Golf

Brooke Henderson saves best for last at Canadian Pacific Women's Open

She saved her best for last. Brooke Henderson scored four of her five birdies on the back nine to card a 5-under 67 during Sunday's final round of the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.

Lydia Ko wins tournament for 3rd time

Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., acknowledges applause from the gallery after making par on the 8th hole during the final round of the Canadian Open LPGA golf tournament at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., on Sunday. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

She saved her best for last.

Canada's Brooke Henderson scored four of her five birdies on the back nine to card a 5-under 67. The 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., finished the Canadian Pacific Women's Open at 4 under.

It was a hectic week for Henderson, who won her first LPGA tournament last weekend.

"I wanted to show and give the crowd a little bit of excitement," she said. "I think today I did that.

"I knew I was capable of it. The other couple of days I was hitting the ball not too bad, but just wasn't making any putts. Today they fell."

Ko claims 3rd Canadian Open title 

Lydia Ko needed a par on the first playoff hole to defeat American Stacy Lewis and win the tournament for a third time Sunday night.

"This feels amazing," said Ko, 18, who finished at 12 under for her eighth career LPGA Tour victory and third this year. "I had an amazing week."

Ko, who was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, was an amateur the first two times she won the Canadian Open, meaning the prize money went to the second-place finisher.

She was just 15 years old, and the youngest player to ever win an LPGA event, when she won in 2012 on the same Vancouver Golf Club course.

Ko's share of the $2.25-million US purse is $337,500 US.

"I feel the cheque is the last thing I am thinking about," she said. "It's great to be back in the winner's circle.

"To play good golf in front of great crowds was one of the highlights of this week. I feel somewhat Canadian."

Lewis falters in playoff

Lewis, who started the day at 7 under, shot a blistering 5-under 67 to force the extra hole. She had six birdies but bogeyed No. 15.

Lewis ran into trouble in the playoff when her second shot landed in the crowd. She made a great chip to land on the green about nine feet from the hole. Needing par to force another hole, her putt stopped just at the edge of the cup, leaving Lewis staring in disbelief.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the day I was going to be in a playoff, I would have been happy," said the Woodlands, Texas, resident, who earned $206,304 US.

"Just the way my game has been the last month or so I felt I was close to putting together a good round, and that's what I did today. I still left a few out there."

Ko pumped her fist after dropping her winning putt. She had set it up with a 50-foot putt from the edge of the green.

"Unfortunately Stacy missed the fairway," said Ko, who is ranked No. 2 in the world. "I said 'I have to just concentrate on my game.'

"I didn't want to get too aggressive to that pin. If the putt was any longer for my second one I would have been really nervous."

Ko began the day tied for the lead at 10 under and shot an even par 72.

She had a couple of chances to win the tournament, missing a nine-foot putt on No. 17. On No. 18 she came up less than two inches short on a 40-foot birdie putt.

"I only made one birdie today so that kind of says it all," she said. "I missed a couple of greens.

"I am really happy when it really counted I was able to make those putts."

It was the first playoff at the Canadian Open since 1993.

Hamilton's Alena Sharp had a rough final round. She had four bogeys and finished with a 75 for a final score of 1 over.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc, of Sherbrooke, Que., carded an 80 to finish 12 over.