Brooke Henderson edges Lydia Ko to win Women's PGA Championship
Tuesday 14 June 2016 09:55, UK
Canadian Brooke Henderson won her first major title by beating Lydia Ko in a sudden-death play-off at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Sammamish, Washington.
Henderson holed a three-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole, the par-four 18th, after firing an exquisite seven-iron approach to near tap-in distance.
At 18 years and nine months, Henderson became the second-youngest woman to win a major after New Zealander Ko, who won last year's Evian Championship aged 18 years and four months.
Henderson, who denied Ko a third consecutive major, is just the second Canadian to win a women's major after Sandra Post, who won the 1968 Women's PGA Championship.
Henderson earned her victory in style, closing with a 65 to catch Ko (67) at a six-under score of 278, one stroke ahead of Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn (66), who was going for a fourth-straight victory.
Henderson's putter caught fire as she rolled in a 90-foot eagle from off the green at the par-five 11th to throw down the gauntlet.
"I had seven yards of fringe to go over and then a big mound so I really focused on the pace to make sure I had a close birdie putt and it ended up falling in and that was really the momentum changer," Henderson said.
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She later holed another monster putt, this time from 40 feet at the 17th, to draw level with Ko.
"It was a pretty good day for me," Henderson said at the victory presentation after collecting her second victory on the LPGA Tour.
"I really didn't feel a ton of pressure or a ton of nerves, which I think is the key to shooting six-under in the final round and then being able to play a play-off."
Asked whether she had ever dreamed of such a moment, she responded: "Definitely in my dreams. I don't know if I ever thought it would come true."
