No matter the venue, it seems as though Golf Town Athlete Brooke Henderson manages to thrive at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

And this year it’ll be extra special, as the second major championship of the year on the LPGA Tour heads to the storied Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey – a multi-time host of the PGA Championship on the men’s side and most recently in 2016.

“It’s so exciting to play the courses the men have played – these great championship venues. It just is moving the women’s game in such an incredible direction, and for me it’s fun to be able to play these courses that I’ve seen on TV and seen the men win on,” said Brooke.

In-Gee Chun will look to successfully defend her title from a year ago, as she topped Minjee Lee and Lexi Thompson by one at Congressional Country Club after starting with a record-setting 8-under 64 in the first round. The course really showed its teeth over the weekend, and Chun finished at 5 under for the week to take the title – her third major triumph.

Brooke finished tied for 16th. She did not finish outside the top 20 at any major championship a year ago, and, she has never missed the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Brooke started her career with a tie for fifth at this championship in 2015 before winning the title the next year for her first major victory. She nearly repeated, finishing alone in second in 2017. In fact, Brooke has only finished outside the top 25 at the KPMG Women’s PGA once in her career – and she hasn’t finished outside the top 25 at any major in three years.

This will be her ninth start at this major.

“It’s a little strange,” Brooke said with a laugh when asked how she’s been able to have success every year at the KPMG Women’s PGA, despite the fact it is contested at a different golf course each year. “But they treat the players so well and they make it such a fun week regardless of where it is. You’re usually playing an incredible golf course, an iconic venue, and I’m always excited about that too.

“The level of excitement and the confident to play for big money and on network TV and big venues it just all adds up and fortunately I’ve been able to be pretty successful at that.”

Brooke’s season started as well as any, as she captured the season opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January. Since then, she’s had a mixed-bag of results but remains ranked in the top 10 in the world.

“I feel like I’m really close. I haven’t really seen the results that I would like to be seeing yet, but I feel like my game is in a really good spot and it’s really close to being back where I want it to be and seeing those top results,” Brooke said about the state of her game at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, where she is a two-time winner. That event takes place the week prior to the KPMG Women’s PGA.

If Brooke was to hoist the big trophy again at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she’d need to top a field that consists of all the top names in the game – including one that’s brand new to this pro-golf thing, but who made a hefty splash in her debut.

Rose Zhang, who won in her first professional start after an all-time amateur career, is teeing it up in her first major as a pro. Other notables include world No.1 Jin Young Ko – twice a winner already this season – and Lilia Vu, who is also a two-time winner in 2023, including at the first major of the year, The Chevron Championship.

Brooke, though, is just as much a favourite as the other 2023 LPGA Tour winners. And she can’t wait to tee it up at an event that’s near and dear to her heart.

“KPMG has always been very special tournament to me, and I think KPMG with the PGA of America are continuing to elevate the women’s game in leaps and bounds, really,” Brooke said. “So, it’s exciting to come back to that championship for another chance to win.”