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TSN Senior Reporter

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Any time you can play a round in a U.S. Open without a bogey, the day can be deemed a success. That’s what Brooke Henderson did in the opening 18 at the U.S. Women’s Open, notching a pair of birdies with 16 pars. 

“It was really good,” she told reporters after her round. “Any time you can shoot two under in the first round of a major championship, that's great.”

Henderson started her round with eight pars before dropping her first birdie of the day on the par-five 18th hole – her ninth – and followed that with a birdie on the next hole, finishing off with another eight pars. 

The solid performance buoyed her sense of satisfaction with her game which has been on the rise over her past four starts thanks in large part to improved putting.
 
“I'm hitting the ball really well,” she said. “I feel like my lag putting has really kicked in to be a lot better than it was at the beginning of the year. With those two combinations, I feel like I'm confident on longer par-4s and par-3s, which is always a good feeling.”

Henderson has played well at this event in the past, logging a tie for 10th three years ago and a tie for fifth in 2016. Last year, coming off her first major title at the KPMG LPGA Championship, the Smiths Falls, Ont., product looked somewhat worn out from all the attention, finishing up in 64th spot. 

This year, Henderson comes to the tournament in a better frame of mind and somewhat refreshed after conserving her energy at the start of the week. She’s also in good spirits due to the appeal of the course. 

“Amazing golf course,” she said of the Trump National layout in Bedminster, N.J. “Extremely difficult. As long as you hit it in the right places off the tee and the right places on the green, you give yourself a good opportunity to shoot a decent score.”

Henderson was four shots back of the early lead set by China’s Shanshan Feng.

Meanwhile, London, Ont., amateur Maddie Szeryk posted a very impressive round of even par in her U.S. Open debut. The 20-year-old Szeryk, who was born and resides in Allen, Texas, and attends Texas A&M, is a dual citizen. Her parents are from London and Szeryk would travel there each summer to play golf. 

Earlier this year, Szeryk, a member of the Canadian national team, won the prestigious Western Amateur and also captured the B.C. Amateur.