Brooke Henderson won her 14th LPGA title on Sunday, her first victory since 2023.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Brooke Henderson won the CPKC Women’s Open on Sunday for the second time in her storied golf career, seven years after she first ended the tournament’s 45-year drought without a Canadian champ.
The Canadian out-played Australia’s Minjee Lee by one strokein a wildly dramatic final round for her first title in 2 ½ years. The native of Smiths Falls, Ont. finished with a 15-under 269 total, sealing the win with a short putt for par on the 18th hole at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.
The first hug was for her ever-present older sister Brittany, who was, as always, on the bag for Henderson. More family spilled onto the green and sprayed champagne as the big crowd roared, all celebrating Henderson’s second victory in the lone Canadian tournament on the LPGA calendar.
The event is not a major, but the atmosphere certainly felt like one.
It was Henderson’s 14th title on the LPGA Tour, but her first since January of 2023, the longest gap between her victories.
“It’s just been an amazing week. This year has not gone very well up to this point, and it just feels like this was meant to be,” said a beaming Henderson. “I’m just so happy that I can finally hold this trophy again.”
In August of 2018, Henderson ended the tournament’s long spell without a homegrown winner when she fired a final round 7-under 65 to win the tournament by four strokes at Regina’s Wascana Country Club. There had not been a Canadian champ since Jocelyne Bourassa won the inaugural tournament in 1973.
Henderson earned US$337,500 of the US$2.25-million purse back in Regina back in 2018 and it was her seventh LPGA title.
Seven years later in Mississauga, Henderson made $412,500 of the $2.75-million purse.
Henderson hugs her caddie sister Brittany after winning the Canadian Women's Open on Sunday.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
The win is projected to launch Henderson from 53rd in the LPGA’s Race to the CME rankings to 26th.
The elated golfer joked that she might celebrate with a pop, which she hasn’t had in years. Maybe a Sprite or a Fanta. Maybe both. She laughed about the luck she’d had during Sunday’s round – like hitting three trees and gutting through the pressure from Lee, her close friend on Tour.
Henderson and Lee came into Sunday tied atop the leaderboard at 11-under. Both women had led after 54 holes 12 times in their LPGA careers, and each had converted eight of those into victories.
Lee was looking for her 12th LPGA title.
A large crowd tracked the co-leaders’ pairing around the course, lining thick around the ropes. The pack cheered and whistled or sighed and turned quiet along with Henderson’s every up and down.
The two women remained neck and neck through the first 10 holes – each with two birdies and a bogey. Henderson had a prime chance to pull away on No.10 – the signature hockey-themed par-three hole where the fans bang on hockey boards. But the Canadian left a putt hanging inches from the hole and settled for par.
It looked as if Henderson might pull away for good when Lee bogeyed No.11 and slipped down to 11-under. But the Australian evened it right back up with a birdie on 12, then upped the ante with a birdie on No.13.
Henderson answered with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14.
Henderson plays her shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the CPKC Women's Open in Mississauga on Sunday.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
When Lee delivered a birdie putt on 17th, Henderson buried one in the cup too to maintain her death-grip on the one-shot lead.
The Canadian had spectators biting their nails when her tee shot sailed wide of the fairway. But she rescued it and saved par on the 18th green with the gallery going wild.
Henderson was not only the face of the tournament, but she’s been a mainstay – having played it for the first time as a 14-year-old junior. Now 27 years old, and in her 11th season on the LPGA Tour, she is Canada’s most successful golfer, but this was a shining week in what had been a rough season so far.
She had no top 10 finishes this year in stroke play tournaments, just one in a match-play event. For the first time in her career, she didn’t finish at least top 20 at any of the majors. In 17 starts, she had five missed cuts.
“There were some dark times, for sure, but I feel like my family was so supportive and just said, ‘Just keep working hard, that’ll come around,’” said Henderson. “I’ve been telling everybody for a long time, ‘It’s close, it’s close,’ and to finally break through again, it’s just so exciting.”
Henderson even had a slow start to this tournament, firing an even-par 71 on Thursday and sitting tied for 38th place. But over the next three days, Henderson caught fire. Surging to fifth place on Friday, then into the lead on Saturday before she delivered the win by carding a 4-under par 67 on Sunday.
Other Canadian finishers included 15-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng, who completed an impressive debut performance on the LPGA Tour by finishing four-under tied for 20th, alongside Maude-Aimee Leblanc. Monet Chun was two-under to tie at 36 and Katie Cranston was seven-over to tie at 71.
After she won the CPKC Women's Open, Canada's most successful golfer Henderson was sprayed with champagne.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images