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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPENAugust 26, 2018Brooke HendersonRegina, Saskatchewan, Canada THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the coolest moments of my LPGA career. It's my honor to welcome our 2018 CP Women's Open champion, Canada's own Brooke Henderson, absolutely electrified the crowd with her 21-under winning score. Brooke, this was an amazing experience. It's only been 30 minutes. Has it started to sink in yet. BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, truly amazing, dream come true. The crowds were incredible all week. Walking to the first tee on Thursday, I didn't think there was going to be that many people, and the crowd just seemed to grow bigger and bigger every single day, even every minute. Today was incredible. To have their support and then to play as well as I did and to hoist this trophy, I'm just so excited. THE MODERATOR: It seemed like a pretty steady four days for you, even though we went through all the changes in weather. What are your takeaways from your four days on the golf course competition-wise. BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I feel like my game is in a really good spot right now, and I just hit the ball exactly where you needed to be, and I got some breaks and I mad some putts and I was able to stay near the top of the leaderboard all four days, and to finish the way I did with five birdies on the back nine is really cool. You know, I just tried to stay really focused today and not let it slip away, and I was just trying to make more birdies and get further away from the crowd. Q. When you dropped that in on 18 and the crowd just went wild, what was going through your mind as you walked up onto that green? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I knew I had a couple-shot lead, but I knew it wasn't over yet. I had to hit a good shot in there. And then to hit it to three feet like that and to know that I finally did it, to hear the crowd chant my name, sing "O Canada," to make that putt was awesome, to get to 21 and 7-under for the round, and then to have my family and my close friends and the LPGA Tour stars come out and shower me with champagne, I mean, I still have some in my ear, so it's not that fun, but it was just so amazing. You know, walking from 17 over to 18, Alena just gave me a little fist pump, and yeah, I don't know, it's an amazing win, and it's definitely a career highlight for sure. Q. You're now the fourth golfer to have won on home soil, joining Pat Fletcher, Jocelyne Bourassa, Mike Weir. What does it mean to have such an elite place with elite Canadian golf company and history? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. Winning this event, there's tons of history. I was happy that I was able to break that long stretch without a Canadian winning on the LPGA Tour, and just to look at this trophy and read some of the names on it, it's really incredible to be able to know that my name is going to be added there, as well. Q. 65 on Sunday, really pretty incredible, but was there a moment when you figured you had it? BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, I wasn't really sure until that shot on 18. I know that might sound a little silly because I did have a few-shot lead, but anything can happen down the stretch. I was pretty nervous. This was a big deal for me. To be able to hit that shot in and finally know that it was basically over was incredible, and I feel like that was the first time all day that I could really smile and really enjoy everything to its fullest. Q. As the crowd gathered on 18 tee, the tee shot was as good as you've hit all week I think you would agree. You just seemed to be in a zone. BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. I think definitely on the back nine, I kind of found that zone, making five birdies and hitting it really close, hitting solid shots, really good drives on 17 and 18. I hadn't really found too many fairways on those two holes over the course of the week, but I did it today, which was just really important for confidence, and made the holes a lot easier. Q. You come into the day with the lead, you've got the big crowds, it's home soil, Angel was pushing you the whole way, the weather comes in. There's every reason for you to crack; why didn't you? BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, I think earlier this summer, I had a couple leads and I kind of let them slide away a little bit, and I didn't want that to happen again. I definitely got some breaks. I thank God for this amazing opportunity, and I thank all the people that came out to watch. For the first time ever I was really able to embrace the crowd and not really -- I was really confident playing in front of them, which was really cool for me, and I just was trying to be the best that I could be, and I kind of fed off their energy and was just really positive all day, knowing that I could make a lot of birdies, make some putts and climb the leaderboard, and it was really fun. Q. Going all the way back to the first hole, I don't know what you hit in there, hybrid or 5-wood -- BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, hybrid. Q. Right over the bunker, right at the flag, a back right flag. You talked yesterday about how you're at your best when you're playing aggressively, but that's a pretty brave shot to take on. Did you aim right at the flag? Did you push it a little bit, or was that right from the get-go you wanted to make a statement? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I definitely wanted to get off to a fast start. It was a really great shot. I was really happy. And to make birdie there I think was huge to kind of settle me down a little bit. You know, the wind was coming right to left, so I played the wind really well there and was pretty aggressive, but it worked out really well. I feel like it kind of set the tone for the whole day. Q. Lorie Kane mentioned to me afterwards that she told you last night she wanted to see your goalie eyes. How did you interpret that, and how did you take that message out onto the golf course today? