GLEN COVE, N.Y. -Five Canadians are headed to match play at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Brooke Mackenzie Henderson was the leading Canadian. The 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native who was the low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open, had a 71 to tie for 12th at 2 over.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. was 4 over and tied for 21st; while Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City, Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont. and Augusta James all tied for 46th at 6 over.

Bethany Wu shot a 2-under 68 on Tuesday to top the 64 match-play qualifiers.

Wu, the 17-year-old Diamond Bar, California, player who has committed to play at UCLA, finished stroke play at 3-under 137 at Nassau Country Club.

“Going to the back nine, I was thinking, `Don’t make any mistakes,'” said Wu, the runner-up last week in the Junior PGA Championship and a quarterfinalist two weeks ago in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. “(Earning medalist honors is) good for me because I’ve beat really top players here through stroke play.”

Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh, the first-round leader, was a shot back along with Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California. Oh had a 72, and Lee shot 69.

Princess Mary Superal, the 17-year-old Filipino player who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior, was another stroke back after a 73.

Defending champion Emma Talley, the 20-year-old University of Alabama player from Princeton, Kentucky, tied for 46th at 6 over. She followed her opening 76 with a 70.

“I knew that today was a big day,” said Talley, who made the winning putt for United States in June in the Curtis Cup. “I got 1 over at one point, and I knew I just needed to stick with my game.”

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh shot a 4-under 66 on Monday in the U.S. Women’s Amateur to take the first-round lead in stroke-play qualifying.

The 18-year-old Oh had six birdies and two bogeys at Nassau Country Club. The top 64 after the second round Tuesday will advance to match play.

“I’m playing quite solid,” said Oh, a quarterfinalist last year at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina. “Just giving myself a lot of opportunities and making a few.”

Eighth in the world amateur ranking, Oh matched the women’s course record. She holed out from 40 feet for birdie from off the green on the par-4 11th.

“I thought, `Just get it somewhere there,'” Oh said. “It felt good. I’ll take it any day.”

Sixteen-year-old Hannah O’Sullivan of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was a stroke back. She birdied four of her last six holes and needed only 25 putts.

“I just started hitting the ball better,” O’Sullivan said. “I was putting great all day and just gave myself better opportunities and drained the putts.”

Megan Khang, also 16, of Rockland, Massachusetts, opened with a 68.

Princess Mary Superal, the 17-year-old Filipino player who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior winner last month, had a 70.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who was low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open, shot 71 and was tied for 12th with Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont.

Augusta James of Bath, Ont. the newly crowned Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, opened with a 72.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City was 3-over after the opening-round – she fired a 73.

Defending champion Emma Talley, the 20-year-old University of Alabama player from Princeton, Kentucky, was tied for 86th at 76.

London, Ont. (Golf Canada) –  Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., Team Canada amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. and Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. have all earned exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. August 18-24, based on their play during the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season.

The 16-year old Henderson, currently the no. 2 ranked amateur golfer in the world, captured the second Canadian Women’s Tour stop of the season in Niagara Falls, Ont. at Legends on the Niagara as well as the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. Although previously exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Henderson shot rounds of 65-66 (-13) to win the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship by five strokes.

Henderson’s play this season earned her the prestigeious Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award and Amateur of the Year honours as she finished the season atop the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

Piyapattra earned her exemption into Canada’s Women’s National Open Championship after winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf and Country Club in Parksville, B.C., in a playoff.

Samantha Richdale and Simin Feng received the final two exemptions based on the 2014 Order of Merit standings at the end of season. The duo finished tied for fourth at the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship to secure their exemptions from the Order of Merit.

The exemptions were announced at the conclusion of the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship which served as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour.

A final listing of the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit can be found here.

Additional exemptions into Canada’s National Women’s Open Champion will be announced in the coming weeks.

The exemption contingent from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season will join a world-class field at London Hunt and Country Club that includes a number of confirmed LPGA Tour stars including two-time defending champion and Rolex Rankings no. 2 Lydia Ko, Rolex Rankings no. 1 Stacey Lewis, no. 3 Inbee Park,  no. 5 Lexi Thompson and no. 12 Paula Creamer.

In addition to Ko, past Canadian Women’s Open champions confirmed to compete include Brittany Lincicome (2011), Michelle Wie (2010), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Katherine Hull-Kirk (2008) and Cristie Kerr (2006) who won the event when it was last held at the London Hunt and Country Club.

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to London Hunt and Country Club for the first time since 2006.

