WATERLOO, Ontario – Michelle Wie and defending champion Hee Young Park shared the first-round lead at 6-under 65 on Thursday in the Manulife Financial Classic at windswept Grey Silo.
Wie, the winner in Hawaii in April, birdied three of the last four holes in her morning round. She’s seeking her second victory in Canada after winning the 2010 Canadian Women’s Open in Winnipeg.
Park had a bogey-free round in the afternoon. Last year, the South Korean player beat Angela Stanford on the third playoff hole after they finished at 26-under 258 to match the tour record for lowest total score.
China’s Shanshan Feng was a stroke back, and countrywoman Xi Yu Lin matched Cristie Kerr with a 67.
Stacy Lewis had a 69 in her first round since taking the top spot in the world with a victory Sunday in New Jersey. Second-ranked Inbee Park also shot 69, and No. 3 Lydia Ko had a 71.
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson, 16, leads the nine player Canadian contingent. The Smiths Falls, Ont. native who is the world’s No. 3 ranked women’s amateur opened with a 1-under 70. She finished her opening-round with consecutive birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. and Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. were a stroke back after even-par 70s, leaving them tied for 54th.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane and Erica Rivard of Tecumseh, Ont. were tied for 87th at 2-over 73.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (74) of Sherbrooke, Que. was tied for 101st.
Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Brantford, Ont.’s Nicole Vandermade fired matching 75s and were tied for 111th.
Entire National Women’s Amateur team inside WAGR top 100
Canada's National Women’s Amateur team
The latest World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) has all five members of Canada’s National Women’s Amateur team inside the top 100 for the first time in program history.
No. 3 – Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.)
No. 64 – Jennifer Ha (Calgary)
No. 80 – Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Québec City, Qué.)
No. 84 – Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.)
No. 90 – Augusta James (Bath, Ont.)
Women’s Head Coach, Tristan Mullally, could not be more proud of the hard work that each player has put in, along with the dedication of the coaching staff.
“This is a validation of work that’s being done both in the background and with the players – it’s a testament to the effort put forth by Golf Canada and the entire supporting staff,” said Mullally. “In year’s past the target has been to get one or two players into the top 100 – to have all five is an accomplishment we are all proud of. The goal now is to keep going and get all the girls into the top 50 and so on”.
Reluctant to take any credit, Mullally did go on to express the pride that the coaching staff feels from such an achievement.
“When I came on board to the program, I was certainly taking over from some unbelievably good work,” he said. “Things have continued to grow and I am very proud, but more than that I am truly proud of the players because it comes down to their performance in the end. We (the coaches) work incredibly hard to impact the lives of these players. It’s a very important job and we take it very seriously.”
MANAKIN-SABOT, Va – Canada’s Sue Kim, Rebecca Lee Bentham, Jessica Wallace and amateurs Brooke Henderson and Elizabeth Tong qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open on Monday.
Henderson, playing at the qualifier in Manakin-Sabot, Va., totaled a score of 140 through two rounds en route to capturing medalist honours. This year’s U.S. Women’s Open will mark the third LPGA major tournament for the Smiths Falls, Ont. native – she played in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open and this year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Joining Henderson are Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont. Both Kim and Lee-Bentham were recently named to Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad. Kim, 23, carded a 142 and Lee-Bentham, 22, was three strokes behind with a 145.
Wallace, a Langley, B.C. native, became one of three who qualified at the Dunwoody, Ga., event. The 23-year-old finished with a 148 through two rounds.
Tong, a Thornhill, Ont., native, qualified with 148 at the Winnetka, Ill., event. The 21-year-old Indiana University student will join Henderson in the field as an amateur.
Also to note, Canada’s A. Ram Choi of Surrey, B.C., will be listed as an alternate player after carding a 151 at the Seattle, Wash., qualifier. Choi is a junior for the Portland State Vikings.
