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LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HERSHEY

April 20, 2019

Brooke Henderson

Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii

THE MODERATOR: Hello everyone. Welcome to the media center here at Ko Olina Golf Club. I am so excited to be here with your 2018 and 2019 Lotte Championship winner, Brooke Henderson.

Congratulations Brooke. What an awesome way to finish a beautiful week in Hawaii for your eighth career win. You now tie Sandra Post, Mike Weir, George Knudson for Canadians that have won on the LPGA and PGA Tours.

What does that mean for you?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, it's really amazing to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Mike Weir, George, and Sandra. This week was really special. I always love coming to Hawaii. Last year was such an incredible week for me, to be able to hoist that trophy for the first time.

Coming back I knew I knew the golf course really well and I have so many great memories pretty much on every hole, which is a great feeling. To come in today tied with the lead with so many amazing players tied with or just back of me, was -- I knew it was going to be a tough task with the wind blowing as strong as it was. It definitely was really difficult.

To get the win, eighth career win on the LPGA Tour, is just surreal and really amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Your rounds this week: 65, 68, 69, and 2-under 70 for a 272, your best record here at Ko Olina. Take us through your day today.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, it was kind of a rough start; bogeyed the 1st hole. Just kind of tried to stay patient with Brit out there just because we knew it was going to be a tough day for everybody. When we bogeyed the 1st hole it wasn't a huge deal.

Just tried to make sure we hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, played on the smart side of the wind. We knew some holes were definitely birdieable, so we tried to focus on those. I was able to get a couple easy birdies on the Par-5, and then on No. 11, too.

It definitely helped, and I think patience was a huge key for us this week. I'm just so grateful to have her on the bag. Being Easter weekend it is really special to us as well. Just so grateful to God, our father and everything that he has provided for us.

THE MODERATOR: Walking onto 18 you had a three-stroke lead. What were going through your mind as you approached your tee shot?

BROOKE HENDERSON: That hole is really hard. I'm always a little bit scared teeing off there. But I just tried to take a couple deep breaths. We tried to talk through the first shot because it's really easy to run into the water there off the tee shot because it's so downwind. So I had to go with the hybrid and put it really in perfect condition.

I think I got a little bit lucky on the second shot, so I am really grateful for. And then just to be able to two-putt took a lot of pressure off. With that hole it's never really over until the ball is in the hole. Just tried to stay focused right until the last putt fell.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. At what point did the Canadian record become one of your goals? Before you turned pro even?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I mean, when I was younger it was just a goal to be on the LPGA Tour, to win my first event. And when that happened and I won my first major the year after, things kind of just started to fall into place. I knew the record was eight.

Just kept creeping towards to the last three years which, was really exciting. And then I think starting last year I sort of saw that it was within my reach if I had two good seasons. Last year put me into great position, and coming back this year it's been on the back of my mind every week that I tee it up.

Just really happy that I have finally done it. Looking forward to overtaking it now.

Q. How does it feel to travel all over the world and how do you adjust your body to different time zones?
BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, I'm really fortunate to have my sister who I travel with, so when we are really far away from home I always have somebody I can talk to and kind of go through everything with, which I think helps with the time change the travel, the fatigue, everything like that.

But I think what gets us through most of it is just the excitement of going to new places, trying new things, experiencing new cultures. That's really important to us, and we always have a lot of fun with it.

Q. In the week after ANA was there anything that you wanted to focus on in preparation for this week?
BROOKE HENDERSON: You know, this year I've felt like my game has been in a really good spot; just things haven't clicked all four days for me. Last week I was just trying to have a lot of fun in practice, try to keep it light, but try to just keep getting a little bit more consistent in all aspects my game.

I had a lot of fun last week doing those things, and put myself with a lot of confidence coming into this week.

Q. Wanted to ask you about the par on 15. I think you had a long birdie putt. How long was the par putt after that? About eight feet or so?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, 14, 15, and 16 I made really good putts. 14 the par-5 I was looking at birdie, and next thing I knew I had a kind of slippery 30-footer down the hill; was able to two-putt that.

And then 15, again, I was looking at birdie with wedge in my hand and ended up struggling for par. I had about, yeah, seven feet to save par on 15, and it was really nice to see that one go in.

Again on 16 I had I think it was almost 10, 12 feet on 16 to save par. That kept the momentum, kept the lead a little bit wider. Just kind of gave me a lot of confidence that I could depend on my putting if I needed to.

Q. When you're out there, is it Ko Olina that helps you, the familiarity with it, or do you just really like that wind?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I love this golf course. Even stepping on the course I guess early Monday I was going around playing a practice round and I just kind of said to myself, I can see why I play well here. Every hole kind of suits my eye and every hole I feel like I can make birdie.

Couple holes I can cut corners off the tee and have a little bit more of an advantage like 11, 15, and 17. That really gets me excited and happy. Then I feel like I probably play my best golf in the wind, which sounds kind of crazy. But like last year in Canada, last year here in Hawaii, and New Zealand couple years ago. All my wins have come when the weather is really windy or cold. Definitely not cold here, so it must be the wind.

Q. One more. You were able to defend the title for the second time in your career. Did you draw on that experience the first time in Portland?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I think knowing that I just played so well and have so many great memories here is really a great feeling when you tee it up on, in this case Wednesday.

I think knowing that I have defended in the past out here on the LPGA Tour with Portland Classic 2015 and 2016, that kind of gave me that a little bit extra boost that, yeah, I can do that again.

It's not that common that people do it out here because the talent is so strong. Every year it's always a little bit different. Weather is different, course plays slightly different. I think this being so uncommon to defend makes it a little bit more special for me.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? Brooke, how are you and Brittany going to celebrate this win?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Last year we went swimming in the ocean, so we're planning on doing that again.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations again, and we'll see you soon.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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