The 50th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open is set for
July 23-28, 2024 in Calgary
Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), is pleased to announce that select tickets for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open are now on sale.
The 50th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open will take place at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 23-28, 2024. It will mark the seventh time that the province of Alberta has hosted Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, the fourth time for the City of Calgary and first time ever at Earl Grey.
Originally founded in 1919 as a five-hole layout and now on its current site overlooking the picturesque Glenmore Reservoir since 1932, Earl Grey is world-class championship facility located in the heart of Calgary. The club, which features an 18-hole championship course as well as a nine-hole Par 3, has hosted numerous major provincial, national and international competitions. Earl Grey underwent an extensive renovation project in 2018 that included construction of a brand-new clubhouse along with extensive on-course renovations, featuring new greens and an enhanced irrigation system along with a full bunker renovation.
“We are excited to return to Calgary and welcome the world’s best golfers to Earl Grey Golf Club for the 50th playing of our National Open Championship,” said Ryan Paul, CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director. “The stars of the LPGA Tour love our event and we are looking forward to delivering an incredible experience for golf fans next summer in Calgary.”
Canada’s National Women’s Open heads to Calgary riding the momentum of being named the LPGA Tour’s 2023 Tournament of the Year, the second consecutive year that the CPKC Women’s Open has taken home top honour at the LPGA Tour’s season-end tournament awards celebration last month. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open hosted this past summer at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver also won additional awards for the Best Sponsor Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation.
One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open marks the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour schedule. The week-long celebration of golf attracts the world’s best players, including 13-time LPGA Tour winner and CPKC Ambassador Brooke Henderson along with defending champion Megan Khang who defeated 2019 champion Jin Young Ko on the first hole of a playoff to earn her first LPGA Tour win.
CPKC will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community through its CPKC Has Heart campaign. This past year, CPKC raised nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health with donations of $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation.
The 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey offers three select ticket options now on sale for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. The advance ticket options include:
- Any Day Ticket: Access to the CPKC Women’s Open on any one day, Tuesday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last.)
- Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Tuesday through Sunday.
- Heritage Lounge Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.
As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under.
Volunteer, sponsorship, and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open and to purchase tickets, please visit cpkcwomensopen.com.
Adam Stanley/ Canadian Press
The CPKC Women’s Open has won the LPGA Tour’s highest tournament honour for the second consecutive year.
The event, hosted Aug. 22-27 at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, was named the back-to-back winner of tour’s tournament of the Year at the LPGA’s annual year-end tournament awards Wednesday night.
“We really have a secret sauce,” tournament director Ryan Paul told The Canadian Press at the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the LPGA Tour season. “It’s really an incredible golf tournament. You’ve got the best players in the world a rope-line away from you, but outside the ropes there are so many great things that you can see and do.”
The Canadian tournament also won for best sponsor activation and best volunteer appreciation at the ceremony hosted at Tiburon Golf Club.
The sponsor nod was a culmination of the tournament’s partner programming like the Brooke Brigade fan zone. Unique for this year — and specially recognized — was a junior clinic at the Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre for First Nations youth hosted by star-in-waiting Rose Zhang. Zhang became the first golfer in 72 years to win in her pro debut on the LPGA Tour when she captured the Mizuho Americas Open in June.
The volunteer award stemmed from a new initiative where every player, caddie, and staff on site at Shaughnessy was given a poker chip to give to a volunteer who they recognized were going above-and-beyond their call of duty. The poker chip could be redeemed for prizes. There were more than 1,300 volunteers this year.
“A number like that you can see how important they are to the success of the event,” Paul said. “Without them we don’t have a golf tournament.”
American Megan Khang won the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open in a dramatic playoff over former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko. It was her first LPGA Tour win.
Big crowds and memorable performances during the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open helped Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) raise nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health, with $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation.
The 2024 LPGA Tour schedule was announced Thursday, with the CPKC Women’s Open set for July 25-28 at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.
“(With) the schedule, not going to lie … I was a little worried when we were going to change our date to July. The Olympics always messes things up,” Paul said. “But I spent some time talking to the players this week and they love our event. They’re not going to miss it for the world. They’re happy the schedule has a nice flow.”
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the CPKC Women’s Open. Paul said there are going to be a lot of announcements to come in celebration of the history of the tournament over the coming months. And he said a “three-peat” next year would be extra special as the event celebrates an important milestone.