All five Canadians will head to North Carolina from June 17-22 to tee-it-up at the famous Pinehurst No. 2 golf course.
To cap off the week, Henderson got word on Tuesday that she earned a sponsor exemption to play in the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic for a second straight year. In 2013, the National Squad member fared well with a promising T35 finish.
With the announcement, Henderson becomes the seventh Canadian set to compete at the Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ont., from June 4-8. She will be joined by veteran professionals Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc. Also in attendance will be the three members of the Young Pro Squad – Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sue Kim and Jennifer Kirby.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson wins Scott Robertson Memorial
Brooke Henderson (Al Bello/ Getty Images)
ROANOKE, Va. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson captured the Scott Robertson Memorial on Sunday with a one-stroke advantage over runner-up Emily Campbell of Carrollton, Tex.
Henderson, a Smiths Falls, Ont., native, carded a four-under 209 (68-72-69), recording nine birdies at the Roanoke Country Club on her way to the title. She was the lone Canadian playing in the girls 15-18 event.
Henderson joins an impressive list of past Scott Robertson champions, including professional stars Paula Creamer, Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan.
With the win, Henderson adds to an impressive year that features a win at the South Atlantic Amateur and a T26 finish at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The 16-year-old entered the tournament as the No. 3 ranked female amateur in the world according to the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). This finish could see her catapult to the top.
Canadian Women’s Tour to open season at Morningstar Golf Club
Samantha Richdale (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)
Parksville, B.C. (Golf Canada) – The 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour will kick off the season at Morningstar Golf Club, May 12-14th in Parksville, B.C.
The event marks the first of three Canadian Women’s Tour events conducted annually across the country, featuring top amateur and professional players – from Canada and abroad – competing in a two-day 36-hole stroke play competition for a $60,000 purse.
Headlining the field will be Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., the reigning 2013 Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year and world No. 3 ranked amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.
“We’re excited to get the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour underway this year at Morningstar Golf Club with a very strong field that includes two champions from last season,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “This course should prove to be a solid test for some of the best up and coming professionals as they look to earn those coveted exemptions into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.”
A number of notable players will also join the field including Canadians Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John B.C., Danielle Mills of Pointe-Claire, Que., Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Kyla Inaba of Kelowna, B.C, Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C. and 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario Champion Emily Childs of Alameda, Calif.
Team Canada’s National and Development squads will be well represented at the B.C. Tour stop with Henderson aiming to continue a stellar 2014 campaign that has seen the 16-year-old capture the South Atlantic Amateur Championship and finish T26 at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Joining Henderson on the National Squad will be Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. and Jennifer Ha of Calgary. Development Squad members, Valérie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Taylor Kim of Surrey, B.C., Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., and Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Jaclyn Lee will also join the field.
Morningstar Golf Club recently played host to the 2012 CN Future Links Pacific Championship. The club has also hosted three PGA of Canada events as well as the 2010 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.
“We are excited to be selected as the host venue for the season opening event on Golf Canada’s Women’s Tour and we are really looking forward to continuing the momentum of the tour at Morningstar Golf Club,” said Head Professional Kevin Oates. “ Previous events have been filled with superb play from a very strong field of competitors, and our golf course should once again provide a competitive challenge to all the players. I expect exciting play from the competitors as they prepare themselves for the reward of an exemption into the Canadian Open.”
Five exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, an LPGA Tour event held August 18-24 at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. are currently available to competitors. Exemptions are given to the winners of each of the two Canadian Women’s Tour events with two additional exemptions reserved for the top two competitors (not otherwise exempt) on the season-ending 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.
The Tour’s second stop is scheduled for June 23-25 at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont. New for 2014, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf that runs July 29-31 at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont., will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour. Points will also be awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.
Total season prize money for the 2014 season is $180,000 (CDN) for three events, which includes the PGA of Canada’s PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf. Each 36-hole championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque.
