The Pressure of Being Canada’s Best: Brooke Henderson’s Private Struggles & How Family Saved Her Career!
Brooke Henderson has long been the pride of Canadian golf. Bursting onto the LPGA Tour as a teenage phenom, she claimed her first major at just 18—the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—becoming the youngest winner in that event’s history. With powerful drives, a fearless approach, and a string of victories that made her the most successful Canadian golfer ever, Henderson carried the weight of a nation’s expectations. By her mid-20s, she had amassed 13 LPGA titles, including the 2022 Evian Championship, and was a perennial contender. Fans adored her humility, her ponytail swinging as she powered through fairways, and her role as the face of women’s golf north of the border.
But 2025 tested her like never before. What started as a season full of promise devolved into one of frustration and doubt. Henderson endured five missed cuts in 17 starts, no top-10 finishes in stroke-play events until late in the year, and her first career without a top-20 in any major. Her world ranking slipped toward the mid-50s, and strokes gained stats revealed uncharacteristic weaknesses, particularly in approach play. She openly admitted to “dark times,” describing the year as the toughest of her career. For the first time, the relentless grind of the LPGA Tour—and the immense pressure of being “Canada’s best”—threatened to overwhelm her.
The struggles were deeply personal. As the nation’s golfing sweetheart, Henderson felt the burden acutely: every missed cut amplified, every poor round dissected by a hopeful public eager for the next triumph. “Golf is hard, and I found that out more recently than I ever have,” she confessed ahead of the CPKC Women’s Open. Lingering effects from prior eye surgery forced adjustments to glasses and contacts, disrupting her green-reading and confidence. Ball-striking inconsistencies plagued her, turning what was once a strength into a source of frustration. Mentally, the perfectionist in her amplified setbacks, and the long tour schedule left her drained.
Yet amid the lows, a beacon emerged: her unbreakable family bond. Henderson’s support system has always been her family—father Dave as lifelong coach, mother Darlene as steadfast cheerleader, and older sister Brittany as caddie and confidante. In 2025’s toughest moments, they proved lifesaving. Brittany, who sacrificed her own pro career to loop for Brooke full-time since 2016, was there for every round, offering calm reassurance and tough love when needed. “My family was so supportive,” Henderson reflected after her breakthrough win, “just said, ‘Just keep working hard, that’ll come around.'”
That turnaround came dramatically at the CPKC Women’s Open in August—her national championship. Facing immense home pressure, Henderson rallied with a final-round 67 to edge Minjee Lee by a stroke, claiming her 14th LPGA title and second Canadian Women’s Open. Champagne sprayed on the green as family rushed to embrace her, Brittany first among them. It was a cathartic release, proof that perseverance—and familial grounding—could conquer doubt.
The victory reenergized Henderson for the season’s close, boosting her rankings and reminding her of her clutch prowess. Heading into 2026 at age 28, she’s refreshed, with equipment tweaks settled and a mindset focused on joy over expectation. Her team remains unchanged: Dave refining swings in the off-season, Brittany by her side on the bag.
Henderson’s 2025 saga underscores the human side of stardom—the private battles behind public smiles. The pressure of representing a country nearly broke her, but family pulled her through, saving not just a season, but perhaps her enduring love for the game. As Canada’s best prepares for another run at majors and more home glory, her story is a testament: even phenoms need anchors, and for Brooke, those anchors are blood.
