Canadian golf star Brooke Henderson enters this week's Chevron Championship with renewed determination to recapture her major championship form at a tournament that has relocated to an entirely new setting.
The first major of the year tees off Thursday at Houston's Memorial Park Golf Course, marking a significant change from its previous three-year run at The Club at Carlton Woods. The venue, a longtime PGA Tour host, features design consultation from Brooks Koepka and promises to test the field in new ways.
Henderson's 2026 season has shown both promise and inconsistency. She opened with a bang, capturing solo third at the rain-shortened Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, but hasn't cracked the top 25 since that early highlight. The Smiths Falls, Ontario native also missed the cut at last week's JM Eagle LA Championship, a tournament where she previously claimed victory.
Despite the mixed results, Henderson's statistics reveal areas of significant improvement. She currently ranks 22nd in strokes gained off the tee and an impressive fifth in strokes gained putting, historically her biggest weakness on tour.
However, ball-striking remains the key focus for unlocking consistent success. Henderson sits 64th in strokes gained tee to green and 139th around the green, indicating room for improvement in crucial scoring areas.
"I think the last few months ball striking has definitely been a focus of mine," Henderson said last week from California. "Just continuing to have that be a little bit more consistent. Then, with major championships, you always need to be really gritty and get up and down when you need to."
Henderson's recent major championship record reveals the urgency behind her preparation. After tying for third at the 2024 Chevron Championship, she slumped to a tie for 44th last year. Her struggles extended across the major landscape in 2025, missing cuts at both the U.S. Women's Open and AIG Women's Open while managing just two top-10 finishes in majors over the past three seasons.
This year's major stretch presents an additional challenge: navigating without sister Brittany as her caddie. As first reported by Sportsnet.ca in January, Brittany Henderson is expecting her first child with husband Zach Sepanik this summer. While Brittany worked the Tournament of Champions, that appearance will likely be her only event in 2026.
The Chevron Championship marks Henderson's sixth tournament with veteran caddie John Killeen, whose resume spans over three decades working with top-tier talent. The adjustment period continues as Henderson adapts to a dramatically different dynamic.
"It's been weird for sure. You know, she's my best friend, and for 11 years we travelled together and were together basically 24/7 except for off weeks," Henderson said of her sister. "A lot of it has been different; just understanding (Killeen's) approach versus how I've done it for a really long time. Definitely been lots to learn that way. Kind of back and forth."
"Just kind of finding the right rhythm and tempo between us," she added.
While Henderson works through her new normal, another Canadian will make major championship history this week. Seventeen-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ontario, earned her debut in the field after winning The Nelly Invitational presented by Chevron last year.
Liu, ranked 10th among female junior golfers worldwide and committed to UCLA, captured that qualifying event in dramatic fashion. She overcame a nine-shot deficit entering the final round, making eight consecutive birdies during her comeback victory. The reigning Canadian Junior Girls champion represents the next generation of Canadian golf talent on the major stage.
As Henderson prepares for her major championship return, the combination of a new venue, established caddie partnership, and renewed focus on ball-striking could provide the formula for ending her recent major drought. The Memorial Park Golf Course layout will test every aspect of her game as she seeks to rediscover the form that once made her one of the world's elite players.
With the season's first major providing an opportunity to set the tone for the year ahead, Henderson's performance in Houston could signal whether her technical improvements translate into the consistent major championship contention that defined her earlier career.
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*Originally published on [Golf News](https://golfnews.global/article/brooke-henderson-seeks-major-breakthrough-at-relocated-chevron-championship). Visit for full coverage.*
