Brooke Henderson shot a final round of 67 (-4) to beat Minjee Lee by one stroke. Henderson is the first two-time Canadian winner of the CPKC Women’s Open.
Henderson and Lee started their final round with a three-shot lead over world number one, Jeeno Thitikul, and last week’s winner, Akie Iwai. Both Henderson and Lee shot a 34 (-1) on the front nine with two birdies and a bogey. A bogey on the par-3 10th proved costly for Lee, as the final group both made three birdies on the back nine. A par on the last hole sealed the victory for Henderson, and her first win since the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Henderson led the field with 21 birdies over four rounds and was tied for third in greens in regulation. This is also the ninth time she has converted the win after starting the final round first or tied for first. She had this to say after winning her home country’s tournament.
“It’s 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,” she said. “I’m just so happy I can finally hold this trophy again.”
Runner-up Lee was the only player in the field to record all four of her rounds in the 60s this week. She continues her excellent season, with a major win and two runner-up finishes. Lee credits her short game for her success.
“I definitely think my putting has helped a lot with my confidence. You know, I switched to a broomstick at the beginning of the year and since KPMG I think I’ve felt much more comfortable in using it,” she said. “You know, put a lot of my trust in it now so I feel like that’s really let me play with a bit more freedom. Even if I do miss the green, like I trust that my chipping and putting will help me get up and down, so I think that’s a really nice feeling to have.”
With her win, Henderson earned 500 points in the season-long competition, Race to CME Globe, and moved into 26th place. She also earned $412,500 in prize money.
The LPGA Tour continues next week at the FM Championship at TPC Boston. 2024 winner, Haeran Ryu, will look to defend her title after defeating Jin Young Ko in a playoff last year.
