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Brooke Henderson gets first LPGA win, and earns tour card, at 17

Brooke Henderson acknowledges the cheers on the 17th green during the final round of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic on Sunday.

Brooke Henderson acknowledges the cheers on the 17th green during the final round of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic on Sunday.

(Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)
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Brooke Henderson got her breakthrough LPGA Tour victory. The Canadian teen will have to wait a little longer to become a tour member.

Henderson won the Cambia Portland Classic by eight strokes Sunday to become the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history at 17 years 11 months 6 days.

Henderson closed with a three-under-par 69 at Columbia Edgewater in Portland, Ore., to finish at 21-under-par 267, the lowest total since the event went from 54 holes to 72 in 2013.

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“I was just trying to keep going low and trying to push it to get even further under par, which I wouldn’t have had that a couple months ago,” Henderson said.

Henderson earned $195,000 and has made $661,818 in 10 events this year. Last year, LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan denied Henderson’s age petition, preventing her from playing Q-school. Because she’s assured of finishing in the top 40 in earnings, Henderson will earn a tour card for 2016.

Henderson said she didn’t know if she would petition the LPGA again this week.

“I haven’t even really thought about it yet,” Henderson said. “I’m just going to celebrate tonight and then hopefully make a decision soon and we’ll see what happens.”

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Lydia Ko set the age record as an amateur in the 2012 Canadian Women’s Open at 15 years 4 months 2 days. She also won the Canadian event in 2013 at 16, and won four times at 17. Lexi Thompson won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic at 16 years 7 months 8 days.

Henderson’s eight-stroke margin is the largest in the history of the event and the biggest on the LPGA Tour since Jiyah Shin won the 2012 Women’s British Open by nine shots.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ontario, became the first Canadian winner since Lorie Kane in the 2001 Takefuji Classic.

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Henderson bogeyed the final hole, only her third dropped stroke of the week, and had 24 birdies. She got into the field Monday with a 68, then shot 66-67-65 to take a five-stroke lead into the final round. Pornanong Phatlum (68), Ha Na Jang (70) and Candie Kung (70) tied for second.

Defending champion Austin Ernst shot a 68 to tie for fifth at 12 under.

Morgan Pressel, second after three rounds, had a 75 to tie for 10th at 10 under.

O’Sullivan wins U.S. Women’s Amateur

Hannah O’Sullivan won the U.S. Women’s Amateur, beating Sierra Brooks, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole final at Portland Golf Club.

The 17-year-old O’Sullivan, from Chandler, Arizona, took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 30th, added birdie wins on the par-4 32nd and par-5 33rd and ended the match with a two-putt par for a halve on the par-4 34th.

O’Sullivan won the Symetra Tour’s Gateway Classic in February at 16 to become the youngest winner in the history of the professional circuit. In May, she teamed with Robynn Ree to finish second in the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Bandon Dunes.

The 17-year-old Brooks is from Sorrento, Florida.

Both players earned exemptions for the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open.

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