Conducted since 2002, many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course. Canadian Women’s Tour alumnae Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Jessica Shepley, Isabelle Beisiegel, Stephanie Sherlock, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sara Maude-Juneau and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc have all used their experiences as Canadians on the Canadian development circuit as a catalyst to future successes. Other Canadian Women’s Tour graduates include LPGA notables Yani Tseng, Ryann O’Toole, Candace Schepperle, Sara Brown and Katy Harris.
For more information on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour, click here.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Lexi Thompson left Michelle Wie behind Sunday – off the tee and on the leaderboard in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The 19-year-old Thompson closed with a bogey-free 4-under 68 at Mission Hills for a three-stroke victory over Wie. Thompson birdied four of the first nine holes to open a five-stroke lead and parred the final nine.
Wie birdied the final hole for a 71. She used her driver only four times, choosing to hit fairway-metal stingers on the other 10 driving holes – leaving her as much as 60 yards behind Thompson. When both hit 3-woods, Thompson also had the advantage.
Thompson became the second-youngest major winner in LPGA Tour history at 19 years, 1 month, 27 days. Morgan Pressel set the record in her 2007 victory at Mission Hills at 18 years, 10 months, 9 days.
Thompson finished at 14-under 274 for her fourth LPGA Tour victory. She opened with a 73, shot a tournament-best 64 on Friday and had a 69 on Saturday to tie for the lead with Wie at 10 under. The 6-foot Florida player had only one bogey – when she missed a 3-footer on the par-5 18th Saturday – in her last 55 holes.
Thompson won the 2011 Navistar LPGA in Alabama at 16 to become the youngest winner in tour history, a mark broken by Lydia Ko in the 2012 Canadian Women’s Open. Last year, Thompson won the LPGA Malaysia and Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
The 24-year-old Wie made her 12th start in the event. She was ninth in 2003 at age 13, fourth the following year and tied for third at 16 in 2006. She also was sixth in 2011.
Wie has two tour victories, winning the 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational and 2010 Canadian Women’s Open. She has been in the top 16 in all six of her starts this season.
Thompson hammered a drive 40 yards past Wie’s 3-wood on the par-4 opening hole and took the lead with a 15-foot birdie putt. Wie pulled even with a birdie on the par-5 second, chipping to 1 1/2 feet after leaving her second shot just short of the green.
Wie bogeyed the par-4 third, missing from 6 feet after a short chip.
Thompson birdied Nos. 4 and 5. She hit a 3-wood 30 yards past Wie’s 3-wood and made a 12-foot putt on the par-4 fourth, and holed a 5-footer on the par-3 fifth.
Thompson picked up another stroke on the par-3 eighth when Wie missed a 2-foot par putt, and pushed her lead to five with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth.
Wie birdied the first two holes where she used her driver, hitting it past Thompson on the par-5 second and 11th. Wie also hit driver on the par-4 13th, setting up a wedge that she hit to 4 feet. But she left the birdie putt short to remain four strokes back.
She cut it to three on the par-3 14th, holing a 12-footer, but dropped a stroke after hitting well right on the par-3 17th.
Stacy Lewis, the 2011 winner, had a 67 to finish third at 7 under. Cristie Kerr and Se Ri Pak tied for fourth at 6 under. Kerr shot 72, and Pak had a 72.
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot a 2-over par 74 Sunday. The 16-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont. tied for 26th with two others at 1-over 289. She’s currently ranked 6th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, but expect the defending Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion to jump a spot or two next week.
Notes of encouragement for Henderson came in from across the Twitterverse. Here is a brief sampling…
Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson tied for Kraft Nabisco lead
Michelle Wie (Stephen Dunn/ Getty Images)
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson topped the Kraft Nabisco leaderboard, setting up a possible final-round showdown the LPGA Tour has been waiting for.
The 24-year-old Wie shot a bogey-free 4-under 68 on Saturday to match Thomson at 10-under 206 at Mission Hills in the first major championship of the year.
