Brooke Henderson rallies, then holds on for LA Open title
Brooke Henderson chased down Jessica Korda and Jin Young Ko, shot 4-under 67 and then held on for a one-shot victory at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Here’s everything you need to know:
Leaderboard: Brooke Henderson (-16), Jessica Korda (-15), Hannah Green (-14), Jin Young Ko (-14), So Yeon Ryu (-12), Angela Stanford (-12)
How it happened: Saturday’s finale at Wilshire Country Club was set up to be a final-group duel between Korda and Ko, but the standout pair combined to play the first 12 holes in 4 over with just one birdie as Henderson, the third player in that final threesome who started the day four off the lead, rocketed up the leaderboard. Henderson birdied the 11th hole, her fourth birdie of the day, to take her first lead and a hole later doubled that lead by chipping in on the par-3 12th. She parred two of her next three holes – both par-5s – but a birdie at No. 14 helped provide a cushion, which helped as Henderson bogeyed the 17th before pulling off a clutch up-and-down par from behind the green at the par-3 finishing hole. After Korda birdied the last, Henderson had to sink a 2-footer to avoid a playoff, which she did.
Full-field scores from the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open
What it means: Henderson entered the double-digit wins club on Saturday, securing the 10th LPGA title of her career and first since 2019. Henderson’s victory ties the current world No. 6 with Ariya Jutanugarn, Paula Creamer and Shanshan Feng for eighth on the LPGA’s active wins list. Henderson has captured at least one win in six of the last seven seasons, with 2020 being the only year during that span in which she didn’t win.
Rounds of the day: Several players shot 5-under 66 on Saturday, including Hannah Green, who finished the tournament tied for second. Jeongeun Lee6, Mel Reid, Esther Lee and Alison Lee also closed their weeks in 66.
Shot of the day: The roars were well earned by Henderson here.
Biggest disappointments: We’ll give this one to both Ko and Korda, who each coughed up several shots and couldn’t keep Henderson from blowing by them and grabbing the trophy. Both players shot 72.
Winning quote: “I think as I age I’m getting more nerves. … I’m just really happy with how everything turned out. It’s nice to get the win and get some confidence back” – Henderson