Henderson learning to handle expectations at CP Women's Open

TSN Senior Reporter

Follow| Archive

At 24, Brooke Henderson has just about done it all. She’s won majors, captured her national open and had a bobble head made in her likeness. She’s attracted numerous A-list sponsors, and even has her own fan club, the Brooke Brigade.

It might be hard to top all that but now Henderson is in a video game, alongside Tiger Woods no less.

Such is the life of Canada’s greatest professional golfer.

As she prepares for the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Country Club, the pride of nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., is bracing herself for what is turning into a massive Brookefest. More than 70,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, an increase of 20,000 from when the event was held here in 2017. Her image is everywhere throughout the golf course and hundreds of young girls, dressed in the same manner of their hero, follow her every move. Brooke-alikes you might call them.

On Tuesday a massive gallery followed her as she played the back nine, spending lots of time with her putter, trying to learn the slopes on the large greens at the Hunt Club. In between holes, she signed autographs and posed for selfies, with all ages of fans.

It seems the only thing left for Henderson to do is perform on the course when play gets going on Thursday, which is not as easy as it seems. This week is unlike any other on the LPGA Tour for her, with demands on her time soaring. Requests from media, sponsors and fans are almost overwhelming.

“It’s a bit of a balance,” admitted Henderson, “and to make sure that you’re ready to go come Thursday. So I feel like over the last few years I really learned a lot in how to manage my time. I look forward to this week every single year, and so I try to give it my all in