Article content continued

In the end, she didn’t let her fans down.

“Honestly, it’s great,” said Yin. “It’s great for golf in Canada and it’s great for her too. There were people shouting her name left and right since the first hole — nine o’clock in the morning. I bet you she feels pressure but she’s used to it. She handled it pretty well and she finished the job.”

Not only did Henderson overcome the pressure, she also weathered everything Mother Nature had to throw at her. Day 1 began with a blistering heat and dead calm, after which the wind picked up and temperatures began to cool.

With rain in the forecast and the threat of a thunderstorm, the final round was moved to an earlier start.

The last group teed off at 9 a.m. and the rain stayed away until just before noon. There was a steady shower for the rest of the afternoon but Henderson, who entered the day with a one-shot lead, refused to let it dampen her focus or slow her momentum.

“It was basically all four seasons except for snow (from Thursday to Sunday),” she said with a laugh when asked about the unpredictable prairie weather. “That definitely made it a lot more challenging. We really adjusted extremely well to all the different conditions. It was hot, it was cold, it was windy, it was calm in the first round, and I feel like every round played a little bit different. Even the wind direction changed every single day. But we did a really good job of knowing where to hit the ball, knowing where the best birdie opportunities were, and to stay patient when things got a little bit tougher.”

Thanks in part to four straight birdies on the back nine, the pressure had subsided when Henderson stepped up and sunk a gimme on the final putt. That was followed by elation and relief as she enjoyed a brief celebration on the 18th green before taking a deep breath to soak it all in.

“It’s just amazing to be able to win this for all of Canada and for my family,” added Henderson. “I think it’ll take a little while to fully sink in. I’m the national champion, so it’s pretty cool.”

gharder@postmedia.com