The two-time tournament of the year will see its purse increased for 2024 to US$2.6 million, up from $2.5 million.
The total prize fund for the 2024 LPGA Tour season will be more than US$118 million, the highest ever in tour history and up a staggering 69 per cent from three years ago.
The tour will travel to 15 states and 10 countries and will feature three new events in 2024.
Announced earlier this week, the CME Group Tour Championship — the LPGA Tour’s season finale that features only the top 60 golfers on the yearlong Race to CME Globe — increased its purse from $7 million to $11 million with an impressive $4 million given to the winner. Only one event on the PGA Tour has a first-place prize of higher than $4 million.
“The money says that they’re valued in what they do as the top 60 players in the world playing here,” said LPGA Tour commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “And they should be compensated commensurate with that unbelievable world-class talent.”
The 2024 season will begin Jan. 18 with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla., where Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. will be the defending champion.
Terry Lenyk
[TORONTO] – On Thursday, September 22, the 2023 Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs) illuminated the Globe & Mail Centre in Toronto, and Golf Canada, along with several of its valued partners, took centre stage, securing numerous accolades at the prestigious annual event hosted by the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC).
The SMAs, considered the Canadian sport marketing industry’s most esteemed recognition, span across various sectors, including sports, arts, and culture. Golf Canada was proud to garner recognition in multiple categories honouring 2022 activities, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to working collaboratively with partners to enhance the golf and festival experience at its two signature golf properties—the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open.
The distinguished recognition achieved by Golf Canada and its partners for 2022 activities include:
PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Gold – Golf Canada (RBC Canadian Open & CPKC Women’s Open)
BEST NEW INITIATIVE
Gold – Hilton on the Green
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Award of Distinction – RBC Canadian Open
SPORTS (over $500K)
Award of Distinction – theScore Bet Skyline Seats
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Award of Distinction – CPKC Women’s Open
In addition to these outstanding achievements, Golf Canada’s partners earned the following recognitions:
MUSIC
Gold – RBCxMusic
AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Gold – Wasserman
Golf Canada and its partners were proud to secure more awards than any other organization at this year’s event, providing an emphatic testament of success for these outstanding activities throughout 2022.
Of note is the coveted “Property of the Year” award, a reflection of Golf Canada’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of sponsorship marketing.
“These remarkable achievements are a direct result of the unwavering dedication, collaboration, and passion demonstrated by each member of the Golf Canada team and innovative partners,” said Lisa Ferkul, Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer. “These accolades are a testament to a collective commitment to elevate the sponsorship marketing landscape and enhance the festival experience for our partners, fans, and stakeholders.”
Golf Canada extends heartfelt congratulations to every organization involved in these remarkable achievements and looks forward to continuing its journey of excellence and innovation in sponsorship marketing across its signature properties.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – It took 19 holes for Megan Khang to win her first-ever LPGA Tour title.
The American beat South Korea’s Jin Young Ko in a one-hole playoff on Sunday at the CPKC Women’s Open.
Khang had a three-shot lead heading into the fourth round but her 2-over day and Ko’s 3-under round led to a playoff with both players at 9 under.
Ko’s drive went wide left and into deep rough to start the playoff, with marshals having to part hundreds of spectators so she could have a clear path out of the woods. Her punch out landed in a greenside bunker, while Khang moved straight up the 18th fairway.
Although Khang’s chip onto the green rolled to the edge, she made her long par putt while Ko double bogeyed the hole.
Brooke Henderson (68) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for 13th at 2 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (68) tied for 36th at 3 over.
Sunday’s final round was the third-straight day with an air quality advisory in the metro Vancouver area. Smoke from ongoing wildfires in British Columbia’s Interior region hung over Vancouver, obscuring views of nearby mountains.
That advisory included the area surrounding Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club but its course remained relatively clear of smoke due to strong winds off the nearby Fraser River.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – The fans at the CPKC Women’s Open don’t care, Brooke Henderson is still their favourite.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., was greeted with cheers or chants at every hole around Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club on Sunday as she put together a 4-under 68 round to improve her overall score at the Canadian women’s championship to 2 under.
Disappointed with her performance at the only LPGA Tour event in Canada, Henderson said she was buoyed by the chants of “Let’s go Brooke!” or the impromptu renditions of “O Canada!” that followed her around the course.
