CHASKA, Minn. – For almost every important moment of Brooke Henderson’s professional career, her sister Brittany has been there. In her first win as a pro, Brooke beat Brittany by one. When Brittany received a sponsor’s exemption at the Cambia Portland Classic, Brooke Monday qualified and then won it (with eight). And a year later, when Brooke won her first major title, Brittany carried her bag as a caddy. (We will return to the significance of that moment shortly.)
Now, after finishing third in the The KPMG PGA Women’s ChampionshipHenderson’s best major league finish in a decade? Yes, her sister definitely played a part in that as well. Although she never set foot on the property.
Let us explain.
The Henderson girls grew up outside of Ottawa and quickly became golf stars. They both played on Golf Canada’s national junior team, and Brittany, who is six years older, played in Coastal Carolina. After a decorated amateur career, Brooke turned professional and lived up to all the high expectations, and with Brittany by her side. Her older sister has been on the pack for 13 of Brooke’s 14 wins (including both majors).
But Brittany last coached at the Tournament of Champions in January before leaving. She and her husband, Zach Sepanik, were expecting a daughter this summer.
Veteran caddy John Killeen took over as looper, though Brooke eventually brought her cousin, Ryan Henderson, to the Mizuho Americas Open. He’s been in the bag ever since, although it’s been somewhat of a slow season for Brooke. She took third at the Tournament of Champions with Brittany, but has not finished in the top 20 in 10 tournaments since. She has lost shots with her peers on the approach and around the green. Slow starts have also hampered her – she ranks 103rd in first-round scoring average.
But something changed this week, and just in time. She arrived in Minnesota and slept with her phone nearby, just in case. Ten minutes before she woke up on Thursday, she got the message she had been waiting for: it was an aunt.
Excited, motivated and, well, just happy, Henderson shot a poor first-round scoring average and shot a three-under 69. Then she sat down with the media, still glowing, and explained the origin of her granddaughter’s name: Sahalee June.
Sahalee means heavenly high ground, though Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, is also where Brooke won her first major title (in June), when she beat Lydia Ko in a playoff at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as an 18-year-old pro. Brittany was in the bag.
“Even early Thursday, I was on a high because she gave birth Thursday morning,” Brooke said Sunday. “A couple of times I was in a tough spot and I was like, it’s OK; life is good. And it just helped me, and then I was able to get it lower and then. So I feel like having great weeks mentally like this is really exciting.”
Henderson continued to play well at Hazeltine. Friday sixty-eight. Sixty-ninth Saturday. Haeran Ryu took the 54-hole lead at 11 under, but Henderson was one back. Ina Yoon, aged nine, also made up the bottom three.
The fourth round had an early start, but after a weather delay of 3 hours and 30 minutes, the final three took place around 12:55pm local time. Henderson’s sister and parents watched on TV. Hours later, that bottom three were still in the top three: Ryu at 11 under, Henderson at 10 under and Yoon at nine under, with Nelly Korda threatening three back at eight under. (Korda tied for 8th place.)
As they did on the 9th, Ryu and Henderson matched birdies on the 10th. They went into the 11th with the crowd buzzing.
“It’s a battle now,” said a volunteer inside the ropes. If only he were right.
Ryu pushed her lead to two with another long birdie putt on 12, and on 14 Henderson missed the fairway and missed the green and did well to save the bogey to keep the deficit at three.
But Henderson couldn’t give himself a pretty enough look. She went bunker to bunker on the par-5 15th. On 16, 17 and 18 she left with long birdie efforts.
Ryu closed with a 70, winning at 13 under – a significant feat considering she was 10 shots off the lead after the first round – to beat Yoon by two. Henderson, who shot 72, tied her best finish of the season.
“I’m really happy,” she said. “I feel like I’m back in better shape. I feel like I’m close to being really good again, which is really exciting.”
As well as having one of her best starts of the season, she also enjoyed seeing her putt bounce around the corner. Her swing felt better. And she was in the last group on a big Sunday, which is a feeling and a rush that’s hard to put into words.
In short, Brooke Henderson is just… happy.
“I feel like it’s a really exciting time for my family right now,” she said. “God is amazing. Really thankful that my niece is healthy and my sister is doing great and I’m continuing to get better too. It’s great all around.”
And the best part is yet to happen. She will return home tomorrow. Sahalee meets her aunt.
