"Dream Come True" Henderson Reflects on Win in Canada
Yin still searching for a win
It wasn’t the result Angel Yin hoped for, but she knows she’s going to find the winner’s circle on the LPGA Tour sooner rather than later.
The 19-year-old finished runner-up at the CP Women’s Open, her best result of the season and her fourth top-5 of 2018.
She admitted she was having a tough day with the unseasonably cold weather, but still shot a 4-under-par 68.
“I think I put up a good fight. It was really hard for me in the beginning because it was just too cold for me, and my body wasn't adjusting. I didn't have enough clothes,” said Yin. “I didn't think it was going to be this cold. It kind of threw us a curve ball.
“By the back nine, I adjusted to it. I warmed myself up and was smart about how to keep myself warm throughout the whole round.”
She matched eventual winner Brooke Henderson shot-for-shot on the back nine after that tough start.
Yin made four birdies in five holes on No’s 11-15, but it just wasn’t enough as Henderson made four birdies in a row, and added another on No. 18 for good measure, to shoot a 7-under-par 65.
Yin ended up four shots behind Henderson, who played in the same group the last two days.
“It's great for golf in Canada, women's golf, and it's great for her, too,” said Yin of Henderson’s win. “People shouting her name left to right since the first hole, like 9:00 in the morning. I bet you she feels pressure, but she's used to it and she handles it pretty well, and she finished the job.”
Yin finished tied for fifth last week at the Indy Women in Tech Championship and followed it up this week with her best ever LPGA Tour result.
“We always have to do all the preparation to be able to win, but there's nothing like, ‘oh, I'm going to win a tournament’ so I'm just going to play my best and see how it goes,” said Yin. “It's not like a second where I didn't play well, but I fought hard and I got second, so it was good.”
Martin fires course record
Mo Martin went out with one goal in mind Sunday at the CP Women’s Open: to make as many birdies as possible.
Mission accomplished.
Martin shot a 10-under-par 62 to shatter the course record at Wascana Country Club. She also tied the tournament record at the CP Women’s Open, and moved up nearly 40 spots on the leaderboard on a cold and rainy day in Regina, Sask.
Martin said, with a smile, that “everything” was working well for her Sunday.
“I’ve been hitting the ball so well… I sent videos to my swing coach and he said he had nothing to say, I was hitting it so good,” she said. “I was hitting it good but I was hitting so many lips with the putts… which again tells me I’m really close.”
The putts started falling Sunday, however.
“It was kind of like ‘night-night’ for the ball, (the putts) just went in the holes and went to sleep pretty quickly,” she said.
Martin made five birdies on the back nine and added five more on the front nine after starting on No.10. She nearly made an 11th birdie on the par-5 9th hole but her effort just slid by.
“I just tried to take aggressive lines. I took advantage of some of the pins we could go at and the rain softened a couple greens which was in my advantage. I hit it so well I could really rely on my caddie. Good numbers, good play, and good execution,” she said.
Martin also won the RICOH Women’s British Open in similar fashion in tough conditions. She said she likes playing in wind and it showed Sunday.
“You’ve got to be patient and know everyone is playing in it and you need to make some adjustments with the wind,” she said. “I’ve got a good track record as far as win goes. The rest of it is up to the caddie to keep the clubs dry.”
Martin’s tie for 13th was her second-best result of the year and her fifth top-20 of the year.
Torres has best finish of the year
Maria Torres started the year with tragedy, but is looking to end it on a brighter note.
Torres, whose family was in Puerto Rico last year, and who escaped just in time to participate in LPGA Tour Q-School, had had a tough season up until this point. She was fighting to stay in the top 100 on the money list and avoid a trip to the Q-Series.
The University of Florida alum is a rookie on the LPGA Tour this year, and her tie for 8th was her second top-10 of the season.
“It's been up and down, but just looking forward for any opportunity and just keep working,” said Torres of her season.
Torres quoted a Puerto Rican saying when asked how she was feeling about the rest of the year, saying, “Yo no me quito.” It’s one of the movements in her home country, saying it’s important to continue working and never look back.
Torres shot a 6-under-par 66 Friday before stumbling Saturday to a 1-over-par 73. She bounced back in tough conditions Sunday with a 4-under-par 68.
“I just came to play, and I've been here in Canada, not on this golf course, but… I like Canada, so I think it gave me a little bit more energy,” she said. “I loved the golf course. I think it's awesome.”
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