The 19-year-old Thompson settled for a 69 after driving into a fairway bunker and missing a 3-foot par putt on the par-5 18th. She also missed two short birdie putts.
Charley Hull, the Englishwoman who turned 18 last month, was two strokes back along with five-time major champion Se Ri Pak. Hull birdied the 18th for a 66, the best round of the day in perfect afternoon conditions in the Coachella Valley. Pak shot 71.
Brooke Henderson shot a bogey-free 2-under par 70 Saturday to sit tied for 19th at 1-under 215 heading into the final round. The 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native is playing her second LPGA Tour major, having previously made the cut at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open where she tied for 59th. The Team Canada member is also the defending Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Lexi Thompson found a putting touch to match her power game Friday in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The 19-year-old Thompson, already a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, shot a bogey-free 8-under 64 at Mission Hills for a share of the lead with Se Ri Pak.
“This is my favorite tournament of the year,” Thompson said. “It’s so beautiful, like really nice weather, and the fans are amazing.”
Thompson had only 25 putts after taking 35 in a first-round 73.
“I just had a little bit of speed issues yesterday,” Thompson said. “I didn’t really commit to my lines and I came up short a lot. I just went out today and picked my line and sped up my tempo a little bit and went up to it and said, `I’m going to knock it in.'”
Pak birdied the final hole for a 70 to match Thompson at 7-under 137 in the first major championship of the year. The 36-year-old South Korean player won the last of her five major titles in 2006 and has 25 LPGA Tour victories.
“Everything has just been really solid,” Pak said. “I kept it fairways, greens, always the goal every hole. I had a lot of opportunities, but putting is not as good as yesterday. Still, just really smooth, solid round. I’m really happy about the way I finished.”
Michelle Wie was a stroke back after a 71.
“I’m really excited,” Wie said. “It’s fun being near the top of the leaderboard. But try not to look forward too much. It’s a long way `til Sunday.”
Thompson birdied eight of the last 13 holes after opening with five pars.
“I was just trying to stay in the moment and focus on each shot, not really think about what I was shooting,” Thompson said. “I had the same confidence over every shot, just committing to my line and just being confident.”
She made a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 17th – her eighth hole – and two-putted for birdie after reaching the par-5 18th in two.
Thompson holed a breaking 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first, made a 4-footer on the par-4 third and ran in a 20-foot putt on the par-4 fourth after slashing out from under a tree in the left rough. She added an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh and closed with a 10-footer on the par-5 ninth after hitting into the greenside bunker in two.
“I’m really comfortable with the golf course,” Thompson said. “I get to hit a lot of drivers, so I just aim up the right side and hit my little draw.”
Wie opened with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th, and dropped a stroke on the par 13th after driving behind a tree in the right rough. She had a three-putt par on 18 – missing a 3-footer – after reaching the water-guarded green in two.
“It felt good to start off with a birdie,” Wie said. “After that, really just couldn’t get anything going. … But it felt good. Par is a good score out here.”
On the par-5 second, she made a 25-foot birdie putt after hitting a snap hook off the tee. Instead of going out of bounds, the ball hit a tree and ricocheted into the fairway.
“It was a pretty lucky shot,” Wie said. “I thought it was for sure OB.”
First-round leader Shanshan Feng bogeyed the final two holes for a 73 to drop into a tie for fourth with Cristie Kerr at 5 under. Kerr had a 70.
Thompson, Pak and Wie played in calm morning conditions, while the breeze picked up as Feng and Kerr finished their afternoon rounds on the overcast day.
“The wind kind of picked up, so it was actually tougher playing compared to yesterday,” Feng said. “I think I actually did pretty well. I did make two bogeys coming in, but I was still concentrating, and it just happens. Sometimes you make good strokes and they don’t fall on this course. I’m still positive.”
