Kupcho grabs early lead at Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
Jennifer Kupcho (Photo Credit: Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Jennifer Kupcho shot a 7-under-par 64 during the opening round of the 105th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive Golf Club on Tuesday.
Kupcho, from Westminster, Colo., carded seven birdies and an eagle on the par 5 13thhole during her round. She was close to recording an eighth birdie on hole 9 but, unfortunately, the ball lipped out.
“I was hitting a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and just made a lot of putts. I was making putts from everywhere,” said Kupcho. “It’s a narrow course so I just tried to keep it straight.”
“The course was really scorable. I was surprised from the practice round yesterday, it seemed like it was going to be difficult, but today I came out and it was just a really scoreable course,” said the current No. 1 ranked amateur golfer.
The Women’s course record was beat earlier in the morning by Yealimi Noh from Concord, Calif.when she recorded a 5-under 66. Dylan Kim from Sachse, Tex. then tied Noh’s new record before Kupcho came in at 7-under to break the record for a second time.
The initial course record was a 4-under 68 set by Annika Sorenstam in 1992 when Marine Drive co-hosted the World Amateur Team Championships in Vancouver where Sorenstam won the individual title.
Yealimi Noh and Dylan Kim sit tied for second just two strokes behind Kupcho. Both players finished with 6 birdies and a bogey on their scorecards.
Two players sit tied in fourth place at 4-under: Alyaa Abdulghany from Newport Beach, Calif., and Gina Kim from Chapel Hill N.C.
Team British Columbia leads the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Mary Parsons and Christina Proteau shot a combined score of 2-over par. Team Ontario sits in second at 5-over par.
The 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club on August 20-26, 2018.
Canadian Women’s Amateur set to kick off at Marine Drive
Marine Drive Golf Club
VANCOUVER — The women’s course record at Marine Drive Golf Club is 68 and chances are you may be familiar with the player who set that mark. Here’s a hint: she’s Swedish and has 72 LPGA Tour wins.
That’s right, Annika Sorenstam holds that record at Marine Drive, which way back in 1992 co-hosted the World Amateur Team Championships in Vancouver where Sorenstam won the individual title.
Sorenstam’s record has stood for the last 26 years, but some think it could finally fall when an exceptionally strong field gathers for the 105th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, which goes July 24-27 at Marine Drive.
“It’s a fantastic field,” says Doug Roxburgh, the legendary Marine Drive member who played in that World Amateur tourney in 1992. “The No. 1, 2 and 6 ranked women in the world will be there and a whole bunch more in the top 50 and top 100.”
Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, Colo., and Lilia Kha-Tu Vu of Fountain Valley, Calif., are ranked 1 and 2 in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings and that is exactly how they finished at last summer’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont.
Kupcho returns as defending champion and the 21-year-old has enjoyed a terrific 2018 season that includes winning the individual title at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships this spring playing for Wake Forest University. Earlier this month, Kupcho finished tied for 16th at the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic in Ohio. She went wire to wire at last year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur and beat Vu by five shots.
Vu, a 20-year-old who plays for the UCLA Bruins, has already won four times this year, including the Pac-12 Championship. Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand, currently ranked sixth in the world, is the other top-10 player in the field at Marine Drive.
A spot in the 156-player field was a hot ticket as Golf Canada received 241 applications. The fact Marine Drive is playing host to the event likely played a part in that demand. The venerable private club, which is located on Southwest Marine Drive in south Vancouver, is a classic design of prolific architect A.V. Macan. It opened for play in 1922 and is renowned for producing a number of great players, including Roxburgh, Stan Leonard, Richard Zokol and Marilyn Palmer O’Connor.
At 6,361 yards from the tips, Marine Drive is not a long course by today’s standards, but it is tight and demands precision shot-making.
“They are playing the golf course basically kind of between the white and blue tees,” said Tim Tait, the longtime director of golf at Marine Drive. “It is going to be about 6,200 yards.
“The ladies par is generally 73, but it is going to play as 71 for the tournament. The par 4s are challenging here at Marine and most of our par 3s are also challenging. I think you are going to see the final four holes determine who wins the championship. They are very tough. Three long par 4s and a tough par 3.”
A strong Canadian contingent will be on hand to try and keep the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup — awarded to the winner — on home soil. Augusta James, back in 2014, was the last Canadian to win the event. Canadian LPGA star Brooke Henderson won it in 2013.
