Rolex Rankings No. 8 Brooke Henderson just wanted to make a bunch of birdies to give herself a chance at a playoff on Sunday at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. The 24-year-old did exactly that, firing a bogey-free, 7-under 64 on the final day in Atlantic City that propelled her to -12 and a playoff with American Lindsey Weaver-Wright, ultimately winning with an eagle on the first hole of sudden death. It’s Henderson’s 11th career victory – her first since the 2021 DIO Implant LA Open last April – and the win is giving her a ton of confidence as she returns to Blythefield Country Club and the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, an event she’s won twice before.
“(It was) for sure a bonus,” said Henderson, the winningest Canadian on the LPGA Tour. “Just very grateful for it. Definitely gives a huge confidence boost and momentum moving into this week where I have so many great memories. And I love being around this course, so I'm really excited for this week and then going into next week where I'm also a past champion. It's a really fun stretch of golf for me right now. Hopefully, I can just keep hitting the ball well and give myself a lot of birdie looks.”
In addition to her win in New Jersey, Henderson has four additional top-10s this season, including a solo second at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and a tie for fourth at the Honda LPGA Thailand. She ranks second in rounds in the 60s (18) and fifth in scoring average (69.69) as well as sixth in rounds under par (24). She also comes to Belmont, Mich. second in the Race to the CME Globe. Though she struggled with her game after the Asian swing, a change in her putting grip seems to have made a major difference, which will be critical as she looks to add a third Meijer LPGA Classic to her resume.
“I started off the year really hot and I had a lot of great finishes, and kind of cooled off and I wasn't feeling so well and things kind of went a little bit cold there for a little while,” said Henderson. “Definitely having the putting back in my corner and feeling a little bit more comfortable all the time is really key. I feel like left-hand low has made a big difference and so I'm excited moving forward.”
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