OTTAWA –
Judging by the number of fans and the volume of their cheers, Brooke Henderson appeared to be the winner of the CP Women’s Open.
But the all-time most successful professional golfer in Canadian history finished 14 strokes behind South Africa’s Paula Reto to finish 49th in Sunday’s national championship. Reto blasted a final round of 4-under 67 to win her first-ever LPGA Tour title in one shot in 19-under overall.
“It was amazing,” Henderson said of the hundreds of fans who followed her around the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. “I wasn’t exactly expecting that because I thought, you know, they should go and see really good golf happen.
“It’s amazing they were out there all the time, just so many people. I felt the love all week.”
Reto’s 4-under was enough to lift her above third-round leaders Narin An (72) and Hye-Jin Choi (69) of South Korea. It was also just enough to repel a late attack from USA’s Nelly Korda (67).
“I tried not to look at the rankings,” said Reto, who played in the last group of the day with An and Choi. “I kind of knew where the girls were in my group, so I was just trying to make sure I stayed with them, or maybe a lead or two.
“That was the only thing I could control. You can’t do too much.”
A win would have put Korda back at the top of the women’s golf world rankings. She fell back in the standings after being sidelined with a blood clot in her arm.
“I think I had a good chance,” Korda said. “I’ve played good golf and to be honest I’m just grateful to be playing golf and being out here and enjoying every second of it.”
Reto set a course record of 9-under 62 in Thursday’s first round at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, surpassing Henderson’s previous mark of 63 he set at the 2017 CP Women’s Open. American Lindy Duncan equaled Reto’s record in the second round, which was split between Friday and Saturday due to a rain delay.
Despite Reto’s consistently strong performance, Henderson remained the star of the show.
Raised in nearby Smiths Falls, Ontario, the 24-year-old Henderson’s image was used extensively in promotional materials, from decals on hotel windows to foils in the stands to hand-held shields of her face that children could hold.
Even as Henderson made par on her last hole of the day, the fans chanted her name, whistled and cheered.
“It’s hard to put into words how much this means to me,” Henderson said. “I’m Canadian and everyone out here is proud to be Canadian, so it’s just been a great week.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (67) was 17th with 10 in the tied. It is the third time that Sharp has received the Sandra Post Award given to the lowly Canadian at the tournament.
Maddie Szeryk (71) of London, Ontario placed 9th in 26th for her best finish on the LPGA Tour so far.
Amateur Lauren Zaretsky (73) of Thornhill, Ontario was 75th with 1 over and Rebecca Lee-Bentham (72) of Toronto was 76th with 2 overs.
Golf Canada said more than 75,000 fans attended the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club over the course of the week, a record for the women’s championship and an impressive recovery after being canceled in 2020 and 2021. These ticket sales are a 55-per-cent increase over 2017 when the tournament was last held at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which has been the event’s previous benchmark.
“From fans, advertisers, amateurs, from our field, being here for the 2022 CP Women’s Open was just a dream scenario,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, who added that it could only have been better if a Canadian would have won the National Open.
It was also a boon for Ottawa’s struggling tourism industry, which has yet to recover from damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or the anti-government convoy that occupied Canada’s capital in February and March. Tourism Ottawa predicted the golf tournament would have a $13.4 million economic impact in the region.
Tournament director Ryan Paul said Ottawa’s unique geographic location on the border of two of Canada’s most populous provinces is also an advantage.
“Anywhere we can host and bring in from multiple markets, that’s a big deal for us,” Paul said. “Bringing this event across the country and into new markets, whether it’s Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, even Montréal, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, everywhere we’ve been has its benefits.”
Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club is scheduled to host the CP Women’s Open in 2023 after being scheduled to host canceled events in 2020 and 2021. No venue has been named for 2024.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on August 28, 2022.