By Keely Levins
On a windy Sunday in Oahu, Brooke Henderson’s steady round of 70 was plenty to secure the trophy at the LOTTE Championship. A pack of players were close to Henderson at the start of the day, including Nelly Korda, who was tied with Henderson at 14-under. But the difficult conditions kept Korda and other notable players over par (two of whom where former World No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn and four-time LPGA winner Minjee Lee). Henderson’s two-under 70 left her finishing the tournament at 16-under, winning by four over Eun-Hee Ji.

The win was a milestone in a few ways for Henderson. She defended her title, having won this event in 2018. Winning at Ko Olina Golf Club this year marks her first win of the season and the eighth of her career. The number is significant in that it ties her with Sandra Post, Mike Weir and George Knudson as the Canadians with the most LPGA or PGA Tour victories. Henderson hits this benchmark before turning 22.

“It’s really amazing to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Mike Weir, George, and Sandra,” said Henderson. “This week was really special. I always love coming to Hawaii. Last year was such an incredible week for me, to be able to hoist that trophy for the first time…To get the win, eighth career win on the LPGA Tour, is just surreal and really amazing.”

Henderson is known for her length off the tee — thanks to her long, John Daly-esque takeaway — and her driving was solid throughout the tournament. But it was her second-shot stat that helped her cruise to victory with all of those pars. On Sunday, she missed only three greens.

At the end of the event, after the trophy ceremony, the winner of the LOTTE Championship gets a very public hula lesson from a group of pros. Henderson and her caddie, sister Brittany, were new to hula last year. As for this year, Henderson warned everyone before the dance that she hadn’t practised since being introduced to it last year, and that her hula dancing could still use a bit of work. The way her golf game is peaking right now, it’s easy to forgive her hula abilities.

The post Brooke Henderson defends LOTTE Championship title, wins by four in Hawaii appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Early in the week, Canada’s Brooke Henderson appeared to be right at home in Hawaii. She was the 36-hole leader at the Lotte Championship and extended her advantage to five strokes at one point in the third round. But a four-putt double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 18 slowed her momentum and left Henderson with a much less-comfortable one-shot lead over Mo Martin.

But when the field at Ko Olina Golf Club in Honolulu experienced more high winds during Saturday’s final round, it ultimately worked in Henderson’s favour. Her John Daly-esque swing stood up to the tough conditions, as Henderson finished with a three-under 69, one of just three players to shoot in the 60s, to claim the title by four strokes over Azahara Munoz.

“I was quite disappointed after I finished my round yesterday,” Henderson after her final round. “I still had a one-shot lead, and I still was playing great golf. I just tried to forget about yesterday, and just go out and try to make a lot of birdies and try to get out front and stay there.”

Henderson finished the week at 12-under 276. Behind Munoz, the trio of current World No. 1 Shanshan Feng and former World No. 1’s Inbee Park and Ariya Jutanugarn all finished in a tie for third, five shots behind Henderson.

This was Henderson’s first win of the 2018 season, coming off of two wins in 2017, and the sixth of her LPGA career. With two more wins, she’ll tie Sandra Post for the most LPGA wins recorded by a Canadian. Seeing as Henderson is just 20, the record appears to be within her reach.

The post Brooke Henderson wins sixth career LPGA event, two wins away from the Canadian record appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.