Fans invited to line the streets of Smiths Falls for sensational send-off

LAURIE WEIR

Family, friends and fans of Brooke Henderson are invited to line Brockville, Beckwith and Elmsley streets Saturday afternoon as she makes her way through town on her way to the 2024 Paris Olympics as part of Canada’s golf team.

Brooke and her sister/caddy Brittany will be heading out of town around 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3.

Henderson is coming off the CP Women’s Open, played in Calgary last week, where she placed inside the Top 10, tied for eighth place, and won US$57,410.

American Lauren Coughlin won the event at 13-under.

During a media scrum at the CP Women’s Open, Henderson said the fans were phenomenal all week and she “felt so loved.”

She wasn’t expecting as many people to be watching her, but for them to be watching the leaders of the tournament. “It was a lot of fun, climbing up the leaderboard … it’s hard to describe how much it means to me, all the love and support.”

Shooting a 4-under par on the final day, Henderson said her ball striking was starting to come around, which allowed her to play more aggressively, “which I love to do.”

She said this week she’s training with her father, Coach Dave Henderson, and her sister, to “hopefully put in a good prep week” at home, “and see what we can do going to Paris.”

She said anytime she can wear red and white and represent Canada is “pretty cool.”

Even though the golf tournament will be held quite a distance from the rest of the events at the Paris Olympics, Henderson said they’d try and see what they could watch while there.

“I’m just excited for the whole experience,” she said of the Olympics. “I loved Rio and that was one of my favourite ones.”

She hopes for Paris to be like Rio in that she was in contention for a medal, “and to see some of the other athletes doing what they do best.”

The women’s golf event will be played at Le Golf National, one of Europe’s top golf courses, in a beautiful and innovative setting that welcomes the highest levels of international competition. It is located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 41 km from the Olympic Village.

Round one gets underway on Aug. 7 with the final round on Aug. 10. Closing ceremonies are Aug. 11.

BEST WISHES

In a media release, the Town of Smiths Falls sent best wishes to their hometown athletes as Brooke will play in her third Olympic Games — her first in 2016 in Rio, and second in 2021 in Tokyo, which was postponed a year due to COVID.

Brooke and Brittany were raised in Smiths Falls by parents Dave and Darlene and initially learned golf at the Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club. In 2012, Brooke won her first professional event as an amateur at the age of 14. At 17 she became the third-youngest winner of the LPGA Tour in history.

She has 10 LPGA victories under her belt, the most of any Canadian golfer.

The following year, Brooke became the first Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open since 1973. Throughout her professional career Brooke’s father has been her coach, and Brittany, a former professional golfer, now supports Brooke as her caddy.

Brooke and Brittany will be travelling through town at approximately 1:15 p.m. starting at the Brockville Street/Beckwith bridge and travelling through Beckwith Street, Elmsley Street North and Cornelia Street West toward Roger Stevens Drive.
“As a community, we are rallying behind Brooke and wish her and Brittany all the best as they embark on their journey to Paris,” Mayor Shawn Pankow said. “I encourage all residents to come out this Saturday to show your support to Brooke as she prepares to compete against the top female golf professionals in the world!”

Residents are encouraged to stop by Town Hall or the community centre this week to sign their name and best wishes on a flag that will be presented to the Henderson sisters by Mayor Pankow and council members to show support.

This weekend is one of Henderson’s favourite tournaments in Portland, Oregon — the Portland Classic — in which she won back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016.