Brooke Henderson officially becomes LPGA member after 1st Tour win

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.

"Since I was a little girl in Smiths, Falls, Ontario, my dream has been to play on the LPGA Tour," Henderson said in a statement released by the LPGA. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to join the Tour as a member and play alongside so many of my role models."

Henderson become the third player to win a Tour event before age 18 and the first Canadian since Lorie Kane at the 2001 Takefugji Classic.

She was faced with the prospect of having to qualify for the remainder of the tournaments in the 2015 season because she had exhausted all six of her sponsors exemptions.

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.

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

Michael Whan, LPGA commissioner, granted Henderson her Tour membership immediately after reviewing her age petition.

"Brooke truly earned her card, and we are looking forward to Brooke joining our Tour and our family," Whan said in a statement.

He added Henderson will compete out of Category 7 on the 2015 LPGA Priority List for the remainder of this season and next which is reserved for players who have won an official LPGA event as a non-member in the current or previous calendar year.

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.

Henderson is playing in this week's Canadian Pacific Women's Open in Vancouver. The event was her first LPGA event in 2012 as a 14-year-old.

Henderson 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 $660,000 US and secured her 2016 card.