Henderson fades but is still the star attraction

TSN Senior Reporter

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Anyone who has ever played golf knows all too well that it’s a slippery game. One day, you can do no wrong and the next you’re swinging as if you’re scything wheat.

And it’s not exclusive to weekend hackers; even Canada’s greatest golfer has felt that sting as she did on Saturday in the third round of the CP Women’s Open. Brooke Henderson was looking for a low round to climb the leaderboard and perhaps get back within shouting range of the top. She did that in 2017 when the tournament was here and set the then-course record in the process.

This year? Not so much.

Although she was teetering on having a tremendous round, Henderson battled a balky putter and some frustration en route to a two-over 73. It was just her second over-par round in this tournament in her last 16.

Henderson started well, rolling through the front nine in two under. She looked to be on the cusp of something big with a smooth approach to four feet on the 10th and another one to eight feet on the 11th. Both times, however, she missed the putt and the start of frustration began to show, even though she smiled at the massive crowds as they cheered her every step of the way.

But the struggles continued. Her approach on 12 landed just short of the green and she needed three whacks to get it in the hole from there. Still kicking herself from that mistake, she compounded it with a poor swing on the par-3 13th – a hole she admitted does not fit her swing -- and watched her ball sail into the water leading to a double bogey.

If there were still any hopes that she might pull off a late charge, they went to the bottom of that hazard along with her ball.

Henderson put another bogey on the card at the par-3 15th with a