Henderson Takes 2nd Round Lead At North Texas LPGA Shootout

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Golf is said to be timeless and there’s never been a leaderboard that’s epitomized this more than the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout’s leaderboard heading into the weekend. 17-year-old Brooke Henderson sits atop the leaderboard, but 54-year-old Juli Inkster is hanging in a tie for second one shot back with the No. 2 player in the world, Inbee Park.

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“You don’t see it in any other sport, so it is cool,” Inkster said. “I think that’s what intrigues everybody about golf, no matter if you take it up at 40 or take it up at 10, it’s just an addicting sport.”

This is now back-to-back Fridays that the 17-year-old Canadian has fired a 65 to vault into the second-round lead. Henderson narrowly was edged by a shot last week by Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko, who went on to win, but she no longer has to deal with the uncertainty of the unknown that comes with playing with a lead on the weekend for the first time as a professional.

“Just the way I feel around the golf course. I’m very much a feel player,” Henderson said, “and I had a lot of emotions, and I really don’t know how to ex- plain it, but just the way I feel. I learned a lot from the atmosphere last week and just watching some of the other players.”

With a win, Henderson would become the first Monday qualifier to win since Laurel Kean at the 2000 State Farm LPGA Classic, and the first Canadian in the winner’s circle since Lorie Kane in 2001. Henderson would also

join Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson as the only players in LPGA Tour history with a victory before turning 18.

Records are also up for grabs with a win by Inkster. She could become the oldest to win an LPGA event by a little more than eight years with a win on Sunday.

World No. 1 Ko, who is around six months older, stole the victory away from Henderson a week ago in the final round, but the seven-time LPGA winner walked away impressed with what her younger peer has been able to do the last two weeks.

“I knew Brooke was a very talented golfer. I feel like she’s quite aggressive and she’s holing a lot of putts, she’s striking the ball very well,” Ko said. “Especially seeing how well she played under the pressure last week, I wasn’t surprised that she’s still on top of the leaderboard today. Shows how talented and what a great golfer she is. She slept at the airport that Sunday night and then to shoot an under-par round is pretty awesome.”

If anyone knows what it takes to maintain a lead on the LPGA Tour as a teen, it’s Ko. Seven times a tournament’s been won by a player under the age of 18. Ko owns six of those, and Henderson’s hoping she can finish what she started last week and emulate Ko.

“I think it’s really cool what she’s doing,” Henderson said of Ko, “and she’s definitely been a role model for me, an in- credible journey that she’s been on the last couple of years, and I hope to follow in her footsteps.”

Mi Hyang Lee (66), Hee Young Park (67), Karine Icher (69) and Lexi Thompson (69) are all tied for fourth at 6-under-par, two shots back of the Henderson’s solo lead.

Ko (68) narrowly made the cut on the number Friday, securing her streak of a made cut in every single one of her 51 starts with a bogey-free, back-nine 3-under-par 33 to hit the number exactly at 1-over-par.

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