Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson on Sunday won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for her first major title, and the 18-year-old "is talented and blonde and photogenic, the stuff of a marketer's dreams," according to Dave Feschuk of the TORONTO STAR. Henderson rose to world No. 2 with her win and is "intent on maximizing her value as an endorsement machine." But Canada's sporting landscape has a "recent example of a rapid rise followed by an unfortunate plummet." Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard two years ago was ranked No. 5 in the world, but now the 22-year-old has struggled with an "eating disorder she said was brought on by the pressure that came with her success." Feschuk notes women's golf "resides under a gentler spotlight than women's tennis." And for "that reason, and others, there are those who will tell you the Bouchard-Henderson comparison isn't apt." Canadian LPGA player Alena Sharp said of Henderson, "She has a great support group around her, and I don't think they'll let her get out of her own head" (TORONTO STAR, 6/14). The GLOBE & MAIL's Rachel Brady notes Henderson is the first Canadian in 48 years to win an LPGA major, and became the "second-youngest player in LPGA history" to win one. Golf HOFer Annika Sorenstam: "She has superstar qualities" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/14). Henderson is repped by IMG Golf's Kevin Hopkins (THE DAILY).
MAKING THE CONNECTION: In Toronto, Chris Stevenson notes a "stream of kids raced up the hill" behind Henderson as she left the 18th green Sunday at Sahalee Country Club. Stevenson: "You can't fool kids. They know the real deal." That is the "kind of connection Henderson seems to have with people, especially the kids, a charismatic presence that draws them to her." There was "no question for which player most of the fans at Sahalee were rooting for, urging on at every turn." The LPGA and women's golf are "blessed to have such a champion when they are trying to grow the game." For golf fans, Henderson "is that rare athlete who forces you to watch because you never know at what moment you will see something special" (TORONTO SUN, 6/14).