All four members of Canada’s national amateur team — World No. 16 Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.), No. 26 Jaclyn Lee (Calgary), No. 177 Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) and No. 249 Grace Ste. Germain (Ottawa) — are in the field. They will be joined by development squad members Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-I’lle-Perrot, Que, Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple Ont).
Ko had the top Canadian finish at last year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur, where she tied for third spot. She recently got her first look at Marine Drive.
“It’s pretty exciting to be here and getting to see the course before the rest of the field,” said Ko, a former Canadian Junior Girls champion who is heading into her senior year at North Carolina State University. “It is an advantage for sure.”
Ko knows a couple of Marine Drive members well in national men’s team member Chris Crisologo and Roxburgh, who recently retired as Golf Canada’s director of player development.
“It is comforting to know people here, so I will probably kind of try to get the little secrets, the inside info from them,” Ko said.
Ko will be joined by B.C. Women’s Amateur champion Mary Parsons of Delta and B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Christina Proteau of Port Alberni as British Columbia tries to defend its inter-provincial team title won last year at Cutten Fields. That competition takes place during the first two rounds of the tournament.
Avril Li, the Canadian University-College champion from Port Moody, B.C., has a spot in the field and has been doing some extra practising to prepare for the event.
“It is definitely motivating when you see such a strong field,” said Li, who is heading into her senior year at the University of British Columbia. “I have been practising as much as I can these days.”
“This is a tournament where if you come and play well it is a confidence-booster and you can kind from learn from these great players as well. It is a privilege to play in the same event as people ranked that high in the world.”
Roxburgh, the 13-time B.C. Amateur and four-time Canadian Amateur champion, is serving as co-chair of the tournament and is delighted with the way the club’s members are supporting the event.
“It’s been great,” Roxburgh said. “We have 125 volunteers, maybe 110 from the club and 15 from other clubs. We have been busy and the members have come through. We are hoping to put on a really good tournament.”
The winner and top Canadian at Marine Drive will earn exemptions into the CP Women’s Open, which goes Aug. 23-26 at Wascana Country Club in Regina. Admission to the Canadian Women’s Amateur at Marine Drive is free.
105th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship heads to Marine Drive
(Marine Drive Golf Club)
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Marine Drive Golf Club is prepared to host the world’s premier female amateur golfers from July 23-27 for the 105th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
The top-two ranked players on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) headline the 156-player field as Marine Drive hosts the Women’s Amateur Championship for the first time. World No. 1 and defending champion Jennifer Kupcho headlines the group alongside Lilia Kha-Tu Vu (No. 2) and Patty Tavatanakit (No. 6).
Designed in 1922 by the late Arthur Vernon Macan, Marine Drive has been home to many champions. The 6,300 yard, par 71 course is known for its difficulty and has continued to provide an exceptional test of golf. Macan will be celebrated at RBC Hall of Fame Day on July 24 during the RBC Canadian Open as one of two inductees this year into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame for his excellence in Canadian golf architecture.
“We are so excited to host the 105th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive in the beautiful city of Vancouver,” said Tim Tait, Director of Golf at Marine Drive. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s up-and-coming stars to Marine Drive, and crowning the next champion of this storied tournament.”
LPGA stars Brooke Henderson (2013) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2012) are two of many great champions to have hoisted the Duchess of Connaught Trophy before moving on to the professional ranks.
“This tournament has proven to be a stepping stone for many amateurs working towards joining the professional ranks,” said Tournament Director, Dan Hyatt. “Eight of our past 10 winners, including 2013 champion Brooke Henderson, have gone on to find success as professionals. We are very excited to write the next chapter of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive.”
In 2018, the Marlene Streit Trophy will be awarded to the runner-up for the first time since its retirement in 2006. Streit, a Canadian golf Hall-of-Famer, holds the record of 11 victories at the Canadian Women’s Amateur.
All four members of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad will be in attendance: World No. 16 Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.), No. 26 Jaclyn Lee (Calgary, Alta.), No. 177 Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) and No. 249 Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.). Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., will be joined by her fellow Team Canada Development Squad members Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.).
In addition to Kupcho, Vu, Tavatanakit, Szeryk and Lee, players in the field from the top-30 world rankings include Mariel Galdiano (No. 19), Haley Moore (No.25) and Emilia Migliaccio (No. 27). Also included in the field is Avril Li, who earned her spot in the event after winning the 2018 Canadian University/College Championship.
A practice round will be conducted on July 23 prior to the championship’s opening round. Following the first two rounds of play, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. A tie for the championship will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following the conclusion of play.
