LOCAL star Brooke Henderson claimed her second CPKC Women’s Open title with a one-stroke victory over Australian Minjee Lee at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Ontario on Sunday.
Starting the final round tied for the lead on 11-under-par at the par-71 layout, Henderson and Lee turned it into a two-horse race following matching 34s on the front nine.
Henderson made a crucial birdie from six feet at the par-three 14th hole to take a one-shot lead, which she protected with a 12-foot birdie at the 17th after Lee had nailed a slightly longer putt.
Henderson’s closing 67 gave her a 72-hole aggregate of 15-under-par 269 at the challenging, treelined Mississaugua course. She is the sixth player to have won the CPKC Women’s Open two or more times since 1975, having previously triumphed in her national open in 2018.
Lee signed in a final round 68 for runner-up honours on 14-under-par 270, three shots ahead of Japan’s Mao Saigo. Saigo shot a superb closing 66 to climb up the leaderboard, taking outright third place on 11-under-par by one shot from compatriot Akie Iwai who won in Portland the week before.
Henderson paid tribute to the enthusiastic support she received from the large galleries.
“It was such a meaningful week. The crowds were phenomenal. To be able to play so well in front of them really means a lot to me, and I just am so grateful for all their support,” said the 27-year-old, who took her LPGA title tally to 14.
“This week was beyond special. To be able to finish it off and hoist the trophy again is extremely cool. It feels super surreal still,” added the two-time Major winner.
This was Henderson’s first victory on the LPGA Tour since the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. She is the 23rd different winner on tour this year through 22 events.
Chasing her 12th career LPGA Tour victory and the distinction of becoming the first multiple winner this season, Lee came up just short and was gracious in defeat.
“I thought Brooke was really solid coming down the stretch. She hit great iron shots and gave herself opportunities for birdie. The ones she did make were really clutch,” noted Lee, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June for her third Major title.
The next stop for the LPGA Tour is the FM Championship at TPC Boston, offering a hefty total purse of US$4.1 million (RM17.2m) – the largest outside of the Majors and the CME Group Tour Championship. – LPGA
