPGA Tour before her 18th birthday. She also could become the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane won the 2001 LPGA Takefuji; Henderson would have been three years old at the time.
“It was a great day out there. It was really tough conditions, and I was able to play really well,” Henderson said. “Couple times my short game needed to bail me out, and it was able to do that, especially the first 16 holes.”
Henderson’s lead could have been even larger if it weren’t for back-to-back bogeys on the last two.
“If someone told me at the beginning of the week I would be leading going into the final round, I would’ve taken it,” Henderson said emphatically.
Trailing Henderson by just one shot at 8-under are Morgan Pressel (5-under 67) and Min Seo Kwak (3-under 69), who were the only two players in the field to shoot below 70 on Saturrday. Both will join Henderson in the final group on Sunday.
Ironically, Pressel herself knows a bit about the position Henderson finds herself in after Pressel won a major championship at the age of 18. And 18-year-old Lydia Ko, a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour and world No. 1, will be in the group ahead of Henderson, just three shots back of the lead.
“They know they can do it. They step up to that tee and there is no fear,” Pressel said. “I mean, look at how strong Brooke played yesterday and today. Not to say that a few develop, but as you play out here more and more, I think sometimes the younger than you are the more naïve you are to all the pressure and everything else that goes with it. I mean look at how strong Brooke played yesterday and today.”
Ko, the defending champ here, sits in solo fourth, three shots back of the lead, and looking for her seventh career LPGA victory two days after she turned 18. Four of Ko’s six LPGA Tour victories have been come-from-behind victories on Sunday – the largest being a three-shot deficit at the 2014 Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning.
Stacy Lewis, the runner-up here last year, and Shanshan Feng are both four shots back at 5-under-par.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
2 – Only two players shot in the 60s during the third round, Morgan Pressel (67) and Min Seo Kwak (69).
3 – The biggest lead Lydia Ko’s ever overcome on Sunday in a win.
4 – Lydia Ko’s come from behind on Sunday for four of her Six LPGA Tour wins.
2 – Number of players who have won on the LPGA Tour before their 18th birthday - Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.
7 – Number of tournaments won by a player under the age of 18 – Six by Lydia Ko and one by Lexi Thompson.
2001 – Last time a Canadian won on the LPGA Tour – Lorie Kane at the 2001 Takefuji LPGA.
PRESSEL GOES LOW TO GET INTO FINAL PAIRING
On a day when Lake Merced was playing almost two and a half strokes over par (74.555) Morgan Pressel was able to put together an impressive 5-under round of 67 to jump from a tie for 13th into a tie for second. Pressel’s fellow players certainly took notice.
“That was really impressive,” said Stacy Lewis. “That score today is playing some golf.”
The 67 was the lowest round of the day by two strokes and was one of only two rounds in the 60s.
“I wouldn’t say it was the absolute very best I could’ve played, but I certainly kept control of the golf ball in the wind,” Pressel admitted. “It was a different golf course, but I think that Rock and I handled it well kind of adjusting our game plan when we needed to. I was very, very solid with the putter today as well.”
The round is another example of how Pressel’s game appears to be moving in the right direction after a swing change.
“I’ve really, really worked hard,” Pressel admitted. “I’ve been very diligent on the range. A lot of it has to do with my tempo so I can get into the right place. I’ve put in a lot of time to try to hit it where I would like it to be. I video my swing almost every day and just kind of keep tabs on it. I know in regresses a little bit on the golf course, but that’s natural where your tendencies kind of come out under pressure. I also can self correct. When I hit a shot, I know what I need to do to fix it on the next one.”
Lewis has noticed how the changes have been working for Pressel.
“I think the main thing is her golf swing. I think she’s got more control of it. Club is in a better place to the top. You can definitely see that. She’s picked up distance over the last couple years, so you can finally just kind of see her getting comfortable with the swing changes.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s textbook ever,” Lewis continued. “But you could definitely tell that the club was not in the right place at the top where she could get it back to impact exact. I think what you’re seeing now is the club is in a better place to the top and she’s not relying so much on timing, which you’re seeing better golf week in and week out.”
With the game coming around and the new swing working Pressel will be looking to get back in the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic.
“It would mean the world to win for sure,” Pressel said of what a win would mean for her. “All I’ve been trying to do is put myself in position. I know I’m capable of it, and I certainly will need a good round tomorrow. But whether it’s this week, next week, within the next month, I just feel really good about where my game is headed.”
PRESSEL AND HENDERSON SHARE A BOND
Brooke Henderson’s first made cut in an LPGA event – the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open as a 15-year-old – came with Morgan Pressel in her pairing. Her first win on the LPGA Tour could come Sunday with Pressel in her group as well. It was a dream then, and Sunday could become the realization of an even bigger dream as Henderson will tee off in the 1:05 PM final group with Pressel alongside her.
“Playing with her in the U.S. Women’s Open was an amazing experience,” Henderson said. “Ever since then she’s been very kind to me. I’ve still always been a little nervous around her because I’ve looked up to her my whole life, but I’m really looking to forward to tomorrow.”
Although Henderson first took notice of Pressel long ago, Pressel’s been a fan of hers, too, since they played together four years ago at the Canadian Women’s Open.
“I’ve been watching her for a long time, since the first time I played with her at the Canadian Open,” Pressel said. “I watched her then and it was incredibly impressive. I knew she would be something special out on our Tour as well.”
Henderson’s been watching her for far longer.