An inter-provincial team championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of play. British Columbia’s Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi claimed the team title in 2017.
The winner of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the CP Women’s Open from Aug. 20-26 at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask.
For more Information on the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship including the full field, starting times and live scoring, click here.
NOTABLES Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. The National Amateur Squad member is the highest ranked Canadian in the field (No. 16). The three-time All-American golfer already has two wins in 2018: the Bruzzy Challenge and Dale McNamara Invitational. In 14 events this season, the 21-year-old has five top-five finishes and eighteen top-twenty finishes. She captured both the BC Women’s Amateur Championship and Women’s Western Amateur Championship.
Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Alta. The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member has made a name for herself this season with wins at the NCAA Big Ten Championship and Westbrook Invitational and six top-ten finishes, including a tied for fifth at the NCAA Women’s Medal Championship. The 21-year-old recently climbed up ten spots to No. 26 in the world rankings after a strong showing at the Meijer LPGA Classic and making it to the semi-finals at the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship.
Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, Colo. The defending champion and current world No. 1 has three wins so far this season: the NCAA Medal Championship, the NCAA Tallahassee Regional and the Bryan National Collegiate. Kupcho won the event last year by a 5-stroke margin. The 21-year-old amateur most recently finished T16 at the Marathon LPGA.
Lilia Kha-Tu Vu of Fountain Valley, Calif. The current world No. 2 has four victories in 2018 so far: the Pac-12 Championship, the Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Bruin Wave Invitational and the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. The 20-year-old placed second in this event last year.
Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand The current world No.6, Tavatanakit has won three of the seven 2018 tournaments she has played in, including the NCAA San Fransisco Regional, Pac-12 Championship and Silverado Showdown.
FAST FACTS Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is among the oldest golfing competitions in Canada.
The champion will earn an exemption into the CP Women’s Open from Aug. 20-26 at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask.
Ten provincial teams with three players each will compete in an inter-provincial championship that will take place in during the first two rounds.
The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is an ‘A’ ranked event on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Last year’s champion: Jennifer Kupcho from Colorado, current world No. 1 amateur golfer.
Recent past winners and current LPGA major winners include Brooke Henderson (2013), Ariya Jutanugarn (2012)
During the 1901 season, the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que. hosted the first competition which was won by Canadian Lillas Young.
Canadian Marlene Streit has the most wins at the event (11) in its history: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973.
Canadian Mary Ann Lapointe is the oldest to ever win the event at 44-years-old.
Judy Darling Evans and Dora Darling are the only mother-daughter combo to win the event.
Five golfers have won the tournament at least three years in a row: Mabel Thomson, Dorothy Campbell, Marlene Stewart Streit, Debbie Massey and Lisa Meldrum.
The Duchess of Connaught was donated in 1914 as the new championship trophy, Dorothy Campbell had won the Lady Grey Trophy outright in 1912 after her third consecutive victory.
The tournament was not held between 1939-1946 because of WWII.
The Marlene Streit trophy, awarded to the runner-up, will be returning for the first time since its retirement in 2006.
ABOUT THE COURSE Designed by A.V. Macan, who will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame at the 2018 RBC Canadian Open.
Established 96 years ago.
6,300 yard, par 71 golf course
Host Club for past Canadian Men’s, Men’s Senior and Junior Boys Championships.
Kupcho goes wire-to-wire to capture Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
(Claus Andersen/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Jennifer Kupcho shot a 2-over-par 72 to capture the Duchess of Connaught Golf Cup at the 104th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship on Friday at Cutten Fields.
On a windy day that saw only two players score under par, Kupcho (Westminster, Colo.) carded five birdies, three bogeys and two double-bogeys to cruise to a five-shot victory.
“I’m really excited,” she said, next to the 18th green after tapping in the championship-clinching putt. “I played really well this week and I’m just excited to get a national title.”
The 20-year-old started the day up four strokes on both Maria Fassi and Lilia Kha-Tu Vu and knew that she had to adjust her game plan based on how her fellow group members were playing.
“My strategy was to just hit greens,” she said. “That’s kind of the low-down of the whole thing. The greens are tough so I needed to just two-putt and then play to who I was playing with. Those were the people who were close, and how they were playing made me feel decent about my game.
Vu captured the silver medal after she shot a 3-over-par 73. The 19-year-old golfing out of Fountain Valley, Calif., made two birdies on the day but registered bogeys on each of her last two holes to end up 2 under par for the tournament.
