Northern Enigma

Brooke Henderson, draped in the Canadian flag, celebrates her second victory of the season in July at The Amundi Evian Championship. Photo: Stuart Franklin, Getty Images
It really comes as no surprise at all that Brooke Henderson has won twice this year, including a major championship. After all, she’s the best golfer Canada has ever produced. Sorry, Mike Weir and George Knudson, but there’s really no question any longer. And her star is recognized any time she sets foot north of the Canada-U.S. border. The fans in Ottawa for the return of this week’s CP Women’s Open – it is finally being played after disappearing due to the pandemic for two years – lined up six deep for Henderson’s autograph, which she dutifully signed over and over. A golf retailer tagged them “The Brooke Brigade,” and it is a marketing slogan that seems decidedly on point.
Yet, despite her stardom, somehow it still seems as if she’s not quite capitalizing fully on her remarkable skills. On top of that, despite having been one of Canada’s top athletes for a decade, ...