“It’s phenomenal. Just the love, support, all the people that came out to watch,” said a smiling Henderson. “They didn’t really care what I was shooting, which was also really nice, they were just happy to be out here watching.”
Henderson finished the Women’s Open 75-68-75-68, an up-and-down scorecard that was a microcosm of her roller-coaster year.
She started the LPGA Tour season with a victory at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 19 and has had three top-20 finishes since. That includes a tie for 15th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on June 22, a 12th-place finish at the U.S Women’s Open on July 6 and second at The Amundi Evian Championship on July 27.
But she missed the cut at the other three events in July and August that led up to this week in Vancouver.
“I think overall when things start to slip a little bit you can panic, and I feel like I’ve done that a little bit this year,” said Henderson, who entered the week 11th in the Race to CME Globe standings, but is projected to move up to eighth on the LPGA Tour rankings on Monday.
“I’m trending in the right direction _ I’ve been saying that a lot, too, _ but I really am.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, the other Canadian who made the cut, had her best round of the tournament on Sunday. She shot a 4-under 68 in her fourth round to finish at 3 over.
“I’ve still got to keep learning as a veteran, and today I went out and just wanted to have fun,” said Sharp, who competed in the national championship for the 18th time. “Yesterday I walked off and I know I didn’t have a lot of fun. I let the golf course get to me.”
Sharp has spent most of her season on the Epson Tour and sits ninth on the second-tier circuit’s money list. Sharp said it’s encouraging that she can still compete with the best the LPGA Tour has to offer as she targets a return to the highest level of women’s golf next season.
“I know I still have it to play out here,” said the 42-year-old Sharp. “A sloppy two rounds, but two really good rounds on a really tough golf course.
“Looking forward to a week off and then five weeks in a row to hopefully get my LPGA Tour card.”
Henderson and Sharp were two of the 15 Canadians entered in the Women’s Open, with 10 of those players still amateurs. Although most of them missed the cut, Golf Canada chief sport officer Kevin Blue said it was an opportunity for the next generation of Canadian players to challenge themselves.
“Being uncomfortable is good,” said Blue on Wednesday. “Ask somebody trying to win a tournament down the stretch. They’re not comfortable. The whole point is to get uncomfortable in golf.
“Our players are definitely going to experience the good parts of that in the next couple of days.”
Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club will host the July 22-28 CPKC Women’s Open next year.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – Struggling through her round, Brooke Henderson found some solace looking at the leaderboard, as most of the field at the CPKC Women’s Open was having a tough time with Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., grinded out a 3-over round to sit in a tie for 34th at 2 over on Saturday at the Canadian women’s golf championship. A double bogey on the par-4 14th hole was the ugliest blemish on her scorecard, but she took heart a couple of holes later.
“It was disappointing that I let some shots slip away, but looking at the leaderboard on No. 16 I was relieved because everyone else seemed to be having some trouble too, so that made me feel a little bit better about myself,” said Henderson, who then birdied the par-4 16th hole. “Just trying to take some positives out of the day.
“Obviously, not what I was looking for, but hopefully I’ll go out tomorrow and make some birdies.”
Henderson was still processing the round when she spoke with reporters by the scoring tent off the 18th green. Despite her struggles, the fans’ support of the top-ranked Canadian in professional golf remained unwavering.
Some spectators sang “O Canada!” at the 17th hole and a loud ovation ushered her up to the 18th green.
“I feel like I’m a little bit upset with how my game is right now,” said Henderson. “I’m also proud that I’m out here, playing the weekend, and with how things have been, I’m just grateful to be out here with all the love and support from all the fans.
“They made me feel a lot better about myself walking up 18. There is so much love here and that really means a lot to me.”
Although most of the field struggled on Saturday, the two players atop the leaderboard did not.
Megan Khang of the United States had birdies on four of her final five holes to hold on to her second-round lead. She finished at 4-under 68 to move to 11-under overall.
“Honestly, I’m relieved that the day is over,” said Khang. “It was kind of like you look at the leaderboard and you know who is behind you and you try to ignore it as much as you can, but it’s scary.”
The four birdies on Khang’s back nine were necessary to fend off hard-charging Sei Young Kim of South Korea. Kim had two eagles, including a hole-in-one, in a 5-under 67 round to sit in second two shots back of Khang.
She said that she decided to be aggressive after a Shaughnessy member told her during the pro-am that the key to the challenging course was to go for it when the green was reachable.
