Canada's Brooke Henderson embracing Olympic challenge

Although Brooke Henderson has become a global superstar, her roots remain in her little hometown in Eastern Ontario. 

The residents of Smiths Falls, Ont. have had plenty to cheer about for Henderson – and her sister Brittany, whose names are on the town’s sign – and last weekend was no exception. Before Henderson’s third Olympics the town gave her a proper go-for-gold send off.

Now, after a week of rest and a top-10 finish at the CPKC Women’s Open, Henderson, Canada’s top-ranked golfer, is trying to do exactly that. 

“It's just so cool to have a chance to play in (Canada) and I feel like it was great prep coming into (the Olympics) not only with our wardrobe, the red and white, but also just with the people. Having that much support and love and knowing that they are all behind us,” Henderson said from Paris.

“When I was playing the Women's Open, everyone was like, ‘Go for Gold.’ Even though I was playing that event, they were cheering me on already for this one. It was pretty cool.”

Henderson has had a mixed bag of results at the Olympics in her career, finishing tied for seventh in Rio – three shots out of bronze – and tied for 29th in Tokyo. Le Golf National, where the women will play the week after the men’s event concluded, should fit Henderson’s game as an elite ball-striker. She is sixth on the LPGA Tour in greens in regulation this season.

But the closing – and wet – finish at Le Golf National (holes No. 17 and 18 ranked as the two toughest holes of the week for the men) will test more of the mental side than anything. 

“It's an interesting finish. I feel like there's going to be a lot of movement which makes it fun and challenging as well,” Henderson said. “You've got to keep your head on straight because I think you'll have to really think your way around.”

Henderson is a medal favourite this week, but her Canadian compatriot comes into the competition having won her own recent hardware. Alena Sharp captured the bronze in golf at the 2023 PanAm Games. 

Sharp and Henderson make up the Canadian duo at the Olympics for the third straight year. 

Sharp specifically remembers when the duo first played together – because Henderson made a hole-in-one. 

“I said, ‘Hey, when you become of age, you owe me a drink,” Sharp said with a smile. 

“Alena has always been a great mentor to me so it’s really special to compete in three Olympic Games together and represent Team Canada because we are both very proud to be from Canada,” Henderson added.  

Sharp, 43, is the second-oldest competitor in women’s Olympic golf (and one of Canada’s oldest Olympians) but she’s proven through this LPGA Tour season that age is just a number. 

“I can still remember (winning the bronze medal) because it was only in November, and I feel like that's going to help me […] Rio I was feeling good about my game. Tokyo, not so good. This week, I feel like coming here, I could actually win now,” Sharp said. 

In order to find the podium this week, however, both Sharp and Henderson will need to string four impressive rounds together and beat a field filled with the biggest names in the game – including defending gold medalist Nelly Korda. 

The American has won six times already this season, including five tournaments in a row. But of course this is a different venue, in a different country, more than three years later. It’s a unique title defense. 

“Doesn't really feel like I'm defending, really,” Korda admitted. “Hopefully enjoy the fans. The men had amazing fans out here. I was wowed by how many people are out here watching and just happy that I'm back in this position. I'm here representing my country. I'm a two-time Olympian and I'm living out my dream.”

For both Sharp – who has never won on the LPGA Tour – and Henderson, whose trophy case is filled with 13 top prizes, including two majors, adding an Olympic medal to their collection would be a dream indeed. 

But it’s already been a winning week for Henderson, starting with her Smiths Falls send-off. 

“It’s fun to be at a Games where there’s so many people and there’s so much excitement surrounding it,” Henderson said, after attending the men’s final round Sunday. “I feel like so far it has been the best one.”

Henderson is grouped with Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea and Xiyu Lin of China for the first two rounds in Paris while Sharp is with Ana Belac of Slovakia and Sara Kouskova of the Czech Republic.