NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — After her 10th-place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open, Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson says she’s keeping her options open when it comes to turning pro.
But the 16-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., says right now she remains committed to a scholarship at the University of Florida once she finishes high school.
"I am still committed to the University of Florida right now but we’ll just see," she said Monday, as she prepared to compete in the second stop of the season for the Canadian Women’s Tour in Niagara Falls, Ont.
"LPGA is definitely my goal and I hope to have a successful career out there sometime soon. I don’t know when that is right now, if it’s this year, next year or four years, after I finish university."
The Open was won by another former teenage golf legend, Michelle Wie, 24, who turned pro just before her 16th birthday. The Open was her first major win.
Henderson, who had the best score among amateurs at the challenging No. 2 Pinehurst course, admitted to some anxious moments at the start of her second Open.
"The course was very difficult … and the beginning of the week I was a little bit intimidated because it was so hard and it was running so firm and fast," she said.
But she got more comfortable as she worked her way to that final round 69.
"I just knew that i had to hit certain spots on the fairways and certain spots on the greens and then it would be all right. I was able to hit the ball really well (last) week and hit those spots, which made it a little easier on me."
Henderson, the No. 3-ranked amateur in the world, edged the top amateur, Australian Minjee Lee, by three strokes to take the low-amateur medal.
She didn’t get much of a break after the Open with a long drive to Niagara Falls but says she’s always happy to be playing on the Canadian Tour.