Tickets for all tournament days of the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are still available with children aged 17 and under getting in free all week with a ticketed adult.

As an added incentive, title sponsor CP has stepped up to encourage spectators to buy advance tickets to the event for the benefit of the Children’s Health Foundation in London Ontario. Through the CP Ticket Rally for Heart campaign, for every eligible ticket purchased to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open until August 17th, 2014, Canadian Pacific will donate at least $100 per ticket to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of paediatric heart health programs.

London, Ont. (Golf Canada) –  Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., Team Canada amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. and Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. have all earned exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. August 18-24, based on their play during the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season.

The 16-year old Henderson, currently the no. 2 ranked amateur golfer in the world, captured the second Canadian Women’s Tour stop of the season in Niagara Falls, Ont. at Legends on the Niagara as well as the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. Although previously exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Henderson shot rounds of 65-66 (-13) to win the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship by five strokes.

Henderson’s play this season earned her the prestigeious Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award and Amateur of the Year honours as she finished the season atop the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

Piyapattra earned her exemption into Canada’s Women’s National Open Championship after winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf and Country Club in Parksville, B.C., in a playoff.

Samantha Richdale and Simin Feng received the final two exemptions based on the 2014 Order of Merit standings at the end of season. The duo finished tied for fourth at the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship to secure their exemptions from the Order of Merit.

The exemptions were announced at the conclusion of the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship which served as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour.

A final listing of the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit can be found here.

Additional exemptions into Canada’s National Women’s Open Champion will be announced in the coming weeks.

The exemption contingent from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season will join a world-class field at London Hunt and Country Club that includes a number of confirmed LPGA Tour stars including two-time defending champion and Rolex Rankings no. 2 Lydia Ko, Rolex Rankings no. 1 Stacey Lewis, no. 3 Inbee Park,  no. 5 Lexi Thompson and no. 12 Paula Creamer.

In addition to Ko, past Canadian Women’s Open champions confirmed to compete include Brittany Lincicome (2011), Michelle Wie (2010), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Katherine Hull-Kirk (2008) and Cristie Kerr (2006) who won the event when it was last held at the London Hunt and Country Club.

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to London Hunt and Country Club for the first time since 2006.

Tickets for all tournament days of the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are still available with children aged 17 and under getting in free all week with a ticketed adult.

As an added incentive, title sponsor CP has stepped up to encourage spectators to buy advance tickets to the event for the benefit of the Children’s Health Foundation in London Ontario. Through the CP Ticket Rally for Heart campaign, for every eligible ticket purchased to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open until August 17th, 2014, Canadian Pacific will donate at least $100 per ticket to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of paediatric heart health programs.

Brooke Henderson did not disappoint in her opening round at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, presented by Nike Golf, firing a dazzling 7-under-par 65.

The 16-year-old’s first round included seven birdies and a hole-in-one on No. 17, en route to a new course record at the Thomas McBroom designed FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont.

“My caddie told me it was over the back and I kind of panicked for a few minutes,” Henderson joked. “But when I went up there I checked and there it was-it was a great shot.”

Henderson leads by two strokes over Stephanie Connelly of Fleming Island, Fla. Sitting three shots back heading into Thursday’s final round is three-time champion Alena Sharp of Hamilton.

Earlier this summer Henderson, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, earned low amateur honours (T10) at the U.S. Women’s Open, finished tied for 26th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and tied for 45th at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The Team Canada member’s year has also included wins at the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls, the Porter Cup, the Ontario Women’s Amateur and the Scott Robertson.

“I’ve had a great summer and it’s definitely been a huge confidence booster,” Henderson said. “I’m looking forward to the future and want to use these experiences on the LPGA Tour when I finally get out there some day.”

The 2008 champion Hannah Jun, Team Canada member Anne-Catherine Tanguay, Brooke’s older sister Brittany Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., and Australian Emma De Groot each fired opening rounds of 69.

In total, 12 players are at even par or better.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

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 counts 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.

Woodstock, Ont. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a 4-under 67 at Craigowan Golf and Country Club to jump into the lead at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship on Wednesday. 

Henderson opened her second round with a 3-under 32 and followed it with back-nine birdies on the par-5 13th and par-4 17th holes to grab the outright lead at 5-under 137. The 16-year-old has played near flawless golf since opening the tournament with an over-par front-nine on Tuesday.

“It was a tough start yesterday being 3-over through eight holes but then I went 4-under the rest of the way which was really huge,” said Henderson, the defending champion. “I had a couple of moments yesterday that really saved my round and I think that really saved my tournament. Going into today I knew I had momentum and I just wanted to keep that going.” 

