By: Max Bechtoldt
While more Canadian players have started to make appearances on the LPGA Tour, it’ll be the same duo wearing the maple leaf for the third Olympics in a row. Canada likely has the perception from some as a one-player country, but the superstardom of Brooke Henderson has inspired a new generation of players, setting it up for the future. Canadian fans are as passionate as they come about women’s golf, especially seeing their best players compete. So, let’s take a little time to meet Team Canada at the Paris Olympics:
BROOKE HENDERSON
Henderson isn’t just a star on the LPGA Tour, she is arguably the most loved player of the last decade. If you don’t believe me, go see the crowds she gathers for yourselves. Henderson got this reputation partially for how generous she is with fans, but also through her incredible play. Henderson is a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour, with two major championships in her pocket. She has eight top-10 finishes in majors in her career, the most recent coming this season at the Chevron Championship. On her career, Henderson has 79 top-10 finishes, and 29 top-three finishes, including three this season already. While it has been a while since her last win, January 2023, she’s still one of the most consistent players on the LPGA Tour, with only one missed cut this season. Henderson is currently ranked No. 14 in the world and No. 6 in the CME Standings. Henderson’s best Olympic finish came in Rio, placing seventh when she was only 18-years-old.
ALENA SHARP
Alena Sharp has had an interesting career for an Olympic representative. She hasn’t won an LPGA Tour event, she doesn’t have a top 10 in a major and she only has one Epson Tour win. Her last individual top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour came in February 2020. She does have her moments though. In the Dow team event she has three top-10 finishes, and in her strongest year, 2019, she had eight top-20 results. The recent stats are a bit misleading, as she has been playing split time on the Epson Tour and LPGA, and playing pretty well. Sharp has two top-five finishes this year on Epson. Her best finish in the Olympics was also in Rio, where she finished in 30th place. It goes without saying that a medal in the Olympics would be the biggest moment of the 43-year-old’s career, even if it seems the odds may be against her.
