Senators announce partnership with golfer Brooke Henderson

OTTAWA -- One of the best professional golfers on the planet is partnering with her favorite hockey team.

The Ottawa Senators announced Wednesday that they have signed Canadian LPGA superstar Brooke Henderson to a multiyear sponsorship. Heading into her 10th full season on the top women’s tour in the world, Henderson and her caddy, sister Brittany, will wear Senators colors at least one round per tournament, and her towel and water bottle will feature the team’s logo.

“[It’s] a piece of home,” said Henderson, a native of Smiths Falls, 40 minutes south of the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators’ arena. “I’m very proud to do it: Show everybody who I’m cheering for and where my love is. And also, I feel like, with the water bottle I’ll feel like one of the guys on the bench, so that’ll be pretty cool too.”

Henderson, a 13-time LPGA tournament winner, is no stranger to hockey. In her youth, she was a goalie for the Smiths Falls Cubs for six years, winning a provincial championship in an undefeated season. And she was raised to be a Senators fan.

“It’s such a cool opportunity,” Henderson said. “Growing up, I played hockey, I loved hockey and I always cheered for the Sens. So, it feels like a perfect fit, just being able to be involved with an organization that has world-class athletes who every day are pursuing their dreams and pushing themselves.”

Senators owner Michael Andlauer said, “We are so happy to collaborate with Brooke on this partnership. Brooke’s spirit, values and determination embody what our Ottawa-Gatineau community is all about.”

Some of Henderson’s most cherished memories as a Senators fan represent major milestones in her career, like when she initially burst onto the pro golf scene.

“I was able to shoot my ‘Turning Pro’ video when I was 17,” Henderson said. “I was able to film it with the Sens and with [former defenseman] Mark Borowiecki. He was amazing and so kind to me. It was just a really cool experience.”

Nearly a decade later, the 26-year-old has two major victories -- the 2016 Women’s PGA Championship and the 2022 Evian Championship -- but her favorite win may be the 2018 CP Women’s Open, Canada’s national open. For that victory, the Senators literally rolled out the red carpet, having Henderson drop the puck during the ceremonial face-off before a game against the Washington Capitals in December 2018.

“I love going to games because the atmosphere and the energy is unlike anything else,” Henderson said. “I love the game of hockey and love being in that arena and feeling that. To be at center ice and to have that kind of attention and love was pretty cool.”

As a teenager, Henderson made the difficult decision of quitting hockey when her talent on the golf course became impossible to ignore. Now, the winningest Canadian professional golfer of all time can live out that Canadian dream a different way.

“[There are] so many special moments," Henderson said of her Senators fandom. "And I can’t wait to create more and attend more games and be able to cheer them on.”