CHASKA, Minn. — For nearly every significant moment of Brooke Henderson’s professional career, her sister Brittany has been there. In her first victory as a pro, Brooke beat Brittany by one. When Brittany received a sponsor’s exemption into the Cambia Portland Classic, Brooke Monday qualified and then won it (by eight). And a year later when Brooke won her first major title, Brittany was carrying her bag as caddie. (We’ll get back to the importance of that moment soon.)
Now, after her third-place finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Henderson’s best major finish in a decade? Yeah, her sister definitely played a part in that, too. Even though she never set foot on property.
Let us explain.
The Henderson girls grew up outside of Ottawa and quickly became golf stars. They both played on Golf Canada’s junior national team, and Brittany, who is six years older, played at Coastal Carolina. After a decorated amateur career, Brooke turned pro and lived up to all the lofty expectations, and with Brittany by her side. Her older sister has been on the bag as caddie for 13 of Brooke’s 14 wins (including both major titles).
But Brittany last caddied at the Tournament of Champions in January before stepping away. She and her husband, Zach Sepanik, were expecting a daughter this summer.
Veteran caddie John Killeen took over as looper, although Brooke eventually brought in her cousin, Ryan Henderson, at the Mizuho Americas Open. He’s been on the bag since, although it’s been somewhat of a slow season for Brooke. She took third at the Tournament of Champions with Brittany, but hadn’t finished in the top 20 in the 10 tournaments since. She’s lost strokes to her peers on approach and around the greens. Slow starts have also hampered her — she ranks 103rd in first-round scoring average.
But something changed this week, and right on time. She arrived in Minnesota and slept with her phone close by, just in case. Ten minutes before she woke up on Thursday, she got the message she had been waiting for: she was an aunt.
Excited, motivated and, well, just happy, Henderson kicked that poor first-round scoring average to the curb and shot a three-under 69. She then sat with the media, still beaming, and explained the origin of her niece’s name: Sahalee June.
Sahalee means high heavenly grounds, although Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., is also where Brooke won her first major title (in June), back when she beat Lydia Ko in a playoff at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as an 18-year-old pro. Brittany was on the bag.
“Even early on Thursday I was on a high because she was born Thursday morning,” Brooke said Sunday. “A couple times I was in a rough spot and I was like, it’s OK; life is good. And it just kind of helped me, and then I was able to birdie and get it under par after that. So I feel like mentally having kind of great weeks like this is really exciting.”
Henderson continued to play well at Hazeltine. Sixty-eight Friday. Sixty-nine Saturday. Haeran Ryu grabbed the 54-hole lead at 11 under, but Henderson was one back. Ina Yoon, at nine under, also made up the final threesome.
The fourth round had an early start, but after a weather delay of 3 hours and 30 minutes, the final threesome teed off closer to 12:55 p.m. local. Henderson’s sister and parents watched on TV. A couple of hours later, that final threesome was still in the top three: Ryu at 11 under, Henderson 10 under, and Yoon nine under, with Nelly Korda threatening three back at eight under. (Korda tied for 8th.)
Just like they did on 9, Ryu and Henderson matched birdies on 10. They went to the 11th tee with the crowd buzzing.
“It’s a battle now,” said one 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 bogey to keep the deficit three.
But Henderson couldn’t give herself enough good looks. She went bunker to bunker on the par-5 15th. On 16, 17 and 18 she left herself with long birdie tries.
Ryu closed with 70, winning at 13 under — a significant feat given she was 10 shots off the lead after the first round — to clip 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 form. I feel like I’m close to being really good again which is really exciting.”
Besides it being one of her better starts of the season, she also loved that her ball-striking turned a corner. Her swing felt better. And she was in the final group on a major Sunday, which is a feeling and a rush hard to put into words.
In short, Brooke Henderson is just… happy.
“I feel like it’s just a really exciting time for my family right now,” she said. “God is amazing. Really grateful that my niece is healthy and my sister is doing really well and I’m continuing to improve too. It’s great all around.”
And the best part hasn’t even happened yet. She flies back home tomorrow. Sahalee gets to meet her auntie.