Naomi Ko, a member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad from Victoria, B.C., shot the low round of the day with a 3-under-par 67. Ko’s best round of the tournament moved her into a three-way tie with Fassi and Rachel Heck who all earned bronze medals. Ko limited herself to just one bogey while knocking down four birdies, three of which came on the back nine.
Fassi had the roughest day of the three women in the final grouping with a 4-over-par 74 to end at 1 under for the championship. The 19-year-old Mexico native was coming off back-to-back stellar rounds – including a course-record 62 on Wednesday – but her opening round 78 proved to be too much to come back from.
Heck, just 15-years-old, finished the championship with a 2-over-par 72. She was rolling along in the windy conditions at Cutten Fields until her bogey putt lipped out on the challenging 14th green for a double-bogey. The Memphis, Tenn., product finished her final round with four straight pars with assistance from her sister and caddy Abigail.
Kupcho’s victory earns her an exemption into both the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27. For being the lowest-scoring Canadian, Ko also earned an exemption into the CP Women’s Open.
Kupcho holds a 4-shot lead heading into final round of Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
(Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Jennifer Kupcho shot a 4-under-par 66 at Cutten Fields on Thursday to head into the final round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship with a four-shot lead.
For the second time in three rounds, Kupcho carded a score in the 60s to move her to 9 under par for the tournament. Her third round came as a relief after Wednesday’s even-par 70 left her feeling like she missed out on a lot of opportunities.
“I hit my irons a lot better today, a little bit closer and in the right areas of the green,” she said, after signing a couple of golf balls for some volunteers. “I had my putter going today and that just helped me out a lot.”
The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., started the round in a tie for the lead with Lilia Kha-Tu Vu and the two duked it out for much of the day. After the 14th hole, the two remained tied at 7 under par for the tournament until Vu’s par putt lipped out and left her one back of Kupcho.
“I guess it gave me a little bit more confidence, but you just have to keep going the whole day and see what you can do,” said Kupcho.
And she did keep going.
Heading down the final four holes, Kupcho – the highest ranked golfer in the field – made birdies on holes 16 and 18 while Vu added another bogey on the final hole.
Vu ended her day with an even-par 70, placing her into a T2 tie with Mexico’s Maria Fassi who stayed red-hot with another fantastic round on Thursday.
Fassi shot a bogey-free, 5-under-par 65 to continue her ascension up the leaderboard. The top-ranked amateur golfer in Mexico made five birdies during her round including back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight.
“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “I’m really comfortable off the tee and on the greens. I’m making good reads and my distance control has been really good these past two days, and I think that has helped me to make some of these putts.”
The 19-year-old has fully rebounded after her disappointing 8-over-par 78 to start off the championship. Since then she has carded just one bogey and 14 birdies as well as locking in a new course record at Cutten Fields with her 8-under-par 62 on Wednesday.
“I’ve been a lot more patient these last two rounds and have been able to forgive myself for the shots I don’t like as much,” said Fassi. “I think the first day I was in a constant fight with myself and these last few days I’m just taking what it’s giving me.”
Kupcho, Vu and Fassi will make up the final grouping while Rachel Heck (-3), Hira Naveed (-1) and Jaravee Boonchant (-1) will tee off in front of them
Canadians Susan Xiao (Surrey, B.C.), Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) and Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) all sit inside the top 10 at even par, 1 over and 2 over par respectively.
The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.
Kupcho, Vu share lead through two rounds at Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
(Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Lilia Kha-Tu Vu shot a 6-under-par 64 to pull even with Jennifer Kupcho after the second round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields on Wednesday.
Vu started the day at 1 over par and didn’t waste any time climbing the standings as she birdied four of her first six holes. After she made the turn, the 19-year-old added three more birdies to her card and limited herself to a single bogey on the day.
She was relieved to turn things around after her opening-round 71.
“Yesterday I missed almost every fairway and today I hit every single one,” she said. “I put myself into a good position with my approach shots and was able to keep my ball below the hole which is good because three-putts happen when the ball lands above it.”
Kupcho shot an even-par 70 after her impressive 65 in Tuesday’s opening round. The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., carded 11 straight pars to start her day before she traded three birdies and three bogeys to end her round where she started earlier in the morning at 5 under par for the tournament.
Despite maintaining her lead, she was disappointed with her missed opportunities.
