Teen in LPGA club

Photo: Contributed - Valley Heritage Radio

Last weekend, rising golf star Brooke Henderson became the second golfer in LPGA history to go from Monday qualifier to tournament winner.

Her road to any future Tour titles will be much shorter.

The LPGA granted Henderson full membership on Tuesday after the 17-year-old Canadian cruised to victory at the Cambia Portland Classic, winning by eight strokes.

LPGA policy states that any woman 18 years of age or over is eligible to apply for Tour membership, but golfers between the ages of 15 and 18 may be granted special permission to apply for membership by petitioning directly to the Tour commissioner.

"After reviewing Brooke Henderson's petition, I have granted her LPGA Tour membership beginning immediately," Tour commissioner Michael Whan said in a statement. "Brooke truly earned her card, and we are looking forward to Brooke joining our Tour and our family."

Any money Henderson earns during the remainder of this season will be considered official money. The 10 remaining tournaments of 2015 will also be considered her rookie season on the LPGA Tour.

The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., has had a breakout 2015 season despite having to rely on sponsors exemptions or Monday qualifiers to play in events. Her win in Portland moved her to No. 17 in the world rankings, boosted her earnings over US$660,000 and secured her 2016 card.

Despite her success, she faced having to qualify for the rest of the tournaments this year because she had exhausted all six of her sponsor's exemptions. Now she can put that potential distraction behind her just in time for this week's $2.25-million Canadian Pacific Women's Open.

"I am so grateful for the opportunity to join the Tour as a member and play alongside so many of my role models," Henderson said in a statement. "Realizing this dream here at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open in my native Canada is even more amazing and I am so proud to be an ambassador for golf in this amazing country."

Henderson petitioned the LPGA to allow her to attend qualifying school last year, but was turned down.

With her historic win last week, Henderson became the first Canadian to win an LPGA event since Charlottetown's Lorie Kane in 2001 and the Tour's third-youngest champion ever at 17 years 11 months six days.

She'll have a chance to end another Canadian drought this week. No Canadian has won an LPGA Tour event on home soil since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., claimed the '73 La Canadienne — the precursor to the Canadian Women's Open — in Montreal.