Ko beaten by Henderson at Women’s PGA Championship

She’ll be a top contender for that tournament, less than a year after her first LPGA victory of any kind at the Cambia Portland Classic. She is the 2nd-youngest major champion in the history of the LPGA.

She grew up with the knowledge a fellow Canadian could hoist one of golf’s most prestigious trophies despite the country’s short playing season. But it seemed like it had all sunk in in a hurry.

Henderson is just the second Canadian to win a women’s Major after Sandra Post (1968 Women’s PGA Championship).

“I’m still pretty young and feeling pretty good”.

Brooke Henderson beat Lydia Ko on the first play-off hole to win her maiden major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Sammamish, Washington State. Ko did not card a bogey while posting her best round of the Championship, 67, on Sunday, but it was not quite enough to stave off Henderson’s remarkable surge.

And sitting just one shot behind the leaders was top-ranked Lydia Ko, who scrambled to a 70 in her bid to win three straight majors.

“I would have liked to be the youngest ever to win a major championship, but to be able to win this one is a good second best”.

Henderson watched Ko’s approach shot, a beauty that got the crowd cheering. “Walking down the fairway we were yelling my name”. But Brittany Henderson, who played played four years of college golf at Coastal Carolina, said she felt her sister was making the right move. “Every week, when we step up to the hole-in-one auto hole, I say to Britt ‘If I get that, I’m giving it to you, ‘” she said. “I just got outplayed”, the New Zealander said.

Three feet from the hole kind of nice. But Ko missed her opportunity for birdie.

“I’m not really sure if I pushed it”, Ko said.

The rest became a bit of golf serendipity as Brooke won the qualifier, then won the tournament going away for her first LPGA Tour win.

Henderson’s sudden death win came at the end of quite the four-day stretch.

“When that putt went in on No.11 for eagle, that was kind of like the huge jump forward, huge momentum changer”, revealed the Ontario native.

“It was really tough out there”, Ko said.

“I think it’s great”, Ko said of Henderson’s win.

Her father, Dave, is her coach, but he wasn’t there on Sunday. She can’t wait to see them tonight.

“The fact that she’s a very attractive, Canadian, young female that sort of projects Canadian values with true grit the way she won yesterday, that is definitely going to work in her favour”.

Henderson celebrated with some quick Mexican food and made her way through more than 85 congratulatory messages on her phone. Being the face of Canadian women’s golf is something she’s just getting used to.

“An fantastic day, for sure”, said Henderson.

“Yeah, that’s wonderful, as well, to think about all of the incredible players that have come before me”.

The victory propelled Henderson into the No. 2 spot behind Ko in the world rankings. The German star won in 2014 at Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh and past year at Belmont in MA.

Weir was about to turn 33 when he won the Masters and had already won six other PGA Tour titles.

“To have it go in was incredible”, Henderson said.

But she saved the best for last. She is a major champion.

Surprised, though, that it happened so quickly?

“I know I have the whole country behind me cheering me on”.

But Henderson is clearly the big mover in the women’s game.