“I didn’t play as well as yesterday,” she said, next to the 18th green. “I didn’t hit the ball as well and I wasn’t making putts. I had a bunch of putts for birdie that just never went in and there’s nothing you can do about it. Hopefully going forward the putts go in.”
Mexico’s Maria Fassi was dominant all day long and broke a course record after her 8-under-par 62. The 19-year-old, who finished fifth at the same event last year, was frustrated after her opening-round 78 on Tuesday, but managed to turn things around to the tune of a 16-stroke improvement.
“I was just really comfortable on the greens today and everything was going in,” she said. “That helped take all the pressure off my second shots so that I could be more aggressive and really aim at the pin.”
Mexico's Maria Fassi shot an 8-under-par 62 to set a new @cuttenfields course record! ?
Fassi rode the momentum from a birdie-birdie start and only registered one bogey on the day to move her into sixth place.
“I was 2 under par after the first two holes and made a really long putt on No. 2 from above the hole,” said Fassi. “After that the hole looked a little bigger for me and I just wanted to make those putts whenever I could because you don’t get these rounds too often.”
Rachel Heck, a 15-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., carded a 4-under-par 66 to land herself in third place, one stroke behind the co-leaders. Canadian Susan Xiao shot a 71 and sits in fourth place at 3 under par for the tournament, 2 strokes ahead of Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant who is 1 under par in fifth place.
70 players have advanced to the final two rounds of the national championship. The first groups will tee off Thursday at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.
Team British Columbia won the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi shot a combined 9 over par through the two-round event. Team Ontario came in second at 25 over par and both Quebec and Alberta finished one stroke behind to finish with a share of third.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.
Jennifer Kupcho grabs early lead at Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
(Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Jennifer Kupcho shot a 5-under-par 65 during the opening round of the 104th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields on Tuesday.
Kupcho, from Westminister, Colo., carded seven birdies during her round and used her power to her advantage in order to shoot one of the three rounds under par.
“I think my distance really played a factor in my score today,” she said, next to the ninth green. “I think that when I’m grabbing a six or 7-iron other girls are going for a hybrid and it’s really helping me out.”
The current No. 4 ranked amateur golfer in the world plans to stick to what’s working heading into round 2.
“Going forward I need to focus on what I did well today which was to hit good approach shots and set up tap-in birdies,” she said.
Sitting one stroke behind Kupcho is 15-year-old Susan Xiao (Surrey, B.C.) who is playing in her first Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Xiao’s 4-under-par 66 was powered by an eagle on the par-5 12th hole, and she managed to limit her scorecard to just one bogey which occurred on the most difficult hole of the day, the par-4 14th.
“I finished my first nine at 2-under par so I was able to head to the front nine with no pressure,” said Xiao. “Then I had a couple of really good par saves so that really kept me calm and focused on my game down the stretch.”
Canadian National Amateur Squad member Grace St-Germain rounds out the top three competitors who shot under par for the day. Starting on the back nine, she walked off the 18th hole at 2 under par but fell down the leaderboard after carding a double bogey and bogey in her first three holes after the turn. Down the stretch, she managed to make four birdies in her final six holes to hold third place.
Seven players sit tied in fourth place at even par: Lauren Greenlief (Ashburn, Va.), Jaravee Boonchant (Thailand), Katherine Zhu (China), Janet Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.), Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), Rachel Heck (Memphis, Tenn.) and Hira Naveed (Australia).
Team British Columbia leads the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi shot a combined 4 over par. Team Ontario sits in second at 13 over par.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.
104th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship heads to Cutten Fields
(Cutten Fields)
Golf Canada
Cutten Fields is prepared to host the world’s premier female amateur golfers from July 25-28 for the 104th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Five of the top-15 players on the World Amateur Golf Rankings will be competing against each other as Cutten Fields hosts the Women’s Amateur Championship for the first time. World No. 4 Jennifer Kupcho headlines the group, along with Andrea Lee (No. 5), Lilia Kha-Tu Vu (No. 7), Mariel Galdiano (No. 9) and Hannah O’Sullivan (No. 12).
Established in 1931 by Arthur Cutten, Cutten Fields was designed by the famed Canadian architect Stanley Thompson with the vision that it would be accessible to all the residents of Guelph, Ont. Under the classic Thompson design, Cutten Fields features a rolling topography and beautiful layout to challenge even the most talented golfers.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the 104th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields here in the city of Guelph,” said Steve Bryant, director of golf at Cutten Fields. “The event is deeply rooted in Canadian golf history, and we are excited to be welcoming the world’s next best players to Cutten Fields as we crown the next champion of this storied championship.”
