Young ‘Brooke’s Brigade’ fans take in Henderson’s golf game at CPKC Women’s Open

The CPKC Women’s Open at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club is a LPGA tournament that draws golf enthusiasts of all ages. Brooke Henderson, Canada’s top golfer, is a major reason for the growing interest in the event. The Brooke’s Brigade initiative has been uniting junior golfers across the country since 2017, who share a love for the sport and Henderson as their Canadian champion.

On Friday, several young fans joined the stands in the Brooke’s Brigade viewing zone, providing a prime seat to witness the action at the private Edmonton course. The defending champion from Smiths Falls, Ont., aiming for her third victory in Canada’s LPGA tournament, shot a second-round 68, placing her at 5-under par. With two rounds to go, Henderson is four strokes behind Soo Bin Joo of South Korea, who leads the tournament at 9-under par after two rounds.

Henderson was trailing by seven strokes before struggling with a pair of back-nine bogeys. Her second-last tee shot accidentally struck a spectator, to which Henderson immediately apologized and gave her a replacement golf ball. Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, who won the tournament’s amateur division last year in Mississauga, Ont., had a strong finish with two back-to-back birdies, ending the round at 67, putting her at 3-under par.

The top 65 players and ties make the cut at the $2.75-million event. Canadian teens Anna Huang of Vancouver and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., who began the day three shots off the lead at 5-under par, teed off in the afternoon. For more on how the sport is gaining popularity among the youngest fans, watch the video above.