Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson got off to a strong start on day one of the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. The 27-year-old Canadian fired a bogey-free, 7-under 65 on Thursday at Whirlwind Golf Club, a first-round performance that saw her make one eagle and five birdies to sit in a tie for third early in Chandler, Ariz.
After kicking off her Thursday with a pair of pars on holes 10 and 11, Henderson made an eagle on the par-5 12th hole, what would actually end up being the highlight of her opening round. She then parred her next three holes before recording three straight birdies on the par-4 16th, par-5 17th and par-4 18th holes to quickly move to 5-under on the day.
Henderson’s closing nine was a bit quieter, as the two-time major champion only made two birdies on the par-5 2nd and par-4 ninth holes on her way back into the clubhouse, but she is still only two strokes back of 18-hole leader Charley Hull, who kicked off her week in the desert with a 63.
“To eagle my third hole of the day was definitely the start that I was looking for,” said Henderson, who hit 17 of 18 greens and 12 of 14 greens. “Gave me that extra boost and a little bit of confidence for the rest of the round, which was great. To play the front nine at (-5) was exciting to make the turn, and I was able to get two birdies on the back to finish off at 7-under. I see Charley was really ripping it up out there, so I’ll try to go out and catch her tomorrow.”
Her 65 is Henderson’s lowest round on the LPGA Tour since she carded a 64 on day three of the 2024 Chevron Championship, and it’s her lowest first-round score since she opened with a 64 at the 2022 Amundi Evian Championship, a major tournament she went on to win by one stroke over Sophia Schubert.
Looking at her previous performances in the desert, Henderson has had some success at facilities similar to Whirlwind Golf Club. She collected three top-15 finishes in the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands when the tournament was held at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix – tying for fourth in 2016, tying for 13th in 2017 and tying for eighth in 2019. She tied for 17th at the 2023 T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards in Las Vegas and then tied for 26th in the first edition of the Ford Championship that was held in Gilbert, Ariz. at Seville Golf and Country Club last season.