“(No. 14) especially, we get advantage from the tee shot,” said Kim. “It’s just reachable from the tee shot to the green, 250 metres to the pin, so I hit just driver.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (78) is the only other Canadian in the field. She finished the day with a group tied for 62nd at 7 over after a 6-over day.
Although she was frustrated by her round, Sharp still had some fun at No. 17 _ a hockey-themed feature hole dubbed The Rink _ by donning a Vancouver Canucks jersey as she played. In last year’s tournament at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, the diehard Maple Leafs fan pulled on a Toronto sweater at The Rink to a very mixed reaction.
Things went better for Sharp at Shaughnessy, with spectators banging on the boards to show their approval of the Canucks sweater. She pulled up the sleeves of the jersey for her chip on to the green and then sank a par putt.
“When I was trying to chip the logo was brushing my arms so I tucked it into the back and I actually hit a good chip,” said Sharp. “(Caddie and wife Sarah Bowman) said ‘you should wear that for the rest of the round.”’
VANCOUVER – Megan Khang had five straight birdies in a back-nine burst and shot a 6-under 66 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead in the CPKC Women’s Open at challenging Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.
After playing the first 10 holes in 1 under, Khang birdied five straight on Nos. 11-15. She closed the bogey-free morning round with three pars, leaving her at 7-under 137 on the tree-lined _ and mosquito-ladden _ layout.
“Honestly, this golf course I feel like you can’t really get too comfortable,” Khang said. “These fairways are tight and the greens are fast and firm, so I’m not taking anything for granted.”
Linn Grant of Sweden was second after a 71.
First-round leader Yuka Saso of Japan followed her opening 66 with a 73 to drop into a tie for third at 5 under with 2019 winner Jin Young Ko of South Korea. The fourth-ranked Ko had a 70.
While winless on the LPGA Tour, Khang has 33 top-10 finishes and career earnings over $5 million. The 25-year-old American is No. 27 in the world.
“Definitely birdies are out there,” Khang said. “Again, just try to stay patient. There will be times where if you happen to miss the fairway you’re just going to have to punch out, and that’s OK. Just as long as you stay level-headed out there”
Grant won the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title.
“Still a tricky course,” Grant said. “Still some good golf, but not quite there.”
Ko won in 2019 at Magna outside Toronto. She has 15 LPGA Tour victories.
“I hit a lot of good shots today,” Ko said. “I hit 17 greens out of 18 greens. I did some miss putts, but was OK.
Second-ranked Nelly Korda was 4 under after her second 70.
“It’s very crucial to hit it well out here,” Korda said. “At the end of the day, you got to make putts.”
Canadian star Brooke Henderson rebounded from an opening 75 with a bogey-free 68 to get to 1 under. The 2018 winner at Wascana in Saskatchewan is wearing glasses in competition for the first time.
“Feels really good to get back under par,” Henderson said. “Feel like I fought really hard to get back under par. … Yesterday was not good, so coming out early this morning just wanted to get off to a good start, and birdieing the 11th hole _ my second hole of the day _ gave me the right momentum.”
Rose Zhang had a 75 to fall to even par. The 20-year-old Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open in June at Liberty National in her first professional start.
Top-ranked Lilia Vu also was even par after a second 72.
Three-time winner Lydia Ko was 2 over after a 74. She won at Vancouver Golf Club in 2012 and 2015.
Lexi Thompson missed the cut with rounds of 76 and 80. She’s No. 157 in the Race to CME Globe and in danger of losing her LPGA card without having to use a one-time career money exemption.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER – Brooke Rivers says she’s just focused on playing golf at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open. But she still stopped to sign an autograph for a young girl as she crossed over from her front nine to the back nine.
That quick pause in her round came as she was one of the early leaders on Thursday morning at the Canadian women’s golf championship. The 18-year-old Rivers, a collegiate player set to start her first full year of university this fall, finished her round at 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for 13th.
Rivers’s round had the lowest score of any amateur at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.
“I think it’s very similar to any other tournament,” said Rivers after her first-ever round of professional golf. “I’m just trying to do the best that I can, and this is to me like any other tournament.
“So I’m staying in the moment. Not too many nerves. I’m just here to play golf.”
That said, Rivers doesn’t get asked for many autographs at amateur tournaments.
“Yeah, a little bit different,” Rivers said with a laugh. “It’s fun just to kind of inspire the younger generation.”
