At the Amundi Evian Championship, 'Seonchul Unni' and Sorensdam, the 'Original Sisters,' Collaborate for Victory; These Days, the Koda Sisters Are the 'Trend'
Brooke Henderson (right) is discussing green strategy with her sister Brittany, who served as her caddie, on the 16th hole during the final day of the Amundi Evian Championship. Evian-les-Bains, France = Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz
[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] There is a sister duo showcasing exceptional genes on the U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.
This is the story of Brooke Henderson (Canada). On the early morning of the 25th (Korean time), at the Evian Golf Club (par 71, 6,527 yards) in Evian-les-Bains, France, Henderson finished the final day of the 2022 LPGA Tour's fourth major, the Amundi Evian Championship (total prize money $6.5 million), with 4 birdies, 2 bogeys, and 1 double bogey to shoot an even-par round and clinch a one-stroke victory (17-under 267). She completed a dramatic win with a 3-meter birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5).
This was her second win of the season since last month's ShopRite Classic and her 12th career victory, earning a winner's prize of $1 million (1.3 billion KRW). It was her second major title in six years, following the 2016 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Henderson is the first Canadian player to win multiple majors. Additionally, her career earnings surpassed $10 million ($10,237,150), making her the 24th player in LPGA Tour history to cross the $10 million mark.
Henderson and her older sister Brittany are dominating the U.S. stage together. Brittany, who serves as her caddie, has experience playing on the LPGA Symetra (developmental) Tour. Together, the sisters have combined for 12 wins worldwide. Henderson is the first Canadian player to reach 10 wins across both the PGA and LPGA Tours. "I like being with my sister," she said proudly. "We make a great team."
The LPGA Tour notably has many sister golfers. The original duo is Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam (Sweden). Annika amassed a total of 72 wins, including an incredible 11 victories in 2002, and held the world No. 1 ranking for 60 consecutive weeks, earning her the title of the 'original golf queen.' Charlotta, after representing Sweden nationally and competing in Europe, won the 2003 Standard Register Ping, marking the first-ever sister victory in history. Since retiring in 2008, Charlotta has been coaching younger players.
The hottest sister duo currently is Jessica and Nelly Korda (USA). Initially, older sister Jessica made waves with six career wins. Nowadays, the spotlight is on 'No. 3' Nelly, who collected four wins in the 2021 season, including a major, bringing her total to seven career victories. She won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year and has been competing with Ko Jin-young (27) for the world No. 1 ranking. This year, after overcoming thrombosis, she returned to finish tied for 8th at the Evian Championship.
The Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) sisters are also making headlines. Younger sister Ariya became the first Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour at the 2016 Yokohama Tire Classic. That same year, she won the British Women's Open major and swept individual titles with five wins in total. She is a 12-time winner, including two majors. Moriya claimed her first victory at the 2018 LA Open and, last year, teamed up with her sister to win the 'two-player team event' DGLBI.
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