Henderson learning to handle expectations at CP Women's Open

At 24, Brooke Henderson has just about done it all. She’s won majors, captured her national open and had a bobble head made in her likeness. She’s attracted numerous A-list sponsors, and even has her own fan club, the Brooke Brigade.

It might be hard to top all that but now Henderson is in a video game, alongside Tiger Woods no less.

Such is the life of Canada’s greatest professional golfer.

As she prepares for the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Country Club, the pride of nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., is bracing herself for what is turning into a massive Brookefest. More than 70,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, an increase of 20,000 from when the event was held here in 2017. Her image is everywhere throughout the golf course and hundreds of young girls, dressed in the same manner of their hero, follow her every move. Brooke-alikes you might call them.

On Tuesday a massive gallery followed her as she played the back nine, spending lots of time with her putter, trying to learn the slopes on the large greens at the Hunt Club. In between holes, she signed autographs and posed for selfies, with all ages of fans.

It seems the only thing left for Henderson to do is perform on the course when play gets going on Thursday, which is not as easy as it seems. This week is unlike any other on the LPGA Tour for her, with demands on her time soaring. Requests from media, sponsors and fans are almost overwhelming.

“It’s a bit of a balance,” admitted Henderson, “and to make sure that you’re ready to go come Thursday. So I feel like over the last few years I really learned a lot in how to manage my time. I look forward to this week every single year, and so I try to give it my all in all those aspect during this week.”

Henderson comes into this week arguably playing as well as she ever has. In her last six starts, she’s won twice, including a major, and hasn’t finished outside the top 16.

Her game is also as well-rounded as she can recall, with her putter and wedge play showing significant improvement over past years. She sits 57th in putting average on the LPGA Tour, up from 111th a year ago. She’s also 45th in Sand Saves. Last year she was 122nd and she sits third in Strokes Gained: Total, a good indication of a strong overall game.

“The last few months have been a lot of fun,” Henderson said. “I feel like my game has been in a really good spot and I have been able to win twice, which is awesome. Even in the weeks where I didn’t win, it was still top finishes.

“I feel like, hopefully, I can just kind of keep that momentum and the confidence level at a high level for a while.”

At the 2017 edition of this tournament, a 19-year-old Henderson needed a birdie on her final hole on Friday just to make the cut, which she did. A day later, she scorched the course, posting a course-record 63 and found herself in the hunt on the final round. She settled for a tie for 12th and later said she learned a lot from that week.

A year later, she put that experience to good use, winning the event at the Wascana Golf Club in Regina in front of another expansive gallery.

“I think the biggest thing is just being in the moment and just trying to make the best decision and hit the best shot that you can at that exact moment,” she stated. “Not trying to get too far ahead of yourself and looking in the past on a bad shot. Just really being in the moment.”

Henderson, perhaps better than any other Canadian golfer, has an ability to focus, to dig into a round. Lorie Kane, a mentor to Henderson who will play her 30th and final CP Women’s Open this week, calls it “Brooke’s goalie eyes,” referring to Henderson’s time playing in the net as a junior hockey player where she needed to be similarly focused.

Above all, she seems to have learned that she can only do what she’s capable of. Trying to win a tournament for someone else or to please the crowd won’t get her far. Playing great golf as she has of late and possibly adding her name on the trophy a second time will result in that joy she wants to spread over the Ottawa Valley and across Canada.

“That’s the goal this week,” she said. “Try to make some birdies, be aggressive and ride the energy of the crowd.”

As for that video game? Henderson was added to the latest edition of PGA Tour 2K23, which is set to be released on October 11. The exceptionally popular game is created by HB Studios in Lunenburg, N.S., adding another Canadian tie-in for Henderson.

Woods is on the cover and gamers can have the 15-time major winner take on Henderson in a match. No doubt the Canadian would get a lot of support, just as she will this week.