	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

June 2, 2016

Brooke Henderson

Galloway, New Jersey

Q. Was there anything about your experience here that helped propel you have an even better year?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Last year was a really important year for me and every opportunity that I had on the LPGA Tour I tried to take advantage of, and getting a sponsor's invite here was definitely a big steppingstone to the way I played last year and getting my Tour card.

So I'm really happy to be back and excited to see it up tomorrow.

Q. You have nine Top-10s this year. Obviously you're playing well. Just tell us a little bit about your game, how this year has kind of unfolded for you.
BROOKE HENDERSON: I've been playing pretty well. I'm getting some good results, like those nine Top-10s. The four other weeks were not too bad, either, I think all within the top 30. So I've been playing really well. Just trying to improve on some of the little things and hopefully finish top of the leaderboard this week and hopefully maybe a W is in the near future.

Q. Any frustration at all that that W hasn't come sooner this year, or how do you handle that?
BROOKE HENDERSON: The No. 1 thing is to make cuts and to all make sure you're playing the weekend, and to climb up the leaderboard as high as you can. Wins are awesome, but I also feel like Top-10s are just as successful, and I'm in it almost every week.

Q. How is life different now compared within a year ago? How has your perspective changed?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it's really, really changed. I'm very blessed to be living the life that I am. Last year was some hard work and lots of travel but it was well worth it. I'm just really living the dream every week out here.

Q. How has your success helped with off-the-course endorsements and things like that, making sure you have enough money for traveling?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. A lot of doors have opened the last 12 months, or 18 months, I guess. Yeah, things are going really well.

Q. What is the biggest challenge for you during a Tour week? Is it us? Is it sleeping in different beds?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I think the biggest thing is just time management, especially with my ranking going up and finishing high, there's more demands every week. Whether it's like with Pro-Ams or Pro-Am parties or media attention or practice and rest. We don't get to sight see a whole bunch but sometimes it's really nice to see a city.

Like we went to the Phillies game last night, just experiencing things like that, it really has a lot to do with how you're managing your time and how you can best prepare for that week.

Q. What was that like last night? Were you impressed with the grand your of the stadium? Have you thrown out a lot of first pitches?
BROOKE HENDERSON: No, that was my first one and the stadium was really cool. Got to see the World Series trophies from I guess 1980 and 2008 I think, so it was really, really cool.

Q. How was your cheese steak?
BROOKE HENDERSON: It was really good. That was my first one ever, too. It was really good.

Q. Which cheese steak?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Pat's.

Q. Did somebody fix it or you or tell you this is how you should have it?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, Kevin was giving us the low down.

Q. What do you like about -- you've only played this course one time obviously but what do you like about the course, and why does it suit your game, do you think?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I really like the course. You have to play really smart and hit good shots. It could be challenging when the wind is up a bit, so you've just got to pick a good number and commit to the shot.

But I think it's definitely scorable if you're playing well, and definitely some days -- I had some rough days last year. You can't let it get to you and you've just got to keep playing your own game.

Q. How did you find the greens? A lot of people are wary of the poa annua that comes out in the afternoon. Does that play in your head at all or do you stay focused?
BROOKE HENDERSON: It's pretty much the same for everybody, and I have an early tee time tomorrow, so I don't have to worry about that too much. Yeah, it's just another factor that this golf course offers, so you've got to be prepared for it and do your best.

Q. During the play-by-play analysis that's been taking place during the last several tournaments that you've played, several of the commentators have made a point about your putting being, quote, a little off, from last year. Is that something you actually agree with? Have you been collecting stats to see whether your approach shot hole shots are the same? Is anything going on in any part of your game that you need to work on more than any other?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I mean, I'm still playing really well. My ranking has moved, even since the start of the year, 14 spots, which is really cool. I'm reaching a lot of goals and playing pretty well every week. Definitely I'm working on some of those little things that I mentioned earlier, which includes putting and just around the greens. I think if that was a little sharper, maybe I would finish a little higher. Just kind of a work-in-progress.

Q. Is one of those goals at the start of the year the Olympics?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure.

Q. What do you feel now, you're in, but what are your thoughts about being able to represent your country?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it's an amazing opportunity for sure. A good friend of mine will be my partner down there, Alena Sharp. So I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully defending the Gold Medal that Canada won in golf over a hundred years ago. So I would be really happy to bring that back home to Canadians.

Q. Did the presence of the Olympics play any role in how you scheduled yourself for tournaments before and leading up to the Olympics?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. When I first found out the Olympics were coming back, I was way out of the rankings and not really in view to make the Canadian team.

So it was definitely a goal to try to improve my rankings and get a spot on the team.

Q. You're the highest-ranked player here this week. How do you take that, any extra pressure to take it as what it is? What are your thoughts?
BROOKE HENDERSON: It's definitely exciting and kind of a confidence-booster, but there's so many amazing players out here. Anybody can really win this week. They just have to put three good days together. At the end of the day, you just have to post good numbers and see what happens.

Q. After all the work you did last year to get to this point, what did that tell but yourself? What did you take out of having to grind every week and not knowing where you were going to play? What did you take out of that and how has that helped you mature as a golfer and as a person?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, last year was definitely a learning experience year for me on and off the golf course.

Responsibility and patience are two big things that I would take away. Every week I was chasing after something, and I think that's really important and it kind of showed me the importance of having a goal, because not many people thought what I was doing last year was possible, but it was.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297