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I think today I just tried to be really focused throughout the day. Throughout the week, I felt like I maybe engaged with the crowd a little bit more than I did today, but I just didn't want to leave anything to chance, and I just wanted to give it my all, so I just tried to be kind of laser focused, focusing on the next shot, what I had to do, and to make putts, to make birdies. It was really fun. It was really exciting. I think I did a really good job of that, of just not really letting outside things bother me too much. Q. Mike Weir's win at the Masters changed golf in this country for the better; what are you hoping that this victory will do for golf for this generation now growing up? BROOKE HENDERSON: I think just playing in this event, there was tons of juniors and tons of people out just to watch, and I feel like they were really motivated and inspired, and that's really all you can ask for. I think they really enjoyed the week, which makes me enjoy it even that little bit more. But I think this win will definitely help grow the game in Canada, and that's a goal of mine, as well. Q. When you got a chance to lift the trophy, when they announced you as the champion, who were you thinking about at that time? BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, I think just all the hard work that my family has put into this, my dad and my coach, my mom, my best supporter, and my sister, who's also my caddie. This was a big dream and a big goal for all of us, and I think it's just a cumulative effort of all of us that gave me the chance to be able to lift that. I mentioned I thank God for this, for this win and just the many opportunities that I've been given. My grandfather has passed away this summer, and I really think they were helping me today. Q. Are you most comfortable with a final round when you're starting in the lead? BROOKE HENDERSON: I think it was really a good thing that I started out with the lead today. I knew I couldn't really take a break. I knew I had to go out and make a lot of birdies. But it's a really fun feeling to be in the final group both on Saturday and Sunday, and especially when your game is in a good place like mine has been this past week. I feel like it was just -- I don't know, it's just -- the win is a dream, but just to be in the final group and have those crowds cheering for you is just amazing. Q. What do you think you learned about yourself this week when you look back at the four rounds? BROOKE HENDERSON: I think definitely to embrace this experience. I thought I did a great job last year in Ottawa of kind of engaging more with the crowd and just feeding off their energy, and I feel like that experience last year in Ottawa really helped me this week. This was like the first time ever that I've played my absolute best in front of the hometown crowd and on home soil. It's just a great learning experience, and it has a really happy ending. Q. I don't want to make you cry again, but I'll dare. When did you think of your two angels, your grandparents, for the first time on the course today? BROOKE HENDERSON: I mean, I think it's just throughout, but I know they were both great supporters, and so I mean, I think it's just constantly there and knowing that they're cheering me on. Q. Walking up the 18th, also? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah. I mean, like I said, I feel like my family has just been through a lot, and they've sacrificed so much that I could be in this position, so I really owe them a lot, and I feel like those are some of the first people to thank for sure. Q. The "O Canada," the impromptu "O Canada" after you won, it gave me chills when that happened. How did that make you feel when that came out of nowhere? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, that's so cool. To hear my name and then to hear "O Canada" right after, yeah, just an incredible experience overall. I don't know, 10 minutes from when I hit my second shot in on 18 to when I made that putt and when the celebrations all happened, those are the things that I'll remember forever. Q. A lot of things are going to be said and written about this in terms of a moment in history. It maybe almost seems like it was meant to be. Before this were you a believer in destiny and that sort of thing, and how do you feel about that now? BROOKE HENDERSON: I definitely feel like it was meant to be this week. Everything just kind of seemed to fall my way, and I feel like when you win on the LPGA Tour it is so difficult that you kind of need those breaks and you kind of need that feeling that it's yours, and I had that this week, which is really cool. I knew it wasn't over until basically 18, but I just had that good feeling. Yeah, I don't know. It's just amazing and a dream come true. Q. To what extent were you feeling pressure? BROOKE HENDERSON: I mean, always playing at home, you're always going to feel a little bit more, but like I said, this is kind of the first time ever that I was really able to embrace it fully and still play really great golf. Q. Can you share a little bit about how maybe the weather challenged you this week? It was such a variation. We had the blistering heat at the start, then the wind picks up, and then today kind of speaks for itself. BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it was basically all four seasons except for the snow, I think. But I think that definitely made it a lot more challenging, and I feel like you had to adjust to it, and I feel like Brit and I and my dad and my coach, we really adjusted extremely well to all the different conditions. Like you mentioned, it was hot, it was cold, it was windy, it was calm on the first round, and I feel like every round played a little bit different. Even the wind direction changed every single day. But we did a really good job of knowing where to hit the ball, knowing where the best birdie opportunities were, and to stay patient when things got a little bit tougher. Q. On media day, you understandably said you didn't want to touch that trophy. Now that you've touched it, what was it like to hoist it for that first time? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, this one is one that is probably the trophy I've wanted the most. So to finally be able to hold it, I learned that it's really heavy, but it's just amazing, knowing that I can actually hold it up right now for some more photos is really cool. Q. As you go into the Evian in a couple weeks, how confident are you with your game right now? BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I feel like it's in a really good spot. I've played really well, I would say, over the last month or so. I was in contention in Ohio. I played pretty well at KPMG, went to the British and had my best finish, just outside the top 10, and then last weekend, Indy, shooting 9-under on the final round. So I feel like things have been really steady for me. This win definitely gives me a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum. I've had two wins the last couple seasons, so I wanted to keep that streak going, so I'm happy that I did. And you know, hopefully I can look forward to hopefully getting a third win this season. Q. Let us know how you will celebrate this win. BROOKE HENDERSON: I'm actually flying to Calgary tonight, so it'll be sort of a short celebration, but it's just amazing. To be able to win this for all of Canada, for my family, it's -- I don't know, it's just so amazing. I don't even know what I'm going to do tonight, but I'm just so grateful, and I think it's going to probably take a little while to fully sink in. I don't know. I'm the national champion, so that's pretty cool. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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