Golfer Brooke Henderson is "growing into one of Canada's most marketable athletes," as she has "amassed an impressive list of sponsors" despite the 19-year-old having just turned pro in '15, according to Rachel Brady of the GLOBE & MAIL. Her reps at IMG have taken a "slow and steady approach" that has yielded deals with Ping, Titleist, BMW, Rolex, Mastercard, RBC, Skechers, Canadian Pacific, Google Android Wear, Golf Town and Toronto-based BioSteel. She recently shot an ad for BioSteel alongside fellow endorsers T'Wolves F Andrew Wiggins and Oilers C Connor McDavid and said, "I get a little nervous around the camera. ... Commercial shoots are different, but fun, and I'm doing a lot of them lately, so I'm starting to get the hang of it." BioSteel CEO John Celenza said, "We see a direct correlation between Brooke Henderson winning golf tournaments and the amount of BioSteel packets we sell in golf shops." Brady noted Henderson's image "will be splashed all across Ottawa this week" in advance of the LPGA Canadian Pacific Women's Open. Canadian golf retailer Golf Town on Thursday is sponsoring a "special bleacher ... packed with the 'Brooke Brigade' -- hundreds of kids in red Team Henderson shirts and her signature Ping visor." The company last Friday filled one of its Ottawa locations by having Henderson on hand to "sign autographs, and give away swag to create buzz for the tournament." Golf Town made Henderson its "first sponsored athlete, hoping she could help it reach a younger audience." Brady noted Henderson, whose four LPGA titles are highlighted by the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, has "charming girl-next-door looks and her appeal is uniquely wide -- she intrigues kids and adults, casual sports fans as well as hard-core golfers, male and female" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/20).
