Henderson leads opening tournament after off-season changes
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New year. New gear. Same Brooke Henderson.
The Canadian golfer kicked off her 2023 season on Thursday with a round of 5-under 67, good for the first-round lead at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando. The stellar round included just a single bogey against six birdies, including one on the final hole when she rolled in a 20-foot putt.
“Big changes in the off-season and I’m super excited about it,” Henderson said in a post-round interview on Golf Channel. “To come out today and shoot five under, I got off to a pretty fast start and I’m pretty excited about that.”
The round was the first for Henderson with her new clubs. In the off-season, she switched from PING equipment to TaylorMade and she seemed to make the transition smoothly. She missed just two fairways and four greens on her day. Perhaps most importantly, she needed just 27 putts. The putter has been the least consistent club in her bag during her career and she was looking forward to testing out the new model she put into play this week.
The round was also her first competitive outing since she injured her back and played through the pain in the last event of 2022. She said the recovery took some time and there are now plenty of preventative measures in her regular routines.
“Thankfully my back feels pretty good right now,” stated Henderson. “It was lots of rest and recovery initially and I’m trying to do lots of strengthening and exercises. I feel like I’m in good shape and that it’s transferring over into my golf game. It’s just nice to be able to make aggressive swings again with my driver.”
The tournament field is comprised of LPGA winners from last season as well as celebrity amateurs. Henderson played alongside former Toronto Blue Jay Josh Donaldson and John Smoltz, who pitched 21 seasons for the Atlanta Braves. Donaldson posted an 81 while Smoltz fired a 76.
“They’re great golfers,” she said. “It’s just a lot of fun out here.”
As if often the case at tournaments in Florida, Henderson attracted a large contingent of snowbird Canadian fans who cheered her every swing at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club.
Nelly Korda is one shot back of Henderson while four golfers are tied at three under.