While Lindsey Weaver-Wright finished her round at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Canada’s Brooke Henderson got ready.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., held a one-shot lead over the American, but with No. 18 a par-5, the Canadian knew that a playoff was a distinct possibility. Sure enough, Weaver-Wright birdied the hole and forced an extra hole of golf at the LPGA event.
Henderson had made the most of her time waiting for Weaver-Wright and gotten prepared.
“It was a bit of a long wait, which makes it tricky,” said Henderson. “I just tried to eat a lot to get the energy up, and then I just went to the locker room and just reflected a little bit.
“I was just grateful for the opportunity to go out there.”
Henderson’s preparation paid off in an eagle on the playoff hole — again on the par-5 No. 18 at Seaview Bay Course in Galloway, N.J. — to win her 11th title on the LPGA Tour. She was already the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history, but her latest victory added to her ongoing legacy.
WATCH | Henderson has big final round to claim title:
Canada’s Brooke Henderson takes the ShopRite LPGA Classic for 11th LPGA Tour win
11 hours ago
Duration 6:11
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., beat Lindsey Weaver-Wright in a playoff to win the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey.
She started Sunday in ninth, well back of Sweden’s Frida Kinhult, the tournament’s leader after two rounds. But Kinhult faltered on Sunday with a 4-over round as Henderson came out firing with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close the gap, peppering in two more birdies on the back nine for a bogey-free 7-under round.
“To start the day if they would’ve said ‘you’re in a playoff to win’ I would’ve been super happy,” said Henderson. “I just tried to take that mindset. With playoffs you really only have one opportunity, so you kind of have to give it your all and go to win.
“I just tried to hit solid shots and I was able to make eagle there, which is really cool.”
After a Sunday 64, <a href=”https://twitter.com/BrookeHenderson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BrookeHenderson</a> eagled the first playoff hole to win the 2022 <a href=”https://twitter.com/ShopRiteLPGA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ShopRiteLPGA</a>. ⛳️<br><br>FULL LEADERBOARD ⬇️ <a href=”https://t.co/LKwOgdUF7X”>https://t.co/LKwOgdUF7X</a>
Weaver-Wright, who finished her round after Henderson, birdied her final two holes to tie the Canadian at 12-under overall and force the playoff.
“I was just like extremely calm out there the last three days,” said Weaver-Wright. “It’s kind of strange. Never felt like that before really but, it was nice not to get so worked up.
“It was just exciting to be in this position. I hope it’s just the beginning.”
North of the border, word started to spread of Henderson’s win at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., the low Canadian at the national men’s golf championship, was thrilled when he heard the news.
“I’m blown away. She’s incredibly talented. From all Canadians, congrats Brooke, that’s really special,” said Conners, who was Henderson’s teammate on the Canadian Olympic team at the 2021 Tokyo Games. “Eleven wins on the LPGA Tour is so amazing and I’m sure she’s far from done with that.
“She’s an incredible young lady and obviously an incredible player. So congrats, well done and enjoy a nice celebration.”
The 24-year-old Henderson said that at the start of her career she was usually winning two tournaments per year. She said the COVID-19 pandemic slowed that momentum down a little and she’s eager to get back to that winning pace.
“This one was I guess a little over a year, but feels like a long time I guess when you’re used to winning a little bit more consistently,” she said. “It feels great. I just want to hold on to this a little bit longer.
“I love being in the final groups on the weekend. That’s the goal moving forward.”
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
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