John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
MISSISSAUGA – Brooke Henderson has played in more than a dozen CPKC Women’s Open tournaments, winning the national women’s golf championship in 2018. And she’s loved every moment.
But as Henderson has struggled on the LPGA Tour this season, she’s gone back to old video of herself playing in previous national championships to recapture her mojo.
“Just trying to get some motivation and try to lean back on some things that I’ve learned over the years just to see the progress that I’ve made, and it’s pretty cool,” said Henderson in the media centre at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. “I played in this event a lot and I’ve had a lot of success, winning in 2018 and multiple Top 10s, even when I was young to make the cut was super cool.
“Just trying to think back to what was going through my mind when I was answering those questions back then or out there playing. (…) There are so many cool things that have happened at this event, so just trying to take positive energy from that and use it this week.”
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is the winningest player in Canadian golf history, taking 13 titles on the LPGA Tour including two majors. She peaked at No. 6 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
As the biggest name in Canadian golf and a returning champion, Henderson is the face of the CPKC Women’s Open.
But she’s also in the midst of her most frustrating season as a professional golfer, where she has made 12 of 17 cuts but only reached the top 10 of a leaderboard once. Although still the top-ranked Canadian on the women’s rankings, she’s sunk down to 58th.
“I think just getting four solid rounds of golf together in a row is really key. Just being a little bit more consistent, said Henderson, who tied for 23rd at last week’s Standard Portland Classic. “For a while the ball striking was a bit of an issue. I feel like we worked diligently on that and it’s back to a better spot.
“So just piecing everything together. Golf is hard and I found that out more recently than I ever have. Just trying to take it day by day, figuring it out.”
The level of competition on the LPGA Tour hasn’t made it easy for Henderson, either.
“The golf has just gotten so much better. Everyone is getting so good,” said world No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States. “If you just look at the teams that the girls have around themselves, they’re investing so much into themselves, their game, everything, so they can compete week in, week out at their best ability.”
Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul leapfrogged Korda in the rankings on Aug. 4 to become the world’s top golfer. She agreed that the LPGA Tour has never been more competitive.
“I would say it’s so hard, especially this year,” said Thitikul. “All the winners are different faces. I don’t think any players have got multiple wins yet this year.
“I think the group of people that have the talent and potential to win is bigger and bigger.”
Although no longer a major — the Women’s Open lost that honour in 2001 — the Canadian women’s championship remains one of toughest fields on tour. Six of the current top 10 and 19 of the top 25 players on the world rankings are in the field.
Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among eight past winners in Canada, along with Megan Khang (2023), Paula Reto (2022), Jin Young Ko (2019), Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012).
Last year’s two-stroke victory at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary was the first LPGA Tour win of Coughlin’s career and she said on Wednesday it continues to shape her as a player.
“I think it gave me the confidence that I could get it done when I needed to, that I could hit shots, make putts when I needed to coming down the stretch,” said Coughlin, who followed that up with a win at the Scottish Open last season. “I think I just learned I don’t need to do anything other than being myself out there and have a lot of fun and be really relaxed.
“If I can do that, I can contend.”
