Nerves are not her bogey

LOS ANGELES • Brooke Henderson fired a four-under 67 to win the Los Angeles Open on Saturday, erasing a four-stroke deficit to edge out Jessica Korda by one shot.

Canada's Henderson, 23 and ranked sixth in the world, finished with a 16-under 268 to claim her 10th LPGA Tour title and her first since the 2019 Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan.

"I felt like I was playing really great golf," she said. "It just wasn't my time. It's nice to get the win and get some confidence back."

Six birdies, including a chip-in at the par-three 12th, propelled her past overnight leader Korda and world No. 1 Ko Jin-young, who played alongside Henderson in the final group.

Ko will headline the field at this week's HSBC Women's World Championship, which features six of the world's top 10, though the likes of North Americans Henderson and Korda will not be present at the Sentosa Golf Club.

Two under through the first nine holes at the Wilshire Country Club, Henderson took the solo lead with a short birdie putt at the 11th, then pushed her advantage to two with her chip-in at No. 12. She added another birdie at No. 14 and was three up with two to play.

The former Major winner bogeyed the 17th, and Korda kept the pressure on, hitting it close on the way to a birdie at the par-three 18th - where Henderson's tee shot rolled off the green into a swale.

The Canadian chipped up to three feet and made the putt to seal the win.

Korda, who had led after each of the first three rounds, finished with a 72 for 269. Ko, who started the day one stroke behind Korda, also struggled to build momentum and posted a 72 for 270.

She was joined on 14 under by Australian Hannah Green, whose five-under 66 included an eagle and three birdies.

Henderson admitted feeling the strain coming down the stretch.

"I think as I age I'm getting more nerves," she said. "But I'm just really happy with how I went out today. I was a lot of shots back but I just said to myself to keep the same game plan and try to make as many birdies as I could.

"I'm real happy with how everything turned out."

Korda said the birdie at the 18th was "sweet" but her overriding feeling was one of frustration.

"Really couldn't get anything going," she said.

"I was hitting it really good and then it just wasn't happening for me for some reason.

"The wind kept dropping and then coming back up... it just wasn't happening."

She said a par at the 15th was emblematic of her day.

"I had a great little eight-iron into the par-five 15th and (it) takes the biggest bounce I've ever seen and goes over the green," she said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE