Brooke M. Henderson leads in Orlando

Canadian Brooke M. Henderson started her 2023 season with flying colors by taking control of the first event of the year, the LPGA Tournament of Champions, on Thursday in Orlando, Florida.

Since 2019, this tournament has brought together golfers who have won victories over the past two years, and the young Ontarian has participated in all four editions. In 2022, however, she finished second, three strokes behind American Danielle Kang.

This time, Henderson took the lead in the first round with a 67 (-5) card. The 25-year-old stalled six birdies and made her only mistake at the 17th flag, where she suffered a bogey.

American Nelly Korda should be at the height of the fight once morest her maple leaf rival, as she does every year. She concedes only one strike, she who also added a bogey to her record. In 2021, his sister, Jessica, won. Nelly had finished on the third step of the podium, as in 2019.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, England’s Charley Hull, South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu are third at -3.

No other Canadian is in action at this tournament which brings together 29 golfers this year.