Rivers, from Brampton, Ont., started at No. 10 and had two birdies in her first five holes before firing an eagle on the par-5 No. 15.
“In the practice round I wasn’t close enough to go for the green on 15, but today I was full send going for the green and ended up in a good place,” she said, grinning. “Short-sided myself, but hit a perfect chip and went in.”
Although she had four bogeys after the eagle, Rivers recovered with a birdie on the par-5 No. 7 to finish the round on a high note.
“I’m missing my first week of college to be here,” said Rivers, who will play for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons starting this fall. “Worth it, but it’s just about golf. It’s not about the tournament or who is in it.
“I’m here to play golf and hit the shots that I want to hit.”
Rivers is one of 15 Canadians in the field at the Women’s Open. Ten of those players are amateurs, as Golf Canada works to develop a new generation of professional golfers.
Kevin Blue, the national governing body’s chief sport officer, said that it was important to give more amateurs an opportunity to play in their first professional event because it would help them better visualize their development targets.
“It allows them to understand viscerally and emotionally how their games measure up to a field like this, which is featuring the vast, vast majority of the top 100 players in the world,” said Blue. “We obviously hope that they’ll play well and make cuts and do those things, but primarily, the objective this week is for our players to learn as much as possible about areas where there’s still gaps between them and a world-ranked player.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian on Thursday, shooting a 3-under 69 to sit in a group tied for third.
“It’s amazing to see all the young kids here. I get older, they get younger it seems like,” said the 42-year-old Sharp. “They have a lot of talent and Golf Canada has done a great job with the program and giving these girls opportunities to play in events like this.
“It’s a huge experience builder for them. It’s great to see them all here.”
Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., was tied for 31st at 1-over 73, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was 3-over 75, and amateur Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., was 4-over.
Epson Tour player Sarah-Eve Rheaume of Quebec City and amateurs Ellie Szeryk of London, Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C., and Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos were grouped at 5-over 77. Like Rivers, Ellie Szeryk was happy to be playing in her first-ever professional event.
“It was a little frustrating with the greens. I’m just not used to how the LPGA plays them,” said Ellie Szeryk, the younger sister of Tour professional Maddie Szeryk. “I’m used to the balls slowly rolling out like two, three yards and they’re rolling out quite a bit more but you can’t leave them short because they stick.
“So that was a pretty big adjustment, but it was cool.”
Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., was 6-over 78 and amateur Victoria Liu of Vancouver was 7-over 79. Amateurs Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., and Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., were 8-over 80.
Amateurs Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Victoria’s Sonja Tang, and Angela Arora of Surrey were grouped at 9-over 81.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Yuka Saso had a big second nine to shoot a 6-under 66 and take the first-round lead Thursday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson struggled while playing in glasses for the first time on the LPGA Tour.
Even par at the turn at tree-lined _ and mosquito-infested _ Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Saso birdied Nos. 1-4 and 6-7, playing her second nine in 6-under 30. The 22-year-old Japanese player won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open for her lone LPGA Tour title.
“I don’t know what happened the back nine,” Saso said. “I started hitting some good second shots and having short putts for birdies, giving myself a lot of chances.”
Henderson, the 2018 winner at Wascana in Regina, Saskatchewan, opened with a 75. Playing in the afternoon, she had four bogeys and a birdie.
“I just wasn’t sharp today,” Henderson said. “Hopefully, just go out tomorrow morning early, get off to a quick start, make more birdies.”
She has long worn worn glasses off the course, but hadn’t played in them.
“At least I could see my ball in the bush, which was kind of a good thing, I guess,” Henderson said.
Saso tried to be patient with the mosquitoes.
“The bug spray helped a lot,” she said. “The wind, too.”
Linn Grant was second after an afternoon 67. The 24-year-old Swede rebounded from a bogey on the par-5 11th with birdies on the next four holes. She won the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title.
“I didn’t feel very confident with my swing going out,” Grant said. “But I managed to kind of find something. You know, golf is golf. You got to just kind of go with what you have.”
Canadian Alena Sharp was at 69 with Rose Zhang, 2019 winner Jin Young Ko, Weiwei Zhang, Sei Young Kim and Danielle Kang.
“To be honest, the start was a little shaky,” Sharp said. “I was a little nervous. You got to kind of put your blinders on out here. Fairways are narrow.”
The 20-year-old Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open in June at Liberty National in her first professional start.
