HENDERSON HOPING FOR WIN # 2

HENDERSON HOPING FOR WIN #2

Brooke Henderson is having one of the best seasons of any golfer on the LPGA Tour and should be considered one of the favorites entering the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer. Nine of her 14 career top-10 finishes come from 2016 alone and Brooke has climbed up 14 spots in the Rolex Rankings since the beginning of the season to No. 4 in the world, the highest ranking of her young career.

Henderson will try to turn her positive play into a winning performance at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. A win this week would be the second of her career to go along with her victory at the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic where she won by eight strokes, the largest margin of victory on Tour last season.

“I’ve been playing pretty well,” Henderson said of her 2016 campaign. “I’m getting some good results, like those nine Top-10s. The four other weeks were not too bad, either, I think all within the top 30. So I’ve been playing really well. Just trying to improve on some of the little things and hopefully finish top of the leaderboard this week and hopefully maybe a W is in the near future.”

The 18-year-old Henderson ranks eighth on Tour in greens in regulation (74.36%), something that she’ll need to do often to have a chance at winning in New Jersey this week.

BROOKE HENDERSON - TOP-10 STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Category                        Year to Date                Rank

Top-10s                      69% (9 total)             1

Birdies                       210                             1

Rds under par          38                               3

Scoring Avg.            70.00                          4

Money List                $538,344                   7

GIR%                          74.36%                      8

“I really like the course,” said Henderson. “You have to play really smart and hit good shots. It could be challenging when the wind is up a bit, so you’ve just got to pick a good number and commit to the shot. But I think it’s definitely scorable if you’re playing well, and definitely some days -- I had some rough days last year. You can’t let it get to you and you’ve just got to keep playing your own game.”

Henderson is nearly a lock to represent Canada in Rio at the Olympics later this summer, and is looking forward to “defending” the country’s gold medal in golf.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for sure. A good friend of mine will be my partner down there, Alena Sharp. So I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully defending the gold medal that Canada won in golf over a hundred years ago. So I would be really happy to bring that back home to Canadians.”

IN ELITE COMPANY

Gerina Piller has made quite a name for herself this season. Although she has had several close calls to breaking into the winner’s circle, the 31-year old said her consistency is what has moved her up to No. 15 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She’s the only player ranked in the top-15 in the world without a career victory. Twelve out of the top-15 have at least two career wins.

Piller started the season ranked 28th in the world and has steadily climbed up the rankings with seven top-10 finishes in her 11 starts. She’s tied for second with Lexi Thompson for top-10’s this year (64%). She’s the third highest ranked American and is currently slated to represent the stars and stripes in both the UL International Crown and the Olympics.

“To be honest, I didn’t even think it was possible,” said Piller. “And not that it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t like it was something I was trying to obtain. If it happened, great. It’s kind of like a Solheim thing. You can’t really focus on trying to make the team. It’s more your focus is on being more consistent in golf and getting better at whatever I need to get better at.”

Piller, who is a self-proclaimed late bloomer in golf, started playing in high school. She knows her accession into the conversation of being one of the best players in the world is an accomplishment to not take lightly.

“So to be 15th in the world, it’s pretty cool for me because I’ve improved every year, and so to have an opportunity to play, obviously on the UL International Crown, that’s definitely something that I would like to do,” said Piller. “And to be at the Olympics is really awesome. I didn’t really think it was something that could be attainable but now I’m sitting that I’m qualified, so it’s pretty cool.”

PHILLY FANATICS

The Henderson family spent Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and got the grand tour as the Phillies took on the Washington Nationals. Brooke and company had seats in a luxury box and even got custom-made jersies after the No. 4 ranked player in the world threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the National League East match up.

“That was my first one and the stadium was really cool,” Henderson said of the first pitch experience. “Got to see the World Series trophies from I guess 1980 and 2008 I think, so it was really, really cool.”

Brooke’s experience in the City of Brotherly Love included a stop to Pat’s King of Steak for a traditional philly cheesesteak.

“It was really good. That was my first one ever, too. It was really good.”

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Gerina Piller has learned to take the close calls as positives. From the outside looking in, the top-10 finishes without a win may seem frustrating but Piller knows solid performances week in and week out are big steps in the right direction.

“I’ve been playing well. I don’t really consider it coming up short because you don’t finish in the top 5 from not playing well,” said Piller. “So I’ve always believed that you could hit every fairway, hit over green, shoot 15-under par and that’s the best you had that week, but someone could come in at 16.”

She won’t question her ability to close and realizes the margin of victory these days on Tour are extremely small.

“So even though you don’t win, it doesn’t mean that it’s not a winning performance,” said Piller. “I don’t feel like I’ve ever given it away. It’s just I’m up there more often and I think maybe people see that as, I can’t close a door or anything like that. It’s just at the beginning of the year, my goal has been consistent. Even if it is, you know, being in the top five every week and not getting that win, then I’m doing what my goal is, to be more consistent.”

This week seems to be a great opportunity for the seventh-year player to make her breakthrough. She’s had three top-five finishes on the Bay Course in her last three starts here.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing here…I just feel like it definitely suits my game,” said Piller. “It’s not a long course but with the wind, I feel like I have a little bit of an advantage.”

GERINA PILLER - RECORD AT THE SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC

Year                                Scores                                                                                                    Finish

2015                        68-70-71=209 (-4)                                                       T5

2014                        67-67-70=204 (-9)                                                       3rd

2013                        70-75-69=214 (+1)                                                     T5

2012                        74-68-70=212 (-1)                                                       T23

2011                        70-75-71=216 (+3)                                                     T45

QUOTABLE

“From fifth place to first place, there’s a very minute margin there. Hopefully when, sooner than later, I will be on the top of that.”

               -Gerina Piller on playing for her first career victory

TV Times this week for SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

Golf Channel

June 3                    12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

June 4                    3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

June 5                    2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  

All times listed are Eastern

NUMBERS TO KNOW

9 - Number of top-10 finishes by Brooke Henderson in 2016

3 - Number of Americans who qualify for the Olympics in the current standings, after Gerina Piller moved up to No. 15 in the Rolex Rankings

20.85 - Average age of winners in 2016

28.33 - Average age of winners at the ShopRite LPGA Classic since 2010

51 - Combined number of major championships won by winners of the ShopRite LPGA Classic

4 - Number of players who have won this event multiple times (Stacy Lewis, Juli Inkster, Annika Sorenstam, Betsy King)

2 - Number of players who have won this event three times (Sorenstam, King)

-17 - Tournament record score to par (Sorenstam, 1998 & 2005)