“You know, golf is so funny.”
Anyone who has ever played the game or even watched part of a round on TV, knows this is unquestionable. And Brooke Henderson, who uttered the remark after struggling through the third round at the CP Women’s Open, knows it more than practically anyone.
Henderson came to Ottawa last week to be anointed as champion, or at least that was the hope of many. After all, she’d won twice this year, including a major championship, and was heading to her “home” course at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, though admittedly she lives full-time in Florida and doesn’t get to the city frequently. But nonetheless, it is a course she knows well. She’d set the course record the last time the CP Women’s Open was played at Ottawa Hunt – a record bettered twice this week – and appeared confident heading into the tournament.
In the end, Henderson struggled with the same issue facing practically every Canadian golfer when, once a year, she heads home to try to win her national open. There are a lot of commitments, and everyone wants a piece of Canada’s golden golfer, at least for a few minutes. She endlessly signs autographs and has commitments to sponsors that eat up all of her free time, hours that normally would be used to work on her putting, or hit some more drives on the practice ground.
Of course, the expectations are impossibly high every time she sets foot back in her home country. Laurence Applebaum, who heads up Golf Canada, called Henderson’s situation “suffocating.” It is the same heightened interest that faced Mike Weir after his 2003 Masters win and made him the face of the RBC Canadian Open for the remainder of his PGA Tour career. It is, for many Canadian golfers, a blessing and a curse. The focus of an entire nation is on them, and the support is incredible, but it also makes their job that much more difficult.
“Most days I've been a little bit frustrated leaving my rounds. And then talking to everybody, it makes me a lot happier.”
Brooke Henderson
And the spotlight last week was on Henderson unlike perhaps any year before it. After two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, there was more interest in the CP Women’s Open than ever before, much of it focused on Henderson, who at 24 is Canada’s most visible professional golfer and one of the country’s highest-profile athletes. More than 75,000 spectators were expected to attend by the end of the week, many of whom were there strictly to see Henderson. Their expectations weren’t out of line. Henderson won the tournament before, in 2018, becoming the first Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973 to accomplish the feat. Henderson is ranked No. 5 in the world, and she won her second major title, the Amundi Evian Championship, a month previous.
But sometimes golf is inscrutable.
“Some weeks are just like that,” Henderson said after a 1-over 73 in the third round dropped her out of contention. Regaining her focus after a bad hole was a challenge, she said. It took her longer than it normally does, and in a couple of instances, that added strokes to her scorecard.
“Sometimes it's just like that,” she said.
Indeed, sometimes there’s no explanation for why things go off the rails, even for the game’s best players.
While Henderson struggled and eventually finished T49, there were bright spots for Canadian golf. Many were obvious, such as finally getting a glimpse at the potential of Maddie Szeryk, or the incredible emergence of Lucy Lin, a 12-year-old who played her way into the tournament through qualifying, alongside 15-year-old Michelle Liu. In all, 19 Canadians were in the field, led by Alena Sharp, who shot 68-67 on the weekend to finish T17, demonstrating there’s strength beyond Henderson.
Amidst it all, a Canadian legend made her departure. Prince Edward Island’s Lorie Kane has been a stalwart of the women’s game in Canada for more than three decades. For a stretch in 2000, she was among the top female golfers in the world. At 57, Kane has her best golf in the rear view, but she came to Ottawa for one last national tournament. She was rightfully celebrated as someone who has given back to the game in a multitude of ways.
“I love what I do, and I love to share what I do,” Kane said after her second round. “I hope I can continue to do that in some way, shape or form.”
The Canadian game will be better if she does. With her outspoken nature and her vast experience at the top levels of the game, Kane should be set up for a role in helping lead the sport in Canada. Hopefully someone is paying attention.
In the end, there’s no question the return of the CP Women’s Open was an unquestionable success. With massive corporate and fan support, the return of the tournament from its pandemic hibernation was undeniable.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Henderson. She tried to put her foot to the floor on Sunday, only to find herself going in reverse. Sometimes, as she said earlier in the week, the sport can’t be conquered. But Henderson fulfilled her role regardless of her shaky play, dutifully heading to the ropes after signing her scorecard and inking her signature for the throngs who waited for Canada’s superstar.
“Most days I've been a little bit frustrated leaving my rounds,” Henderson said. “And then talking to everybody, it makes me a lot happier.”
Top: Brooke Henderson carries the weight of her country's expectations when she plays in Canada.