With that momentum the Smiths Falls, Ont. native currently sits one-stroke clear of her teammate Augusta James of Bath, Ont. and Liz Breen of  Waynesboro, Pa., who share second place at 4-under 138 at the conclusion of Wednesday’s windy second round.

“It was much tougher today, we were here bright and early and it was quite a bit colder from past days so the ball wasn’t quite flying as far,” Henderson continued. “The wind also really picked up especially in the middle of my round, I was hitting four clubs more than what I normally do.” 

James battled back during her closing nine, carding birdies on her final two holes to finish with an even-par 71. Breed held the outright lead for a short time on the back-nine before bogeying two of her last six holes to finish tied with James.

Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh posted a 2-over 73 to finish in solo fourth at 2-under 140, while Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C. and California’s Betty Chen share fifth place at 1-under par.

In the Inter-Provincial Team competition, the Team Ontario contingent of Henderson, James and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., soared away from the field to capture the team title. The squad fired a 5-under 137 to finish 15 strokes ahead of Team Alberta in the 36-hole competition at 10-under par.   

In the Mid-Amateur division (25+), Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. posted a 6-over 77 to card a two-round total of 153. Proteau currently sits three strokes ahead of Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que. In the Mid-Master division, Chartrand, the defending champion, fired a second round 1-under 70 and currently sits one-stroke ahead of Marion Reid of Etobicoke, Ont. at 11-over 153.

The champion of the 101st Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship receives an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and also the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur. 

Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Woodstock, Ont.  – Liz Breed of Waynesboro, Pa., Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Mexico’s Gabriela Lopez and Su-Hyun Oh of Australia fired 4-under 67’s to share top spot on the leaderboard after the opening round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Craigowan Golf and Country Club.  

During Tuesday’s afternoon draw, Team Canada’s Augusta James closed with a back-nine 3-under 32 to share the clubhouse lead alongside Liz Breed who posted the low round of the morning flight.

“I’m excited to have shot a number like this and basically I always try to tell myself at every tournament try to shoot one better each day,” James said. “That’s my goal for the rest of the week and hopefully I come out on top.”

Playing a few groups behind James, Lopez and Oh’s pairing finished tied for the lead after rolling in par putts on the par-3 9th hole.  Lopez, last year’s third place finisher, held the outright lead for the majority of her closing nine before a late bogey on her 17th hole, the par-4 8th. 

“It’s always fun to come to a tournament where you’ve played well and you know that you’re expectations are high and you have the chance to win,” said Lopez, the No. 11 ranked amateur in the world. “It feels very good being tied for the lead and I just need to keep believing in myself and trusting my golf shots and my swing.”

Kelowna, B.C. native Megan Osland also posted a strong opening round after a bogey-free 3-under 68 on Tuesday morning. Osland currently sits in solo fifth, while defending champion Brooke Henderson, 16, of Smiths Falls, Ont. posted a 1-under 70 to share seventh place. 

Team Canada’s Henderson rebounded from a 2-over front-nine with a 3-under 32 closing nine that was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 4th hole. 

In the Inter-Provincial Team Competition that is conducted over the first 36 holes of the championship, Team Ontario’s contingent of Team Canada’s James, Henderson and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. sit seven strokes ahead of Team Alberta at 5-under par. In the Mid-Amateur division (25+), Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. will look to pick up her fourth consecutive title after opening with a 2-over 73. Proteau currently leads by five strokes over Marion Reid of Etobicoke, Ont. who holds a three-stroke lead in the Mid-Master (40+) division after a 7-over 78. 

Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Woodstock, Ont. – A strong contingent of the world’s top female amateur golfers will compete July 21-25 in the 101st playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Craigowan Golf and Country Club in Woodstock, Ont.

The championship will feature 156 of the top Canadian and international female amateurs contending for the Duchess of Connaught Trophy. This year, 13 players ranked inside the top-100 in the world, including No. 2 ranked amateur and defending champion, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. highlight the strong field.

“We are very excited about this year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship as it features some of the world’s strongest competitors,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “The golf course will challenge these players as they vie for the title and those coveted exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and U.S. Women’s Amateur.”

Last year, Team Canada’s Henderson, 16, captured the 2013 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship by six strokes over Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec. Already this season, she has won five amateur titles – the Junior Orange Bowl, South Atlantic Amateur, Scott Robertson Memorial, the Porter Cup and the Ontario Women’s Amateur. In addition, Henderson has excelled on the professional stage, winning the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario stop and finishing T10 at the U.S. Women’s Open and T29 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Leading into the championship she sits as the highest ranked Canadian in the world on the professional Women’s Rolex Rankings at No. 188.

