Canada’s Brooke Henderson wins LPGA tournament in playoff

Brooke Henderson eagled the first playoff hole and beat Lindsey Weaver-Wright to capture the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday for her 11th win on tour.

Henderson shot a bogey-free, final-round 7-under 64 at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club to win for the first time in a year. The 24-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., rallied from a four-shot deficit entering the final round of the 54-hole tournament to finish at 12-under 201.

“To start the day if they would’ve said ‘you’re in a playoff to win’ I would’ve been super happy,” said Henderson. “I just tried to take that mindset. With playoffs you really only have one opportunity, so you kind of have to give it your all and go to win.

“I just tried to hit solid shots and I was able to make eagle there, which is really cool.”

Weaver-Wright, a 28-year-old American still looking for her first tour win, forced the playoff with birdies on four of the last six holes, including a long one at No. 17 and a 10-footer at the par-5 final hole for a 65.

The playoff started at the reachable par-5 No. 18, and both found the fairway. Henderson got within 10 feet of the cup with her second shot while Weaver-Wright was short of the green. Her third shot landed around the same distance from the hole as Henderson, but she was away. She missed her birdie putt and Henderson, ranked No. 11 in the world, had no pressure making the eagle to win to pocket $262,500.

“It felt like a long time since my 10th victory, and I’ve been putting in some work,” said Henderson on the green after the win. “Yesterday 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.”

North of the border, word started to spread of Henderson’s win at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was the low Canadian at the national men’s golf championship, was thrilled when he heard the news.

“I’m blown away. She’s incredibly talented. From all Canadians, congrats Brooke, that’s really special,” said Conners, who was Henderson’s teammate on the Canadian Olympic team at the 2021 Tokyo Games. “Eleven wins on the LPGA Tour is so amazing and I’m sure she’s far from done with that.

“She’s an incredible young lady and obviously an incredible player. So congrats, well done and enjoy a nice celebration.”