Brooke Henderson granted LPGA membership after petition
Canadian teen Brooke Henderson won the LPGA Tour's Cambia Portland Classic last Sunday, but that didn't guarantee her the two-season exemption that comes with a victory.
Since she's just 17 and under the tour's age floor of 18, she had to petition commissioner Mike Whan for membership, which she did on Monday. On Tuesday, Whan granted Henderson that age waiver.
“Brooke truly earned her card, and we are looking forward to Brooke joining our tour and our family,” said Whan. “She’s a special player and a wonderful person.”
That means Henderson is now an LPGA member and will be exempt through the rest of this season and 2016. She is exempt under Category 7, reserved for non-members who win in the prior season. It also means that Henderson is now officially a rookie for this season.
Henderson could have chosen to defer her membership until next season, after turning 18, but she would then only have been exempt for 2016 and, for the rest of this year, been in the same position of needing to Monday qualify or get sponsor exemptions into events.
Though Henderson is now an LPGA member, she starts again from zero in terms of official money and points toward the Rolex Rookie of the Year standings. The $661,234 Henderson has earned this season doesn't count as official money, meaning that Henderson starts earning officially this week at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open. While Henderson is in the Evian Championship, the LPGA's final major of the year, and the CME Group Tour Championship, reserved for event winners and high finishers, she will need to earn money quickly to climb the official money list to gain entry into events comprising the LPGA's fall Asian swing.
Speaking at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open on Tuesday, Henderson made it clear that the process to membership, which many thought was overkill for such a clear talent, made this moment much sweeter.
“I think it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,” Henderson said. “It really made me realize what I really wanted in life, and what I really desired, and it made me work really, really hard. It made me focus and be more determined. This way it feels a lot better knowing that I deserve to be out here.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