“Growing up she was my biggest role model other than my sister,” Henderson said. “I always looked up to her. I met her when I was around eight years ago. That was so cool. She spent a little extra time with me than the other girls, which I thought was really cool.”
KWAK, KWAK, KWAK
“Kwak, Kwak, Kwak...” that was the chant that Min Seo Kwak heard from fans and her fellow players last year when she walked to the 18th green during her two victories on the Epson Tour - Road to LPGA. Kwak will be hoping to hear those chants on the LPGA level tomorrow at Lake Merced as she enter the final round a shot back of the lead.
“Yes, yes a lot because I know how to win like in Epson Tour. So I’ll try to do same thing here,” said Kwak when asked if having those Epson Tour wins will give her confidence going into tomorrow.
Kwak sits at 8-under for the tournament following a third round 69, one of only two rounds in the 60s on the day.
“I think I hit it straight and putting was really good this week,” Kwak explained. “Last week I missed many short putts, but this week I tried to make all the short putt. With my caddie I practice a lot this week, so it was good putting.”
The round was highlighted by a hole out eagle from 88 yards on the par-5 ninth.
“It was 88 yard with the slope, then I hit 52 degree, like quarter swing. Then bounced and then it went in and I celebrate like this,” Kwak said throwing her hands in the air with a smile.
Kwak feels at home on the difficult track at Lake Merced and feels like it fits her game.
“I don’t hit far or, yeah, so I think narrow fairway, hard green should be better for me to score better,” Kwak explained.
When asked about her approach to the final round Kwak wants to keep it simple.
“Fairway, green, and make putt.”
KO LOOKS TO REPEAT 2014 SWINGING SKIRTS COMEBACK
Lydia Ko entered the final round one shot back a year ago when she won here, but she’ll have to do more work to come from behind on Sunday this year as she’ll enter the final round three shots back of 17-year-old Brooke Henderson.
“I just got to play the holes that are birdieable, give myself a good chance, and then try and put some pressure,” Ko said. “But it’s not easy because of the wind. Every hole is playing so tough.”
Even more interesting is this is the first time in Ko’s LPGA Tour career that she’s ever chased a Sunday leader younger than she is, and the newly minted 18-year-old was asked if she feels old now seeing Henderson in the lead.
“Yeah, now I’m not the 17 year old that they’re talking about right now,” Ko said with a laugh. “We’re similar in age and played some tournaments together as amateurs. We’re all really friends out here.”
Ko says that although at their age they seem immune to pressure, they’re not. They’re not naive to it either.
“I’m feeling the pressure. I feel the nerves when it’s there,” Ko said. “But, I mean, people say when you’re younger, you’re not afraid. You’re kind of fearless. Maybe I’m not the case.”
Ko said that to handle the nerves she likes to take deep breaths on the course and she’s seemed immune to pressure in her six LPGA Tour wins before she turned 18 Friday. And after seeing the way Henderson was able to carve out an even-par 72 on Saturday while holding the lead throughout on a course where the wind was howling, Ko’s not expecting the 17-year-old to fold under the weight of the moment.
“Brooke is playing pretty consistent and playing consistently well,” Ko said. “I saw the leaderboard, and every time it’s there, even though we play a couple tough holes, she wasn’t losing shots. She was gaining shots and making birdies. To play so consistent on a course like this with the conditions like today, it’s tough. Shows how strong she is in her mental game, too.”
Stacy Lewis thinks that watching what Lydia’s done over the last couple years has to only fuel Henderson’s belief that she can, too.
“It’s amazing but it’s kind of becoming a norm now,” Lewis said. “Just shows that, I mean, everybody plays their best golf at different ages. For these girls it’s younger than most. For me, I was never even close to playing that level of golf at 17. Everybody is different, you know, but definitely these kids see Lydia doing that, and they played with her in amateur and junior golf, and I think it does open their dreams and horizons.”
LEWIS LURKING
Four shots back of Brooke Henderson isn’t the ideal place for Stacy Lewis to be, but on this golf course, it’s hardly an insurmountable deficit. Lewis trailed by seven at the 2012 Mizuno Classic and shot a 63 on Sunday to win. So four isn’t out of reach for the No. 3 ranked player in the world.
“I think this golf course, five, six shots is really not that much,” Lewis said. “You go out and post a number like Morgan did today – I mean, I think we’re still going to get some wind tomorrow so it’s still going to play hard.”
Lewis said that before Henderson made bogey on the last two holes. So she’s got to be licking her chops heading to her room tonight. She’s finished runner-up three times this year already and badly wants that first taste of the winner’s circle for 2015.
“You go out there and post five, six under, I think you got a chance at the end of the day tomorrow,” Lewis said. “This golf course is too hard for someone to just kind of run away with it.”
If anyone’s prepared for the wind, too, it’s Lewis. She grew up in Texas, where the wind howls, and she plays her golf these days out of Jupiter, Fla., where the South Florida breeze rips in off of the ocean.
“I like the wind. I like when it plays hard and you got to kind of fight it out a little bit,” Lewis said. “Florida and Texas; Everywhere I’ve been, there seems to be wind.”
The key she says with the wind is just trying not to do too much with it. At Lake Merced, it’s too easy to short side yourself and make a bogey with a quickness, she said.
It’s happened to her too often this week, she said, and resulted in too many bogeys to be at the top of the leaderboard. But there’s 18 more holes to play and Lewis might fight harder than anyone on Tour.
“I’m still hanging around,” Lewis said. “I’m in a position where a good round tomorrow has a chance.”
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