Local Golf Superstar Brooke Henderson Gets the Key to the City

As the city of Ottawa prepares for Canada Day this week and the CP Women’s Open (The Canadian Open) in August, it took a moment today to pay tribute to the winningest pro golfer in our nation’s history.

Brooke Henderson was presented with the Key to the City of Ottawa by Mayor Jim Watson today, in recognition of Henderson’s accomplishments as a golfer, and the impact she’s had on the city and its image on the national and international stage.

“Brooke Henderson is a remarkable golfer and an inspirational young woman,” said Watson. “Whether you’re a golfer or not, people from Ottawa, Canada, and around the world marvel at her accomplishments. She is an ambassador for the game and for healthy living. It is my honour to present Brooke Henderson with the Key to the City on her one and only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour.”

The Smiths Falls native already has 11 LPGA titles, three more major professional tour wins than any other Canadian in history. Sandra Post, Mike Weir and George Knudson are next on the list, all tied at 8 wins apiece. At age 24, Henderson has nothing but time and opportunity to pad that lead. Case in point, she just won the ShopRite LPGA Classic earlier this month.

Henderson’s golfing excellence was evident early. At age 16, she finished 10th at the 2014 Women’s U.S. Open. Two years later, she won her first major at age 18 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Incredibly, for a career that’s so young, Henderson has already had 67 top 10 LPGA finishes and earned $9.2 million on the tour. Henderson is again having an outstanding season on the tour and currently stands fourth on the LPGA’s Race to CME Globe Seasonal points race.

Today’s Key to the City presentation was the closer to Canadian Open media day at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which will host the CP Women’s Open later this summer. 16 of the top 20 players on the current LPGA Tour Money List have already committed to compete. It’s the fifth time the tournament has been hosted in Ottawa and the 4^th time “The Hunt” has been the venue. Past events include:

Henderson won this event when it was held in Regina in 2018, becoming the first Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973. She’d love nothing more than to win it again, this time in front of her hometown fans.

“(The 2018 CP Women’s Open win) is probably the most special to me,” said Henderson at today’s media day. “I’m just so excited to be back home here and be able to show our friends on Tour just what Ottawa’s all about again. It was so special back in 2017 being able to host this Championship here and show off the city and show off this amazing golf course.

“I’m so looking forward to coming back here and having the opportunity to compete. And hopefully [smiling and pointing to the CP Women’s Open trophy], hoisting this once more.”

By Steve Warne | Faces Magazine