Selanée Henderson Pendleton is a long-time veteran of the Epson Tour, coming out of retirement for a special week that has been marked on her calendar all year. Selanée started playing golf at the young age of six, right around the corner from Wildhorse Golf Course in her home city of Philomath, Ore. The University of California-Irvine alumna has not played in an Epson Tour event since the 2017 season, but is excited to get back into the competitive mindset as one of the sponsor invites at the 2025 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic.

The new mother of two young kids had an exciting opportunity to volunteer at the children’s clinics earlier this week and mentioned how “It was really cool. Now that I have kids, it is way easier to communicate with them. Because once you have them, you learn how to communicate, and it was a lot of fun. It makes me want to get more involved with helping the kids in my community.”

Selanée first joined the Epson Tour in 2009, after a successful college career, having won six times in four seasons. Henderson Pendleton struggled in her professional career, but marked her best season in 2014, making 10 cuts in 19 starts, posting three top ten finishes, and a low round of 67.

As she returns to the competitive stage this week, her mindset has shifted as the former U.S. Women’s Open Championship competitor talked about how “it's a little bit less stressful than it used to be when playing on tour and trying to make it to the LPGA was my full-time purpose. I actually think I'll play a lot freer with a different perspective and play better, probably because that was the biggest hang-up with me any time I didn't play well. It wasn't because of the time I put in, it was the stress I put on myself,” said Selanée Henderson Pendleton.

Henderson not only plays golf, but now in her spare time she enjoys horseback riding, mountain biking, and rock climbing with her kids and family. The 2006 Big West Conference Player of the Year is keen on outside activities, as it runs in her roots back to her grandmother, who was born and raised on the local Walla Walla tribe reservation.

Henderson Pendleton is very proud of her heritage and grateful to put it on display this week. “I think it’s an amazing opportunity to be able to come back out and play, first of all, without having to earn my status again to be able to come and play where my family lives. My grandmother was born and raised on the reservation, so I think that it's a really cool opportunity, and I hope that anyone in that community will be inspired some way or another, whether it's a mom or a tribal member,” said Henderson Pendleton.

Pendleton, Ore., may be a smaller city on the map with only 17,026 residents, but the pride runs deep in its culture and community. Wildhorse Golf Course has been a popular stop for so many players on the Official Qualifying Tour for the LPGA since the tournament’s inaugural year in 2022.

Selanée mentions not only how much this tournament means to the players and their careers, but to the overall community. “I think that it definitely brings in a ton of people, and I really hope that all the people coming to visit, if they don't live in Pendleton or haven't explored downtown, to definitely do that. I personally love this old western town. It's kind of underrated. People will be shocked to see what it looks like during Roundup, so I hope everybody goes and wanders around downtown.”

Keep a lookout for how Selanée showcases her new appreciation for the game of golf this week as play is set to begin Friday, August 15th at 7:15 a.m. local time, and follow along on @EpsonTour and @WildhorseResort socials.

Selanée Henderson Pendleton Honors Walla Walla Tribe at Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic

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