Canadian LPGA star Brooke Henderson eyes title runs in 2025

Brooke Henderson has a new look for 2025, but a singular, big objective for her year ahead – return to the winner’s circle.

The Canadian star begins her 2025 LPGA Tour campaign this week at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club outside Orlando, Fla. She won this event in 2023, but, somehow, it was her last win on the LPGA.

Despite notching nine top-10s last year, she rarely gave herself a chance heading into the final rounds. That is one big thing she’s hoping to change this year.

“I would love to be in contention a little bit more. I would love to have the opportunity on the weekends, especially Sunday afternoons, to be right in the mix and hopefully post another trophy here soon,” Henderson said from Florida. “Been a little while since this event in 2023. Definitely feeling it a little bit.”

As first reported by Sportsnet in November, Henderson had a surgical procedure in Canada on her right eye to remove a bump that had developed due to repeated exposure to wind and sun. She had been wearing glasses through 2024 but this year – and for the first time in her life – she is now wearing contact lenses.

Henderson said Tuesday that on longer shots, when she would be looking down the line, she could always see the frame of her glasses – which was “annoying.” So much so, she admitted, that might have forced her to change her swing slightly.

This week will mark her first tournament since August 2023 without glasses.

“The glasses always seemed to be in the way a little bit,” Henderson said. “Now with them off I feel much more free. I feel like maybe not right away, but I think over time it'll definitely be better than wearing glasses.”

Henderson also comes into this year with some fresh equipment in her bag, having put TaylorMade’s new 2025 driver and fairway woods into play. She also changed her irons and putter at the very end of 2024.

But, while plenty has changed, a lot has stayed the same. Henderson celebrated 10 years as a professional in December and will once again begin 2025 with her sister, Brittany, as her caddie and her father, Dave, her swing coach.

The tight-knit trio has helped Henderson to 13 LPGA Tour wins, the most by a Canadian in history. Henderson said while she had a nice off-season at home in Canada (she even dropped the puck at an Ottawa Senators game in early January after being named an ambassador to the team last year), she spent a good chunk of time at their place in southwest Florida working on “small improvements” to things she wished they could have done better in 2024. Henderson said dropping her scoring average is going to be key for her success this year. She averaged 70.78 last year, good enough for 19th on tour. But she was fourth in the same stat two years ago with 69.51. Moving that number under 70 is something she’s focused on.

Henderson frequently points to her putting as an area that she concentrates on not only in the off season but through the year as well, and for 2025 that will be no different. Henderson was 123rd on the LPGA Tour in putts per round last year, a disappointing slide from 46th in the same stat in 2023. The leaders in that category averaged, essentially, two fewer putts per round than Henderson – which adds up throughout a tournament week.

“For me, when the putter is rolling well, I'm usually in the mix, so that's definitely been a focus point throughout any entire career and just trying to fine-tune, get better,” Henderson said.

Removing the glasses, Henderson admitted, should be something that helps with her short-game sightlines too.

“I feel like I can see everything a little bit better,” Henderson said. “I think in terms of putting and chipping, just being able to look down the line, and not having to turn my head will be really helpful.”

Henderson did have a solid end to her 2024 campaign, notching two top-10s in her final four events – including a T8 at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She also finished fourth alongside Corey Conners at the LPGA-PGA Tour team event, the Grant Thornton Invitational, in December.

Now, though, the calendar has turned and Henderson – who has fallen to No. 24 in the world – is more motivated than ever to return to the winner’s circle on the LPGA Tour.

“Just trying to have smaller goals along the way that hopefully will lead to the big goal,” Henderson said, “which is getting back into the winner's circle and be the best I can.”

Henderson is the lone Canadian in the field at Lake Nona, where Lydia Ko defends her title. Ko won three times last year plus the Olympic gold medal en route to earning a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Also headlining the field this week is reigning player of the year Nelly Korda, who won an incredible seven times last year – including five straight.

The event also features celebrities from music, entertainment, and sport in a pro-am format (Henderson has played with Toronto sports legends Vince Carter and Josh Donaldson in the past) and begins Thursday.

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