CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 14, 2023

Brooke Henderson

Tiburon Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Okay, welcome everyone to the CME Group Tour Championship. Final event the year. Joined by Brooke Henderson here.

Brooke, you kicked us off this year with the first win of the season at TOC and now making your ninth start in the CME Group Tour Championship.

Can you just take us through your year start to finish and how happy you are to be back here?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, you know, the year started off amazingly. Getting the with at the first event was really cool. Always loved that championship and always it's always been on my Bucket List to win it, so really cool to get that done this year.

I feel like everyone, we worked the whole season to get invited to come play here this week, so really grateful to be one of the top 60 players competing. It's a massive paycheck and great, really fun way to finish out the year, so really looking forward to it.

Q. Speaking of the massive paycheck, we've seen throughout the year and looking ahead to next year, sponsors have really stepped up their game in increasing purses and their support for championships like CME. What does that mean to you as a player on the LPGA to see that a kind of commitment?

BROOKE HENDERSON: It's really fun to be a part the LPGA right now. There is a lot of growth in women's golf and a lot of growth in women's sports as well. It's fun to be a part of that momentum and keep pushing it forward.

I think we're all very thankful to all the sponsors that have stepped up in big ways. Terry Duffy and CME Group this week, they really lead the charge. They do a great job.

This is just a fantastic event and I've had some decent finishes here in the past, and as you said, ninth time playing, so been here quite a bit. Learned the golf course. Hopefully I can use all those things and go out and shoot for four solid rounds.

Q. Leading into my last question, you have had some solid finishes here. What do you like about this championship and the course in general that helps you perform well here?

BROOKE HENDERSON: I love this course. You can be aggressive and make a bunch of birdies, which I feel normally suits my game pretty well. I always you have a lot of support here, a lot of Canadians come down, snowbirds, and friends and family that I've gotten to know really well down in this area since live not too far from here.

It's a fun week for me, and I feel like the last part of the season I've been trending in the right direction. I've been seeing some big improvements in certain areas, and just need to have the results show that.

So hopefully this week everything comes together, and it would be a great way to finish out the year.

Q. The glasses look great, by the way.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Thank you.

Q. Like any adjustment in golf it can be the smallest little thing. How long did it take you to get accustomed to playing in them, and do you feel like you don't know they're there now?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I forget I'm wearing them, which is great now. I was a little bit nervous and hesitant to go to the glasses. I've always sort of had trouble seeing. My vision has never been perfect since I've been on tour and worn these off the course for a really long time.

You know, I felt like my vision was getting a little bit worse earlier this year. Felt like maybe it was starting to cost me some shots. I said now is the time to make the change. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

I just put them on on the break I had after the British Open before the Canadian Open, and I tried them out in practice and it was going pretty well. Then it was good enough for me that I thought I was seeing advantages to being able to see, it wasn't interfering with my game, and put them into action starting at CPKC. I have been wearing them ever since.

It was a lot smoother than I thought it would be, but any time you make a small change in golf feels like a big adjustment.

Q. You just said you made some progress and some changes that the results haven't shown yet. What are those changes?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Switching my irons to the P7MCs has been wonderful. I love those and feel like my ball striking is getting where I really want to see it. Hitting a lot of greens. Giving myself a lot more birdie opportunities which is great. Just a lot more confidence that can help the overall game as well.

So I made that change in September, so the last few tournaments I've definitely been seeing some results. I feel like if I can just get the putter matching as well, we'll make a bunch of birdies.

Q. Do you remember what event that was when you put the irons?

BROOKE HENDERSON: I took five weeks off in September so I kind of made the change during that time then first event back out was in Korea, BMW.

Q. This is the last chance for you snap one of the odd streaks on the LPGA of winning the first event and not winning again for the rest of the year. Does that win maybe change the impact or your view of the season, and any thoughts why that streak might be happening?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it's a really weird stat that I don't like very much. I thought I would break it earlier. Maybe got in my head a little bit. But, this would be the perfect week to kind of break that. You know, kind of bookends, win the first one, the last one. That would be obviously ideal.

I'm going to go out and try to bring the advantage that I have for this course that I work with my coach and sister with, and all the things that I've been trending in the right direction, and hopefully put it all together and go out and try to shoot a low number on Thursday.

Q. Sounds like you are aware of that stat.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yes.

Q. Do you remember when you first heard it?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Right after I won. It's been on my mind for a while. (Laughter.)

Q. This time last year you were struggling with some back issues. Did you have to change your training routines this season? If so, how?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, the off-season for me last year was huge. I put in a lot of work to strengthen and heal, and has really paid off. Knock on wood, I don't have the issues that I had last year. So that feels -- that was another thing coming into this week I was really happy about and really excited that I'm a lot healthier than where I was this time last year.

Hopefully this gives me more opportunity to play well this week.

Q. What sort of the exercises did you do to address those back issues? Generally how has your training evolved over the course of your career?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Definitely work out a lot more now than did I when I was younger. Just trying to keep I hope and always trying to get a little bit stronger as well.

I feel like stretch something also so important. Flexibility. Especially with my swing and as I get older, 26 now, so stiffening up. So always important to be making gains so you can compete against the best in the world out here.

I feel like the off seasons are always a big deal for me. Always try to put in is quite a bit of work and maintain throughout the season.

You know, last year I worked a lot with Dr. Thomas and the physios here putting together a program to kind of help heal, and make sure that I didn't have those problems again with my back.