Canadian LPGA stars Brooke Henderson and Augusta James are two Canadians who have won the championship in the last four years. Now, a new generation of Canadian and international amateurs will look to continue their legacies by pursuing the Duchess of Connaught Trophy—the prize awarded to the winner of the event.
“This tournament has proven to be a stepping stone for many amateurs working towards joining the professional ranks,” said Tournament Director, Mary Beth McKenna. “Eight of our past 10 winners, including 2013 champion Brooke Henderson, have gone on to find success as professionals. We are very excited to write the next chapter of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields.”
All four members of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad will be in attendance: World No. 30 Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.), No. 138 Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), No. 129 Jaclyn Lee (Calgary), and No. 390 Grace St-Germain (Ottawa). Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. will be joined by her fellow Team Canada Development Squad members Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.) and Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.).
Returning from last year’s top-5 are Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif. (T2), Allisen Corpuz of Honolulu, Hawaii (T2), and Maria Fassi of Pachuca, Mexico (5). Also included in the field is world No. 67 Yuko Saso, winner of the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship at Mississaugua Golf Club.
A practice round will be conducted on July 24 prior to the championship’s opening round. Following the first two rounds of play, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. A tie for the championship will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following the conclusion of play.
An inter-provincial team championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of play. Quebec’s Josée Doyon, Valérie Tanguay and Katherine Gravel-Coursol claimed the team title in 2016.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion and low Canadian will earn exemptions into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.
For more Information on the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship including the full field, starting times and live scoring, click here.
Jeff Mingay named consulting architect for Cutten Fields
Golf Canada
GUELPH – Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont., has announced Jeff Mingay has signed on as a consulting architect.
Mingay will review the course and work the club’s superintendent, Bill Green, as well as its Course and Grounds committee to create a long range master plan. There is currently no timeline or plans to make any major changes to the golf course.
The course and grounds committee set out to develop a long range master plan that encompasses all aspects of golf including, playability, safety, agronomics, financial and environmental sustainability. Requests for proposal were sent to five Canadian architects, all specializing in restorations and educated on the architectural design and philosophies of Stanley Thompson.
Since establishing Mingay Golf Course Design (MGCD) in 2009, Mingay has worked on golf course design and construction projects throughout Canada and the United States. He worked with fellow Canadian golf architect Rod Whitman for nearly a decade and assisted with the design and construction of Edmonton’s Blackhawk Golf Club, Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club in Merritt, B.C., and Cape Breton’s Cabot Links. He currently serves on the board of directors with the Stanley Thompson Society.
Cutten Fields has a long history of hosting Golf Canada championships. In 2015, the club hosted the Canadian University / College Championships and later this summer it will host the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Korea’s Hye-jin Choi crowned 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion
Hye-jin Choi (Mike Schroeder/ Golf Canada)
NEW MINAS, N.S. – Overcast skies hung heavy over Ken-Wo Golf Club as the final round of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship drew to a close. Hye-jin Choi of Paju-si, Korea shot a final round 66 to claim a four-stroke victory.
The reigning World Junior Girls champion recorded three birdies on the front nine, including two back-to-back on holes 8 and 9 for a 2-under 33. A bogey-free back nine complemented by two additional birdies on holes 11 and 13 brought Choi’s tournament total to 9-under 271. The 16-year-old is No. 14 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and was recently crowned the low amateur at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif.
“I was happy with the beginning of my round, so I think that kind of led to me having a good finish today,” said Choi. “My putts weren’t great after the last three days. I held my grip higher up on my putter today which led to me making some pretty good putts.”
In addition to her 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, Choi has earned exemptions into the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and two LPGA events: the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary from August 22-28, and the Manulife LPGA Classic at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont., from September 1-4.
Choi is feeling confident in her game and looks forward to the challenges ahead against the world’s best. “I’m just going to play golf. I’m not going to worry about others and just play the way I can.”
Hannah Green (Perth, Australia) and Allisen Corpuz (Honolulu, Hawaii) stayed even on the day to claim their shares of second, while Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif., matched Choi’s 4-under showing to join the pair at 5-under. Third round leader Maria Fassi (Pachuca, Mexico) carded a 72 to claim fifth at 4-under.
Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Naomi Ko notched four birdies in her final round en route to a 1-under 279 tournament total and a T7 result. As the low Canadian in the field, the 18-year-old from Victoria has earned an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
Additional information regarding the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship can be found here.
