LPGA : CPKC Women's Open
Tee Times
Leaderboard
71 ho-hum...66 what a relief....65 now were talkin'..
In interview after interview for two years, Canada's best female and at times best golfer period, Brooke Henderson has remained upbeat, repeatedly saying she was getting closer to her form that made her a perennial winner, and tour leading top 10 player, all the while slipping out of contention to an unheard of #58 in the world, possibly out of the top 60 in the CME Globe.
Surrounded by family and firmly devout in her faith, she repeatedly turned to her Bible studies, quoting verses of inspiration, leading her life by God's will, in God's hands"..
Saturday, buoyed by the confidence from her play late Thursday, then all day Friday, she came out and stuffed her approach to within the leather for a three at the first, and although she gave it right back with a bogey at #2, she pressed on, driving the ball so well she repeatedly picked up her tee without watching, knowing it was right down the middle.
So out in -2 33, she made the turn at -7 after a long snaking downhiller at the 8th, her birdie at the par5 12th was quickly stalled by a bogey at 14 but she was still in contention... so were a lot of others.
Then with a little luck, her day, perhaps her season, found a new gear.
Great drives at 15 and 16 led to birdies, then 17 the driveable par 4, found her in the front bunker, when that little luck that can turn a good round into a great one. She exploded out and rolled right in for an eagle 2, now -11 and leading. The roar went up, and Brooke so locked in, remained poker faced.
Par at the last, 33/32 65 9/14 Fairways, 15/18 GIR, 274yd driving average 1/1 sand saves and just 27 putts, those were the numbers she has been searching for for 2 days in a row.
Now, just one more day for Brooke, and even should it not go her way, in her big picture, she is already a winner this week.
Be sure, many of the women who have passed her by are right in contention again.
Aussie Minjee Lee is T1 69 67 66 -11, World #1 (Thailand) Jeeno Thitikul 66 70 69 T3rd -8, (Japan) Akie Iwai 64 69 72 -8, (China) Yu Liu 72 67 67 T5 -7, (Korea) Jeongeun Lee5 68 71 67 -7 are the top 5 who Brooke will have to beat.
They are all part of what has been dubbed the Asian Invasion, women who continue to dominate the women's professional golf brilliantly, with 26 victories in the last 55 majors, the latest being Miyu Yamashita, the diminutive Women's British Open champion from Japan.
Other Canadian scores.
Aphrodite Deng (a) T7 66 73 68 -6
Maude Aimee Leblanc T37 74 68 70 -1
Monet Chun T46 73 68 72 E
Katie Cranston (a) T69 71 71 75 +4
Bryan Angus
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