Golf Town Athlete Brooke Henderson, who sits sixth on the LPGA Tour’s money list, continues the play that made her one of the best on the planet, winning once, while recording seven Top 10 finishes this season.

“I think I’m in a good position to play well in the second half of the season, with a few big events, including two majors and the CP Women’s Open, still to come,” Brooke said in an exclusive interview with Golf Town.

With that in mind, Brooke talks about her season and looks ahead to this week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open.

You’ve had a very successful year—but how does that measure up against what you expect from yourself?

Overall, I have played pretty well. I’m near the top in the CME Race to the Globe and have had a couple of nice results, Top 10 finishes and a win in Hawaii. I’ve been in the final pairing a few times now‚ including at the KPMG and Marathon where I wasn’t able to quite play my best on Sunday. But I’ll use those as a learning experience and hopefully be able to draw from that the next time I am in contention and have a chance to win another trophy.

You’re heading to the U.K. to play the Women’s British Open. The golf is very different there—does it suit your game?

I think I’m still learning when it comes to links golf. I haven’t really played great golf or had many close calls at the British in the past few years, but I am coming off of a victory in New Zealand last year that was at a links-style course and in terrible weather conditions. So hopefully that will be the boost of confidence I need to know that I can do it on courses like we see for the Ricoh Women’s British. I’m hoping for a better result this year.

What’s your experience like playing on seaside links courses?

I’ve learned that it really is about patience and trusting your swing over there. You may be on the wrong side of the draw with the weather, or get some unlucky bounces on good golf shots– and as is the case with any major, you just need to stay focused and patient.  It was fun to watch a bit of the men’s Open this past week with Tiger in the mix, and it showed just how different the golf course can act from one day to another, based on weather and pin positions. 

Do you actually play differently?

Another one of the biggest differences in golf in the UK versus North America is just the types of shots that you need to hit there. I’ll use clubs from different distances that I would never typically use at home – putter and woods around the greens, flighting the ball low to stay out of the wind, etc.  That is definitely one of the biggest challenges as we try to come up with a strategy for the week.

How do you deal with the travel and differences in time?

For whatever reason, it always seems to take a few days for me to get adjusted to the time change in the UK. It is even harder than when I go to Asia, so I try to get there a bit earlier to make sure I’m fresh for my practice rounds. I do like going over there with my sister Brit though. Each site is different, so some towns are cuter and have more going on than others as far as restaurants and hotels are concerned, but it’s always nice to see a new culture. I also love how great the fans are over there—they are out in rain and shine and wind just to watch golf being played at the highest of levels.

You’re playing at Lytham and St. Annes, one of the great British Open courses. What do you expect?

I’ve heard great things and obviously there’s a rich tradition there.  I expect a challenging course that will demand my full attention to every shot, and I just need to do my best to stay focused over the four days to try and give myself a chance at being in contention. I’ll be doing a bit more research this week from afar to learn a bit more about the course and see who some of the past winners there.