The country’s best female professional and amateur golfer highlight the field of this year’s PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton, the top ranked professional female golfer in the country, looks to capture her fourth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada later this week at FireRock Golf Club just outside London, Ont. However the No. 2-ranked female amateur golfer in the world, Brooke Henderson hopes to continue her summer of impressive play and add another championship to her resume.
Earlier this summer the 16-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont., earned low amateur (T10) at the U.S. Women’s Open, finished T26 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and T45 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The Team Canada member’s year has also included wins at the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario stop, the Porter Cup, the Ontario Women’s Amateur, the Scott Robertson Memorial, the SALLY Tournament and the Junior Orange Bowl International.
Two years ago, Henderson became the youngest player ever (14-years-old) to win a professional event.
Sharp, who has previously won the PGA Women’s Championship in 2004, 2011 and 2012, has made seven cuts on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T18 at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, a T14 at the North Texas LPGA Shootout and a T31 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She currently sits No. 81 on the Race to CME Globe standings. This past February, Sharp won the Symetra Tour’s season-opening event, the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic.
The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and past champions include Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Lorie Kane and Jessica Shepley.
The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour with points awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.
Similar to past years, the champion of each Canadian Women’s Tour stop and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will receive an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be held Aug. 18-24, 2014 at London Hunt & Country Club in London, Ont. As well, following the conclusion of play at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, two (2) additional exemptions will be awarded to the top competitors, not otherwise exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit
In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.
Other notable players in the field include past Canadian Women’s Tour winners Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., as well as Americans Michelle Piyapattra and Emily Childs.
LPGA Tour player Kris Tamulis, who is coming off T7 finish at the Marathon Classic, looks to win her first PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title.
Symetra Tour players Danilelle Mills of Montreal; Hamilton’s Ashley Sholer; Emma de Groot; Tessa Teachman; Hannah Jun and Michele Chun join Big Break competitors Lindsay Aho and Lindsey Bergeon.
In addition to Henderson, Team Canada members teeing it up at FireRock include Jennifer Ha, Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Taylor Kim.