HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

March 2, 2022

Brooke Henderson

Sentosa Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Brooke Henderson, playing in her 5th time here at Sentosa. Brooke, I have to start, you were with me on the eternal 18 1/2 hour flight from JFK. How are you dealing with the jet lag? How are you feeling right now?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Actually doing pretty well. I was pretty happy with our adjustment over the last few days. That flight, that was the longest nonstop flight I've ever been on. That was a cool way to start the week. Also gave a lot of opportunity to sleep, which I'm happy about.

THE MODERATOR: Like I said, this is your 5th time playing here at Singapore. Didn't play here last year during the pandemic, but your 5th time here, you were the runner-up in 2018. What is it that makes this golf course so challenging, so special, but, as I've heard, very fair for a wide variety of players?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I love coming here to Singapore. And this year the course seems to be playing slightly different than it has in the past. I feel it's playing a little bit longer, and the course has maybe matured a little bit more over the last few years. The rough's a little bit longer and has gown in some areas. The trees seemed taller and bushier.

So it changed the way the course looks a little bit, but still a great feel to it. It will definitely be a challenge over the next few days. Also, as you mentioned, there's a lot of birdie opportunities. So hopefully I'll be able to capitalize on those.

Q. So what do you see that's different? You mentioned a little longer. What are some of those things you see different out there, and how are you having to maybe change the way you attack this golf course?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, in the past, some of the holes I was hitting wedge in, and now I'm back to 8-iron, 7-iron. So it plays a little bit different. We'll see how it turns out the next few days, maybe they'll move some tees up or the wind will be stronger so it will play more how it has in the past.

Just trying to make a few adjustments in the yardage book to some of the lines I had, and trying to give myself a solid game plan going into the weekend.

Q. You mentioned there are birdie opportunities out there. I wanted to ask you about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, which this week is No. 13, par-5. Can you walk us through that hole, what makes it a good opportunity to take a challenge, and when do you think you might be able to take that risk and get a birdie or even an eagle out of that?

BROOKE HENDERSON: That hole is well bunkered, especially off the tee. So it will be a premium to hit that fairway. And then on the second shot, you can try to squeeze it up the right, which is a very narrow fairway, if you want to try to get there in two or very close to the green, but then you take on this huge bunker.

So it's just seeing how aggressive you want to be. Otherwise you can lay up and come in with a 60, 80-yard wedge shot. Definitely some different opportunities and different strategies that you can go about on that hole. I usually like to be pretty aggressive on par 5s and get it up as close as I can to the green.

We'll just see how I'm feeling over the next couple days. But that's kind of my game plan right now.

Q. Welcome back to Singapore. I think you skipped last year, and you're back this year. I just wanted to know what's changed in terms of the COVID? It is just the measures are a bit more looser this year compared to last year, which is why you decided to come this year?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I think just a little bit more comfortable this year. At the start of the pandemic, no one really knew how it was going to go. And last year I was still feeling my way through what events I wanted to play and how far I wanted to travel from home.

But now I feel a lot more comfortable and I feel Singapore seems very safe. They have a lot of great protocols and measures in place, and the Tour's done a great job in trying to keep us safe too. That feels better.

And my sister and I, we love Singapore, so we really missed it when we didn't come last year. So we wanted to make the trip this year.

Q. And since you've been here this year, have you done the usual sort of like sightseeing stuff? Or what have you been up to?

BROOKE HENDERSON: We haven't done too much yet, but we would love to get out a little bit. Our hotel is right on Orchard Road, so I hear there's a lot of great shopping, great dining. Hopefully we can take advantage of some of that.

But honestly just the beauty of this golf course. And I love even the drive from the hotel to here, seeing the different architecture on the buildings. Singapore is so clean and such a fun city to be in.

Q. Just a couple quick ones for me. Just going back to that 18 1/2 hour flight that you took to get there, was it just sleep, or what else did you end up doing on the long flight?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, like I said, that was the longest nonstop flight I'd ever been on, so it was pretty amazing. Lots of sleep and just resting, listening to music. Watched two movies. Watched the new Spencer movie, which I'd been wanting to watch for a while. So that was fun.

Q. A very, very solid start to the season, some good results, and stats-wise, you've had a complete start to the season. The fact that there was a bit of a break between the beginning Florida swing and now, is it tough to get restarted again?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, very happy with the way the season started, three really solid finishes in Florida, T2, T6, and then T11. So definitely right where I wanted to be. I felt like my game was in a good spot.

I took a little bit of time off right after that. And then the last two weeks I've been trying to get right back into it, practicing and trying to find that groove again.

Hopefully tomorrow it's there and I'm able to start off with some birdies and get right back into contention. That's definitely the goal. Hopefully put myself in a good spot come the weekend.

It's just exciting to be a part of the Tour right now and playing against the best in the world and to be here in Singapore. So just really excited about the opportunity and hopefully will play well.

Q. Upon arrival back in Singapore, is there a bit of not so much an emotional excitement level, but kind of like a, oh, it's great to be back sort of thing, having not played this event the last year or so?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. Just super excited. Just a little bit adrenaline, even coming off the plane. Even that long plane ride, I was just really pumped to be back here. And sometimes I'd just tap Britt on the shoulder, and we'd look around and appreciate the beauty, and we're like we're finally here again.

So I'm really happy about that, and hopefully the next four days will go well.

Q. Have you been practicing with the shorter driver over the last little bit, or still just keeping the regular length driver in until I guess later on this month?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, the 48 inch still is the number one. And I'll be using it this week and next week. And if the rule is still in place in a couple weeks, then I'll make the switch to the 46.

I started testing last spring with the 46 inch drivers. It's been a constant testing stage for the last year pretty much. But I feel like I've found one that will work. So hopefully if it does come to that, I'll be ready.

Q. You just said you're going to play the 5th time here. This week, on PGA TOUR, Bay Hill Tournament, Tiger has won there eight times. You're one of the few players in the LPGA who has won tournaments multiple times. Can you think of winning eight times on the same course, the magnitude of that and the effort it takes?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, that's pretty mind blowing, every tee shot and every hole there, that's really impressive. I've won twice on a couple of different tournaments, I guess, Portland and Michigan and Hawaii. So that would be really cool to get a third win at one of those places. But eight is pretty incredible.

I think it just -- he must keep really great notes in his yardage book, and he must be able to just go out and attack the course.

Q. The course here, is it one of those courses where you can win multiple times?

BROOKE HENDERSON: I think Inbee has won here a couple times. And she has it figured out. I feel like it just depends. The field is always so strong here. A lot of great players.

And I found the course is playing a lot different this year than it has in the years past. So maybe that will change up the leaderboard a bit more. Once you get things going here and you're as solid as a putter as Inbee is, you can really make a lot of birdies here, and so maybe that's how she's been able to win a couple times here.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned some time off, and I saw on your Instagram and your social media you were back home in the snow in Canada. Do you practice -- did you practice at all? Could you practice?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I just went home for I guess three days, basically just to spend time with my grandma. It was a lot of fun to be back home in the snow. And I forgot how cold it is there in the wintertime. So it was a little bit of an adjustment. And it made me tougher, I'm hoping, to spend those three days.

So no practice. Definitely some time off. So it did take me a few days once I got back to Florida to get my swing back and things rolling again. But I just really enjoyed that time up north.