The final event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season takes place this week, and Golf Town athlete Brooke Henderson has a chance to win the biggest prize in women’s golf.
For 2019, the Race to the CME Globe has changed its structure. All 60 golfers who are in the field at the CME Group Tour Championship will have the opportunity to win the $1.5-million prize – if they win the tournament itself.
Brooke currently sits second on the season-long points competition. She trails 2019 CP Women’s Open winner Jin Young Ko (who was already named the Rolex Player of the Year) by 1,241 points. Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp will also be in the field, as she sits 46th in the standings.
But those points essentially get thrown out the window next week, and Brooke has a chance to top them all.
From 2014-2018 the top 72 players in the Race to the CME Globe competed in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the top-12 players mathematically eligible to win a $1-million bonus the last two years. With Brooke’s steady play, she has been one of those top-12 players the last two seasons! She ended up fifth in the standings in 2017 and third last year.
This year, overall, has brought even more success for the young Canadian star.
To start, she nearly captured the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by IOA before being hit by an illness that caused her to miss two tournaments. She stormed back after that, however, and has notched 12 top-10 finishes so far this year including two victories.
Brooke’s first win of the season came at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, where she defended her title from 2018. She won by four shots. A month later she finished T2 at the Pure Silk Championship. Just three weeks after that she topped the field at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give after a Sunday showdown with American Annie Park.
Brooke’s victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic (her second win there in three years) gave her nine in her LPGA Tour career. Win No. 9 made Brooke the winningest Canadian of all time – on the PGA Tour or LPGA Tour!
She nearly defended her title at the CP Women’s Open this August at Magna Golf Club, just north of Toronto, but Jin-Young Ko played lights out and ended up notching her fourth win of the season, this time by five shots.
Brooke, who is friends with Jin-Young Ko, was in the final group alongside her. The full support of the Brooke Brigade was heard loud and clear that week!
But while Brooke can reflect back on another great season, she has a laser-like focus on the task at hand next week at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
Brooke has a winter home in Naples and should feel comfortable with the course and the conditions. Her best result at the CME Group Tour Championship came last year when she finished T10.
The average winning score in Naples the last four seasons has been 17-under, and Brooke is no stranger to going low. Her scoring average of 69.60 is good enough for fourth on Tour – one of her key goals at the beginning of the year was to have that number be below 70 – and if she gets off to a hot start, watch out.
While Brooke Henderson has already earned over $1.5 million on the course this season, she’ll be eager to make even more this week at the CME Group Tour Championship and try to top the best players in women’s golf at the 2019 LPGA Tour season finale.
Brooke,
Best of luck and will be rooting for you here in New Hamburg Ontario.
Having spent many a summer working on the family farm site in Perth, Ontario, I am well familiar with the Smith Falls area.
You are a model ambassador to the golf industry here in Canada and we wish you and your sister every success this weekend. Go get them!!!
Canada has a true gem in Brooke Henderson but I don’t understand what appears to be minimal support given by companies like Golftown. Brooke is the best golfer “ever” in Canada and her talents are recognized world wide. She is an interviewer’s dream. The “Smiling Assassin” is always ready to compete. She has such a welcoming smile and willingly makes direct contact with her fans. My question is where is her support in creating a complete wardrobe tailored to Brooke? Her choices have always been rather repetitive but as a successful young woman and professional she could use a new look. Where the heck are all the other clothing sponsors? With her sister caddying for her there is the opportunity for double exposure!
I would love to see some company step up to the plate and look after Brooke as she so rightfully deserves!
Alan,
Give it time — clothing sponsors will be swarming over the two of them. Understand she is well controlled through family connections and disciplines herself to playing golf.
Agree, she is a sponsor’s dream given her outward character and amazing talent. Today’s sponsors tend to be focused more on the male athletes and it will be their loss if they do not see their potential for marketing.
Alan, Brooke always looks awesome and I believe is wearing exactly what she wants to wear. I am having a hard time understanding why you think she needs a new wardrobe.
Good Luck to Brooke and Alena this week.
Trina, I agree with you 100%. Brooke looks amazing. Maybe Alan is implying that she should start wearing skorts? I don’t think she needs to do that at all. I have seen plenty of women on the golf course wearing clothes that resemble what she wears. It’s a great style. Ping could market a signature Brooke Henderson line. Clothing, clubs, etc.
Andre, The gals play golf in extreme heat, speaking from experience skorts are not very cool as they are two layers. If it is legs the men want to see perhaps beach volleyball it the sport to watch,
Trina, like I said, Brooke looks great in what she wears on the course. Lexi Thompson and many other LPGA members elect to wear skorts all the time. How come it’s always cold and windy whenever I decide to play a round. That’s Calgary for ya. Ha Ha.
I am hoping all of Canada gives their support to Brooke and Alena this week. They certainly deserve it. Brooke’s play over the last couple of years has made a lot of people take notice, that’s for sure. I like her style of clothing on the course and agree with John Consitt that you market her from every angle, not just her representing PING.
Andre’
Well said.
They are well positioned after 1st round.
Keep it going Brooke and Alena.
Canada is rooting for you as appears a lot of the gallery in Florida.
Thank you John. Looks like Alena will have to shoot in the low 60’s Saturday and Sunday. Improbable, but not impossible. Brooke on the other hand is right where she needs to be.