Henderson fulfills dream in front of home crowd

[Nergal]

 

Brooke Henderson delivered what Canada waited so long to see again.

She won the CP Women’s Open Sunday in Regina, Saskatchewan, to become the first Canadian to hoist the trophy since Jocelyne Bourassa won the inaugural title 45 years ago.

Henderson did so in style, pulling away with four consecutive birdies on the back nine to turn her walk up the 18th fairway into a victory parade.

With a strong Canadian following rushing up the last fairway behind her, Henderson added one last birdie to win in a four-shot runaway.

After the last putt fell, fellow Canadians roared their approval. They chanted Henderson’s name and broke out in song, filling the air with “O Canada” while the country’s flag waved over the grandstand behind them. Brooke’s father, Dave, doused his daughter with a bottle of champagne as Brooke’s mother, Darlene, watched.

“I still have some in my ear,” Henderson said later.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented the trophy.

“It’s amazing, just surreal,” Henderson said. “The crowds have been amazing all week and to finish it off the way I did is really a dream come true.”