Anna Nordqvist, the winner in Thailand in February and Carlsbad last week, was tied for sixth at 4 under after a 69. Playing partner Stacy Lewis, the 2011 champion, had a 70 to join 16-year-old Lydia Ko and Hall of Famer Karrie Webb at 1 under. Ko and Webb, a two-time winner this year, also shot 70.
Defending champion Inbee Park was even par after a 70.
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a 4-under 68 to climb 46 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 36th at 1 over par. The 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native had just one blemish on her second-round scorecard – a bogey on the par 4 16th.
Brooke Henderson
Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham failed to qualify for weekend action. The former Team Canada member shot an even-par 72 Friday to finish 8 over, tying for 92nd.
Brooke Henderson well prepared for second LPGA major
Brooke Henderson (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion Brooke Henderson is a little less starstruck as she prepares for her second career appearance at an LPGA Tour major event.
The 16-year-old student from Smith Falls, Ont., says she has more tour experience now than when she competed at the 2013 Women’s U.S. Open, where she made the cut but finished tied for 59th.
Her first major appearance came in just her second career tour event. Henderson will be a little more relaxed at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which begins Thursday at Mission Hills Country Club.
“This will be my fifth (tour event), so it’s just a lot more comfortable being around the big stars,” she said Wednesday on a conference call. “They know me a little bit better and call me by name, which is pretty cool.
“My nerves have calmed down a little bit and I know what to expect, where I was a little unsure in the beginning at the U.S. Open.”
Click here to listen to the entire conference call
The event comes with a US$300,000 first prize and $2-million total purse although as an amateur, that doesn’t matter to Henderson. She’s one of 10 amateurs invited to compete.
Henderson, the sixth-ranked women’s amateur golfer in the world, will be joined by 22-year-old pro Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, the only other Canadian in the field.
Henderson has yet to finish high school but has already verbally committed to a scholarship at the University of Florida. She hopes to crack the top three in the world amateur rankings by the end of the summer.
Older sister Brittany will caddy for her at Mission Hills, as she did at the U.S. Open. Henderson credits her sister, who’s also a golfer, for being a role model.
“I grew up watching her play and wanted to be exactly like her,” she said. “I used to follow her around at tournaments … she knows my game very well.”
Henderson is also a member of Team Canada.
Several Canadian golf journalists took to Twitter during and following the teleconference, where they commended Henderson for her calm demeanor during the call… Among other things.
A great job by 16 y/o Brooke Henderson #twitterlessbrooke in her first national media teleconference – handling media questions like a pro
Teen golfer Brooke Henderson does teleconference from LPGA event in Calif. Says it’s “pretty cool” that some stars know her by name. #golf — Gord Holder (@HolderGord) April 2, 2014
Can’t tell you how impressed I am with the answers Brooke Henderson is giving the national media right now…. @KraigKann would love it.
Brooke Henderson wins Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Championship
Brooke Henderson (Gerry Bower)
Ormond Beach, Fla. – National Amateur Team member Brooke Henderson fired a final round 72 to pull ahead of the pack with a 4-stroke victory at the Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Championship – also known as The Sally – in Ormond Beach, Fla.
With the win the Smiths Falls, Ont. native racks up her third consecutive victory. She took home medalist honours at the Spirit International in November, won the Junior Orange Bowl Championship in December and has now won The Sally.
She carded 4 birdies on Saturday’s final round to seal her place atop the leaderboard at 3-under par (67-76-70-72). Coming in second with a 1-over 289 (70-75-71-73) was Annabel Dimmock of Virginia Water, England.
Wales’ Chloe Williams was neck-and-neck with Henderson heading into Saturday’s round, but struggled on during the final round to an 11-over 83. She ended in a tie for third with Brazil’s Clara Teixera at 9-over par.
Canadians Meredith Fairbairn (Orangeville, Ont.) and Kimberly Risulmi (Lloydminster, Alta.) finished T23 and T56, respectively.