“You can never be too comfortable, especially on this golf course,” Zhang said. “Every day the conditions are going to be changing.”
Nelly Korda topped the group at 70.
“It’s really tight off the tee,” Korda said. “Really small greens. And a side of a lot of mosquitoes.”
Canadian amateur Brooke Rivers had a 71. The 18-year-old will be a freshman at Wake Forest.
“I’m feeling good.” Rivers said. “Stuck to the plan and hit some good shots.”
Three-time winner Lydia Ko shot a 72. She won at Vancouver Golf Club in 2012 and 2015. Race to CME Globe leader Lilia Vu also had a 72.
Lexi Thompson opened with a 76. She’s No. 157 in the Race to CME Globe and in danger of losing her LPGA card without having to use a one-time career money exemption.
Defending champion Paula Reto shot 78.
Canadian sisters Maddie and Ellie Szeryk were paired together, with Maddie shooting a 73 and Ellie a 77.
Shaughnessy was originally set to host the event in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed it by three years.
Opening Round pairings and tee times available
Thursday’s opening ceremonies set for 6:45 a.m. PT on the 1st Tee
Download the Golf Canada App for your full CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Experience; Media Guide & Player Performance Guide available.
THREE-TIME CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN CHAMPION LYDIA KO ON RETURNING TO VANCOUVER…
“I had my first LPGA win in Vancouver, and I think it’s where everything kind of started. Who knows, if I didn’t win or play that event maybe I might have not got the opportunities along the way. Yeah, it’s always going to be a very special place for me. I said maybe like if I win like a fourth time I would be like an honorary Canadian by then.”
ROSE ZHANG ON COMPETING ON THE LPGA TOUR…
“There are no words to describe how blessed and thankful I am to be able to be on this stage and playing the sport that I love. If anything, it makes me want to go out there and not only do my best on the golf course, but even off the golf course. Making sure that I’m doing everything that I can to become my best self. Be someone that other people can look up to and feel encouraged to play this game. That’s all I really want. I realized that the LPGA Tour, being on this platform and seeing so many other veterans do the same thing, it really humbles me and wants me to become better.”
STACY LEWIS ON PLAYING SHAUGHNESSY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB THIS WEEK…
“I think it’s a good golf course. I think it’s a little bit tricky. Some of the lengths of holes are playing for the firmness of greens, I think you’ll see the officials hopefully move some of the holes up just to -some of the greens just aren’t made for 5s and 6-irons. They’re made for a little bit shorter clubs. Hopefully officials will adjust there a little bit and make it a little bit more playable, because it’s just one of those courses you can hit a good shot and it hits on a downslope and goes over the back. It’s going to be a great test. Nothing crazy under par is going to win this thing. You look back at the history here, it was single digits under par. I think you’ll see more of the same.”
GABRIELA RUFFELS ON BEING A SPONSOR INVITE AND RETURNING TO VANCOUVER…
“Yeah, it’s great. I was super excited to get the invite. I know this is one of the bigger events on the LPGA schedule, so I was super excited when I found out that I was going to come here. I was here a couple months ago for my U.S. Women’s Open qualifier actually, which I got through, I qualified, so I have good memories from Vancouver and it’s nice to be back.”
GOLF CANADA CEO LAURENCE APPLEBAUM ON THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN …
“It’s an incredible golf province, incredible golf locale, one of the special ones in our country. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will be our greatest commercial success in the history of the Canadian Women’s Open. For us to have a title sponsor like CPKC, a new elite partner like BDO and our other vast partnerships, everyone from Audi to Levelwear, we will have our greatest commercial success. And as many of you know, as the National Sport Federation we take everything we do and drive it back into our performance program, participation program, and our membership services, so we’re thrilled that we could have such an amazing result here in Shaughnessy.”
PAIRINGS AND TEE TIMES FOR OPENING ROUND OF CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN
Click here for pairings and tee times for the opening round of the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday, August 24.
BROADCAST TIMES
Round 1
Thursday, August 24 TSN, RDS, Golf Channel 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT
Round 2
Friday, August 25 TSN, RDS, Golf Channel 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT
Round 3
Saturday, August 26 TSN, RDS, Golf Channel 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT
Round 4
Sunday, August 27 TSN, RDS, Golf Channel 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT
CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…
CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.
MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…
Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.
FIELD FOR THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…
Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.
Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.
ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN
The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.
For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.
