Calgary (Golf Canada) – For the second consecutive year, Michelle Piyapattra has won the season-opening event on the Canadian Women’s Tour. The Corona, California native fired a final round 3-under par 69 and tournament total 4-under par 140 at the Glencoe Golf and Country Club in Calgary to claim her second career Canadian Women’s Tour victory.
With the victory, Piyapattra earns the $10,000 winner’s cheque as well as the coveted exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.
Piyapattra, who began the final round at 1-under par in the second last group, carded three birdies in a bogey free round to win by two shots over opening round co-leader Seul-Ki Park of Northbrook, Illinois.
In 2014, playing as an amateur, Piyapattra won the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C. in a playoff, eventually making her pro debut at the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont.
“I played about [the] same as yesterday, but near the end my putts we’re going in; really a lot more putts were falling today,” said Piyapattra, a LPGA Symetra Tour regular who was playing in her fifth career Canadian Women’s Tour event. “Last year I won as an amateur so it’s nice to come back and win as a professional and get the exemption into the [Canadian Pacific] Women’s Open.”
Park, who began the day with a share of the lead, shot a final round 2-over 74 and tournamenttotal 1-under 143 to finish alone in second, while Lauren Mielbrecht of Gulf Stream, Florida and Kristen Park of Buena Park, California finished tied for third at even-par 144.
Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C. finished tied for fifth (1-over 145) to claim low Canadian honours, while Doris Chen of Bradenton, Florida finished tied for eighth (2-over 146) to capture the Low Amateur Award.
The shot of the day Wednesday went to Erica Rivard of Tecumseh, Ont. who used a 9-iron to ace the 140-yard third hole on the Bridges course.
With the victory, Piyapattra vaults to the top of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Money List as well as the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year Order of Merit.
Only two players (Michelle Piyapattra at 4-under and Suel Ki-Park at 1-under) finished below par for the championship at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club.
The most difficult hole of the championship was the 393-yard par-4, 18th hole (10 birdies, 79 pars, 54 bogeys, 18 double bogeys, 6 other – scoring average 4.60) while the 533-yard, par-5 1st hole played the easiest (34 birdies, 105 pars, 22 bogeys, 6 double bogeys – scoring average 5.00). Complete course stats are available here.
A total of 84 players including 42 international golfers competed in the season opening Canadian Women’s Tour stop in Calgary.
The next Canadian Women’s Tour event will be contested at the Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club in Smiths Falls, Ont., from June 15-17. The final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont., from July 20-22.
The winners of each stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour will earn exemptions to compete in the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Also receiving exemptions will be the top two competitors on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit. To be eligible, participants must play in at least two of the three events on the 2015 schedule.
At season’s end, the five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.
Click here for complete scores.