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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 2, 2017

Brooke Henderson

Olympia Fields, Illinois

CHRISTINA LANCE: All right, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining us today. We're here with our 2017 KPMG PGA Championship runner-up, Brooke Henderson. Five birdies today en route to a 66. Four rounds of 68, 69, 69 and 66. Brooke, of course, our defending champion.

And Brooke, you had all of our hearts in our throats on 18. I'm sure your's was, too, with the eagle attempt and then that birdie. How did you feel playing hole No. 18?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, it was a great day for me. I got off to a pretty fast start, three birdies on the front nine. You know, I wasn't really making any mistakes. I had no bogeys and I didn't really have any holes where I was too panicked I was going to make one, so that's always a great feeling, especially on Sunday of a major championship.

You know, 17 and 18 were huge. To make that putt on 17, I feel like I had a chance and I hit two great shots on 18 to give myself an opportunity to make eagle and I guess take the lead by one at that point.

But you know, that putt, I took some extra time just trying to read it and just trying to get it right. I walked it a couple times trying to get the pace right and unfortunately I missed it by an inch. But you know, it was a great day.

And Danielle played great. She was 13-under pretty early in the back nine, and I knew I had a lot of work to do coming down the stretch. Congratulations to her, and sitting here a few days ago, I would be really happy with a second-place finish, and to have the chances and the opportunities that I did the last few holes. So I'm happy.

CHRISTINA LANCE: You mentioned that you knew Danielle's score, at least at one point. Were you actively scoreboard watching? How aware were you of what was going on?

BROOKE HENDERSON: I was trying to watch it as much as I could, every opportunity really that there was a scoreboard, trying to take a peek and see where I was at. Yeah, I knew where she was, and she was playing great golf.

Really, she won this, and I was just trying to make it a little bit closer and maybe force a playoff but like I said, I played great and I wouldn't really take anything back.

Q. You said last year midway through the final round, you felt it was going to be your championship. Did you have a similar feeling at any point today?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I don't know if it was quite as strong as it was last year. Probably why I finished second.

But I did feel like I did have a chance, a really good chance and I felt like my game was in such a great spot. I was hitting my driver great, hitting a lot of fairways, giving myself lots of opportunities for my second shots.

My putter was awesome. I made two pretty long ones and was keeping me in it all day, a lot of 15-yard putts that came up to just tap-in, so the putter was a really big key for me today.

But I did have that feeling. I felt like good things were going to happen, and you know, second place in a major championship, I'm really happy.

Q. What was the number into 18, and then how long was the putt?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I had 236 to the pin, and it was straight into the wind and up the hill. So I was ripping 3-wood as hard as I could and trying to get it back there. That was a great shot. You know, it gave me the opportunity to hopefully make eagle, and like I said, I left it one inch short, and that inch really cost me.

Q. We guessed 30 feet; is that about right?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I was ten paces. So, yeah, 30 feet.

Q. Runner-up finish in a major. What kind of momentum are you bringing into Green Bay next week, and then the U.S. Open?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I'm really excited about our schedule. That new event in Green Bay next week, I'm really looking forward to it, getting up there, maybe tonight, but early tomorrow morning and getting a look at the course. I hear great things about it. And then U.S. Open is probably our biggest event coming up. I'm really looking forward for the next couple weeks.

I won in Meijer and second place here, and I feel like my game is in a great spot. And hopefully, like you said, I can ride the momentum and keep the confidence, and maybe win a few more times this summer.

Q. That string of pars, ten through 16, any frustration for a putt that didn't drop or did everything go as well as it could have?
BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, I kind of had a mix of really good putts that had a chance to go in, and some that maybe I would have liked to give a better opportunity for.

But you know, whenever you can make pars and birdies with no bogeys on the card at a major championship on Sunday when you're in contention, you can't really complain too much. And of course, if I would have made one or two of those, that could have been a different story. But like I said, I had five birdies and 13 pars, so that's pretty good.

Q. A lot of observes thought that Kang was due for a win out here. As a fellow player, did you feel that, knowing that she did have a lot of talent and won the U.S. Amateur twice?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, I have known Danielle for a really long time, back before she won her first U.S. Amateur. I've always kind of watched her career. She was amazing. To win the U.S. am twice is incredible.

You know, she hasn't won out on Tour, and I think this will do a lot for her confidence and a lot for her game moving forward.

Q. How have you known her since she was an amateur?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I played a practice round in the U.S. Junior with her. I guess in my very first U.S. junior. So I don't know, that was a long time ago (laughs).

Q. She seems to have a lot of celebrity friends. She mentioned that Wayne Gretzky had texted her, and we saw a text from Jon Lovitz. Does she introduce you to her celebrity friends?
BROOKE HENDERSON: No (laughing). But Wayne has texted me in the past. Maybe through her or maybe just being Canadian. But yeah, she does have a lot of celebrity friends, that's for sure.

CHRISTINA LANCE: So you were here in 2011 for the Girls junior, and now six years later, you're the runner-up at the KPMG. Seems like Olympia Fields is a pretty good place for you.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it is. It's an incredible golf course. Extremely tough and I'm really happy that I don't have to play it again (laughing).

But yeah, it was a great test and especially for a major championship, and I'm really glad that it was held here this year. You know, hopefully we'll get back here in a few years. But I need a little bit of a break, so a few years would be good (smiling).

Q. I know your dad is obviously your dad and he's your coach and Chella Choi had her father on the bag today. Danielle lost her father four years ago. Can you imagine in, having gone through that yourself as junior player, aspiring young woman player?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I know she was very close to her father. It's very sad. But I think she's handled it pretty well, and he will definitely be proud looking down from above today to see her capture her first win and her first major.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Wonderful having you here this week, and we'll see you later this season.

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