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BANK OF HOPE FOUNDERS CUP


March 15, 2017


Brooke Henderson

Brenden Perlini


Phoenix, Arizona

THE MODERATOR: We are in the Founders Cup media center with Brooke Henderson and her great friend, hockey player Brendan Perlini, who Brooke, you saw him score a goal on your Senators the other night.

BROOKE HENDERSON: That's right. We got tickets to go to the Coyotes game. It was a lot of fun. Just happened to watch him score, and he was out watching me today in the pro-am.

THE MODERATOR: How did you know each other? What's the backstory? Just a couple Canadians that are.

BRENDAN PERLINI: I just heard she was at the game other night, and obviously just kind of wanted to come out today and watch her play. Obviously being Canadian, she's obviously huge for the sport in Canada.

You know, it was awesome to get the chance to meet her today and take a picture and stuff.

THE MODERATOR: Your first LPGA event that you've been to or been out top watch her play before?

BRENDAN PERLINI: Yeah, it's my first LPGA. Been to a few PGA events and a lot of European Tour events. Yeah, it's awesome out here. Obviously a great day for it. Good weather and stuff.

Yeah, awesome to be obviously following everyone.

THE MODERATOR: You play yourself? Hockey players are sometimes pretty good at golf from what I understand.

BRENDAN PERLINI: I don't know about that. I mean, I'm a decent player. I grew up playing pretty much hockey in the winter and golf in the summer. A lot of my buddies and guys on the team play, but I don't know if everyone is a good player.

THE MODERATOR: Brooke. Pretty decent player, I guess you could say, too. Did you take some time off in the past week just in preparation for this week?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, coming back from Asia, it's always a little difficult coming this direction with the time change. Brit and I slept quite a bit the last week. We feel like we're getting over it and really excited to tee it up tomorrow.

I had a really great week in Singapore. I was in contention again, which felt great. Finished with a tie for fourth.

I feel like my game is really close to being really good, and hopefully get off to a fast start tomorrow. This course is all about making birdies and giving yourself lots of opportunities.

Hoping I'll be able to do that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Earlier we had Brittany and Lexi in here, a couple Florida girls. When we asked them about the weather they said the hotter the better. Supposed to be 95 on Saturday maybe 96 on Sunday. Is that a little too hot for you?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Actually people always comment on me being from Canada and how I like the colder weather, but the heat doesn't bother me too much. I'm wearing long pants today. I usually wear sun sleeves. I enjoy playing in the heat.

I'm kind of the same as them. I like to think that being from Canada, I also am very diverse and can play in cold weather, warm, and hot.

Q. Game is on the upswing. Was there something that you felt really clicked in Canada in particular that gave you good vibes? Long game? Short game?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I feel like my long game is really good right now. Went to Ping last week on Thursday. We tuned a little bit of my clubs. Got a new putter which I'll be trying out there week, the Sigma G, which I am really looking forward to. The grip is customized and they painted the shaft black for me, which I've been asking for a little while.

It's just kind of fun and exciting to look down at my new clubs and see the different styles and different designs.

I feel like my game is right there. My long game has always been something that I've been proud of. It's definitely my strength. Hopefully I'll be able to hit it close and make a few putts.

Q. I think I said Canada. I meant Singapore. You figured that out. Did you got your gold putter this week and what was that like?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, that is amazing. Solid gold putter for winning my major last year. Watching them engrave my name was amazing. It was so cool. It's hard to explain it in words. Being with John Solheim right there, and he and I watching it together, that's something Ping does so extremely well.

When you do something great, they really recognize it and want to celebrate alongside you. Now I have six gold putters and one solid gold, so it's really cool.

Q. Where will it reside?
BROOKE HENDERSON: That's a good question. Still trying to figure that out.

Q. Brooke, I think it was shortly after the major, it was like you and Lydia were 1, 2. Now with Lydia being 1 for eight months and other players also emerging, how much has the depth of the talent under Lydia inspired all of you to get to the race to No. 1?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Lydia is amazing, so consistent. Her career thus far has been incredible. All the wins she has, I think she has 14 and has only been our tour for a couple years. You know she's not going to let the No. 1 spot slide too much.

Everybody that's trying to chase her, we got to continue to improve and work hard to try and overtake that spot. You know, unfortunately the last few weeks I've slipped back my world ranking a little bit, but I feel like I'm very close to it being good. I said that a few times today, but I feel it's definitely true.

I think if I can get a couple top 10s and hopefully a few more wins in the next few months that hopefully I'll get that world ranking back up.

It's going to be very difficult with In Gee, Lexi, Shanshan. It's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of heart.

Q. What's the reason why you painted the putter shaft black? Why did you want to do that?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Just cool. I been trying to do black heads and black shafts, so maybe that's in the future.

Q. Going out to anymore hockey games in week?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, just talking to Brenden, and hopefully he's going to hook us up with some tickets maybe tomorrow or Saturday night.

Q. Inbee was in here and you played with her before. You have seen her putting stroke. She is such a good putter and so are you. Is her stroke something you look at and study?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Well, actually, I got to play with Inbee in Singapore. She won the tournament. She is so calm and relaxed and just seems to see the lines so well and is able to hit it there.

I feel like with all the great putters, Lydia Ko, May Jutanugarn, they see the line so well and just have such a calm demeanor and attitude that they're just able to see it go in the hole and make that stroke.

I feel like if I can learn from them and adapt it into my own game, I think good things will happen.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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