With new 46-inch driver in play, Brooke Henderson looks to continue strong play at Chevron

RANCHO MIRAGE, California —  Brooke Henderson tested a number of different driver shafts and heads trying to find the perfect match heading into the Chevron Championship.

This marks her first week of competition using a shorter driver after the LPGA put in place the new Model Local Rule last week, which gives tours the option to limit the maximum length of a driver to 46 inches. Henderson, who said she feels at peace now about the new club, has used a 48-inch driver since junior golf and is one of the best overall drivers of the golf ball on tour.

Why wait until a major to make the change?

“You know, I’ve played over 46 inches since I was 15,” said Henderson, “so I was going to use the 48 up until I couldn’t anymore. But it was nice to have such great finishes with it coming into this week.”

Henderson, 24, hasn’t finished outside the top 11 in five starts this season, with her best coming at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, where she finished second.

Currently ranked 10^th in the world, Henderson lost in a playoff in this event in 2020 and usually enjoys a strong Canadian crowd here in the desert.

When asked if she’d tried about a dozen different shafts in the search, Henderson said, “Oh, more.”

In the end, she wound up using the same shaft and Ping G400 driver head as before, just 2 inches shorter with a little extra weight in the grip.

“Went through a lot of different shafts and weights, et cetera, et cetera,” said Henderson, “but was able to I guess early January late December to pick one that I have in the bag this week that I felt was going to be the right club.

“Definitely miss my 48-inch driver, but this one, it’s good. I think as I get used to the timing and the rhythm of it I’ll be able to gain back some of the distance that I lost.”

Henderson chokes down on all the clubs in her bag and said that going forward, she might consider gradually choking up on the rest of her clubs as well to help with timing and rhythm.

“That’s something time will tell,” she said.

In seven starts at Mission Hills Country Club, Henderson has never missed the cut and has five top-20 finishes. She tees off on Thursday alongside fellow major champion Lydia Ko.