The strong field heading to Woodstock, Ont. will also include Su-Hyun Oh of Australia, Mexico’s Gabriela Lopez and Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y. who all rank inside the top-12 in the world.

Craigowan Golf and Country Club played host to the 2009 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship where former World. No. 2 ranked amateur Matt Hill took home the prestigious title. This year marks the first time the club has hosted a national amateur championship since the 2005 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

“It’s always an honour to have the opportunity to host a national championship and it has been many years of planning and the members and staff at Craigowan are extremely excited to host such a talented international field of players,” said Adam Hagen, General Manager at Craigowan. “There have been numerous hours of preparation by many dedicated volunteers over the last several months to be ready for this event and there is an amazing buzz around the course and club as well as in the entire community of Woodstock.”

Team Canada’s National and Development squads will also bring their full rosters to the event. Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Augusta James of Bath, Ont. and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. are all ranked inside the top-100 in the world and will contend for the title alongside their teammates Henderson and Tanguay. Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Valerie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Naomi Ko of Victoria, Taylor Kim of Surrey, B.C. and Sabrine Garrison of Calgary will represent Team Canada’s Development Squad.

The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship also features a Mid-Amateur competition and a Mid-Master competition. The Mid-Amateur Championship will be awarded to the lowest player over 25 years of age while the Mid-Master competition will be open to players over 40 years of age. An inter-provincial team championship will also take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of stroke play; Team British Columbia won the championship in 2013.

Additionally, the 2014 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion earns an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. and the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Practice rounds will be held Monday, July 21 with championship play following Tuesday, July 22 through Friday, July 25 with 18 holes of stroke play each day. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 70 and ties. Any tie after 72 holes will result in a hole-by-hole play-off.

Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

BRAMPTON, Ont. — There is only one way to describe Smith Falls, Ont. resident Brooke Henderson’s performance at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Women’s Amateur Championship at the Brampton Golf Club – clutch. The 16-year-old went wire-to-wire leading thru all four rounds to capture the 2014 title with a combined score of 12-under (272).

Henderson, a Team Canada member, came into the final round with a two-shot lead over fellow Team Canada member, Bath, Ont.’s Augusta James and seven ahead of a third Team Canada representative, Orangeville, Ont.’s Brittany Marchand.

The day began with a birdie for the 21-year-old James on the first hole and a bogey for Henderson on the third. That brought the two back to a share of the lead at 7-under. However, that would be the sole blemish on Henderson’s day. She completed the front nine with birdies on holes 4, 7 and 9. She then hit back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to finish the round at four-under (67).

As for James, she hit another birdie on the 5th hole, but a bogey on 6 brought her back to 7-under. She began the back nine with a birdie and a bogey, on 10 and 11, before closing out her round with birdies on 14 and 17. She finished the day three-under (68) and the tournament at 9-under.

Marchand, 22, looked to jump into the race for the title with a 3-under front nine. She would bogey 12, but added birdies on 13 and 15 to finish the day four-under (67) and six-under for the tournament.

After the round, Henderson spoke about what it meant to win the championship.

“It was such a great event,” she said Friday. “I had a good opening round and was able to finish it off today.  Coming into the tournament, I wanted to get my name on that trophy. There are so many great names on it and I am so happy I was able to do it.”

The three Team Canada members spent most of the week playing together, Henderson talked about how that impacted her game.

“I played with Britt (Marchand) right from the get go and then with Gus (James) for the last two rounds,” she added. “I had a couple of middle rounds that weren’t that great but playing with them was a lot of fun. They are a couple of great players. With them knowing how to win and being on the national team with them, I knew I needed to have four solid rounds to finish it off.”

The win is just the latest in a series of strong finishes for Henderson, but is sure to help keep her momentum going.

“I’ve been on a bit of a roll as of late with winning the Porter Cup, then I finished tenth at the U.S. Open, then won the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls and now the Ontario Amateur,” she said with a smile. “It really has been a great last couple of weeks and I have enjoyed it.”

With their top three finishes, the trio of Henderson, James and Marchand will go on to represent Ontario in the inter-provincial competition at the Canadian Women’s Amateur, July 22-25 at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock.

For full results from the 2014 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship, click here.

Follow the story of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team at golfcanada.ca/teamcanada

Support Team Canada in their quest for greatness by donating through the Golf Canada Foundation