Broken record music to their ears
Post, Weir happy to see Henderson pass them and excited for her future
Brooke Henderson is now the undisputed monarch of Canadian golf.
Her predecessors can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.
The 21-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday to break the Canadian record for professional golf titles with nine — one more than Sandra Post, Mike Weir and George Knudson.
“I knew it was coming,” Post said Monday.
The Canadian Golf Hall of Famer noted that Henderson normally wins by a wide margin, rather than the one-stroke victory she earned over Lexi Thompson, Nasa Hataoka, Su Oh and Brittany Altomare in Grand Rapids, Mich.
“I think I was looking at it as more a tournament rather than the ninth win,” said Post, “because in my mind that was a given. I hope she goes to double figures with the wins and runs it up as high as she can for the next Canadian.”
Weir also wasn’t concerned about losing a share of the record.
Instead, he was excited to see an elite golfer at the top of her game.
“I don’t really pay that much attention to records and things like that; that’s more for other people’s water-cooler talk,” said Weir, also a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
“I just appreciate watching good golf and I appreciate excellence in all sports. When you see a player really excelling themselves and improving their own game and seeing them round into form, as Brooke has, it’s great to see.”
Although nine career wins is impressive, Henderson is a ways off from LPGA Tour record. Kathy Whitworth holds that mark with 88 titles.
Sam Snead has the PGA record with 82.
That record may fall, however, with Tiger Woods picking up his 81st at this year’s Masters.
Golf great Annika Sorenstam, third in LPGA Tour history with 72 wins, tweeted her support for Henderson on Monday afternoon.
“Congratulations to @BrookeHenderson on winning the #meijerlpga,” said Sorenstam, adding an emoji of a champagne bottle popping and a trophy.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also voiced his support on Twitter.
“Congratulations on making history, @BrookeHenderson! We can’t wait to see what’s next for you,” said Trudeau, who repeated the tweet in French.
Henderson also won the Lotte Championship in April in Hawaii.
Just six months into the year, she is an early contender to win the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s athlete of the year and the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s top female athlete. Henderson has won the Rosenfeld three of the past four years, including 2017 and 2018.
Post, who won the Marsh in 1979 and back-to-back Rosenfelds in 1979 and 1980, didn’t want to make any bold predictions just yet.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen in sport this year, do we? It’s not an Olympic year, that’s a good thing,” said Post. “All I’m saying is that she’s got a good shot at it. But I think it’s great that we can have that conversation.”
Weir, who was awarded the Marsh in 2003 after winning the Masters, also likes Henderson’s chances.
“Her odds are great. She’s playing great,” said Weir. “There’s still a lot of the year left in other sports, but clearly in the golf world Brooke’s setting herself apart from any other player, man or woman, in this country.
“She’d be a real deserving recipient.”