Brooke Henderson receives Key to the City

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson presented the Key to the City to Canadian golf star Brooke Henderson in a ceremony on June 28. 

The ceremony took place at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. The honour recognizes her accomplishments as a golfer and three-time Canadian Press athlete of the year, and for the impact she has had on Ottawa and its image on the national and international stage. 

The CP Women’s Open will be played at the club from August 22 to August 28 and is the only Canadian stop on the tour. 

Henderson was born in Smiths Falls in 1997. She learned to play golf from other family members at an early age and quickly started amassing tournament victories, including three events on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. She was named the top-ranked female amateur golfer in the world.

In December 2014 at the age of 17 she became a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour. She won her first major in Seattle, Washington as an 18-year-old, making her the youngest ever winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She also won the Canadian Women’s Open in 2018 at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, becoming the first Canadian in 45 years to win on home soil.

“Brooke Henderson is a remarkable golfer and an inspirational young woman,” said Mayor Watson. “Whether you’re a golfer or not, people from Ottawa, Canada, and around the world marvel at her accomplishments. She is an ambassador for the game and for healthy living. It is my honour to present Brooke Henderson with the Key to the City.”

As we prepare to host the @cpwomensopen at the @OttawaHuntClub in August, I had the honour of concluding today’s media event by presenting the Key to the City to @BrookeHenderson, in recognition of her accomplishments as a golfer & three-time Canadian Press Athlete of the Year. pic.twitter.com/4HrgBMCdQr

— Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) June 28, 2022