TROON, Scotland – Her ranking close to No. 400, Sophia Popov was pushing a trolley for her best friend at an LPGA Tour event in the United States three weeks ago.

On Sunday, she’ll take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Women’s British Open.

Popov set up what could be a life-changing day on the links of Royal Troon in southwest Scotland by shooting a bogey-free, 4-under 67 that tied the low score of the third round on Saturday.

The 27-year-old German was 4 under par overall and one of just three players under par after 54 holes. Minjee Lee of Australia and Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand were the other two, after both shot 69 to be tied for second place on 1 under.

Popov only qualified for the British Open courtesy of a top-10 finish two weeks ago at the Marathon Classic, which she was playing only because higher-ranked players couldn’t attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. Last week, she was playing on the second-tier Symetra Tour in Phoenix last week, tying for second, as she looks to regain her playing status on the LPGA Tour that she lost – by one stroke – at Q-School last season.

She has been the epitome of consistency at Troon and steered largely clear of trouble on Saturday to score the first bogey-free round of this tournament on a day when the wind relented somewhat, leading to the lowest scores of the week.

Popov made eagle at the par-5 fourth hole after hitting driver from the fairway to within 8 feet, and added birdies at Nos. 12 and 17. Also key was a long par putt at No. 11 that maintained her momentum.

If she holds her nerve on Sunday, she will become the first female major winner from Germany.

“Now it’s just me vs, pressure and shot-making in the right moments,” said Popov, who is now ranked No. 304 and is playing her first British Open since 2011.

“There are going to be a lot of nerves tomorrow,” she added. “It’s a position I have never been in, so we will have to see how it goes and play one shot at a time.”

At No. 138 in the world, Suwannapura would be another unlikely winner though her chances were hit by bogeying the last. She will also rue missing a short par putt at No. 15 for the only other bogey in her round.

The eighth-ranked Lee is the most high-profile of the three main contenders and is also looking for her first major title.

In a three-way tie for fourth – five strokes behind Popov – is her fellow German player Caroline Masson, who shot 68. Americans Lindsey Weaver (71) and Austin Ernst (72) were also on 1 over for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 2 over Saturday and enters the final round tied for 19th at 5 over.

TROON, Scotland – As if Royal Troon isn’t playing hard enough for the world’s top female golfers this week, Dani Holmqvist is going around the wind-swept Scottish links carrying a nagging back injury from a cart crash in 2018.

It’s not stopping the Swede leading the Women’s British Open after two rounds.

On another tough day when first-round leader Amy Olson shot 81 – 14 strokes worse than Thursday – and stars like Lexi Thompson, Canadian Brooke Henderson and defending champion Hinako Shibuno missed the cut, Holmqvist shot 1-under 70 in windy morning conditions to be the only player under par after 36 goals.

A 1-under total of 141 left Holmqvist a stroke ahead of Austin Ernst of the United States (70) and Sophia Popov of Germany (72). The rest of the 144-strong field were over par for a tournament being played without spectators and in an isolated environment on the southwest coast due to the pandemic.

Holmqvist’s form has come out of nowhere, with the 32-year-old Swede having missed the cut in 13 of the 20 events she has played since the golf cart in which she was riding between holes in the Blue Bay event on the LPGA Tour in November 2018 lost control and slammed into a wall.

As well as suffering with a leaking disk in her back, Holmqvist had a badly inflamed facet joint that has required multiple injections and regular rehab. The suspension of golf because of the coronavirus outbreak gave her some much-needed time to heal but she still described herself as “injured” on Friday.

“It’s a long process and very tedious,” she said. “It’s an everyday thing.”

Capturing a first major title – indeed, a first professional win at senior level – won’t be easy, and not just because of how hard and long Troon is playing in often 50-mph (80-kph) winds.

Lying two strokes behind Holmqvist on 1 over par are former No. 1 Lydia Ko (71) and No. 8-ranked Minjee Lee, who shot 69 to tie for the lowest round on Friday. A further shot back is No. 4-ranked Nelly Korda after her round of 72.

“We were like, `Are you scared over 1-footers, too, with this wind?’ Korda said, referring to a conversation she had with playing partner Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion. ”Because we were like shaking over it with wind and the gusts.“

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is 3 over for the tournament after a 74 on Friday. Henderson, frm Smiths Falls, Ont., was 10 over for two rounds, missing the cut by one stroke.

After what she described as the best ball-striking round of her career to shoot 67 on Thursday, Olson came back to earth with a 10-over round that included six bogeys on her first 10 holes before double-bogeys at Nos. 11 and 14.

The American parred her way home to limit the damage and won’t feel out of it at 6 over.

Another American, Lindsay Weaver, is closer to the lead on 1 over after shooting 72 while pushing her own trolley.

“It’s kind of back to the basics. This is how junior golf was,” she said.

Flying solo with a decade-old trolley that doesn’t have functioning breaks isn’t without its perils, either.

“I was in one bunker,” Weaver said, recalling an incident in her first round, “and my push cart flew into another bunker and toppled over. I’m still trying to get a lot of the sand out of my bag.”

It has proved to be a week to forget for Lexi Thompson, who has shot 78 and 75 to miss the cut by two strokes.

At least she avoided the ignominy of being penalized for using the head of her club to push away long grass from her ball on the 16th hole of her first round.

“Following a discussion between chief referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard,” the R&A said in a statement Friday, “it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position.

“Therefore, the lie of the ball was not improved and there was no breach of Rule 8.1.”

TROON, Scotland – Fences blew over behind Canada’s Alena Sharp as she warmed up for her 6.30 a.m. start.

Nelly Korda’s opening drive went 187 yards and the fierce wind meant she had a hard time just walking the first three holes.

Buffeted by a gust on the 11th green, Lexi Thompson stepped back from a bogey putt, looked at her caddie, and had a wry laugh.

The opening round of the first women’s major of a pandemic-affected year was a slog for many of the world’s biggest names at Royal Troon on Thursday.

For Amy Olson, though, it was a stroll.

The American was the only player to shoot below 70 in what some said was a four-club wind on the famous links in eastern Scotland, her 4-under 67 earning her a three-stroke lead.

“It was the best ball-striking day of my life,” said Olson, who grew up hitting a low ball in strong winds in North Dakota, standing her in good stead for links play. “But I can’t even describe how difficult it was out there.”

Only two others in the 144-player field – Sophia Popov of Germany and Marina Alex of the United States – shot under par, both with rounds of 70.

“It was brutal,” said Popov, who was playing in 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Arizona last week and only arrived in Scotland on Tuesday.

Danielle Kang would agree. The in-form player – and, at No. 2, the highest-ranked competitor at Troon this week – finished eagle-birdie-birdie just to shoot 76 along with defending champion Hinako Shibuno of Japan.

Stacy Lewis, the 2013 champion at St. Andrews, had the same score after arriving on the back of a win across the country at the Ladies Scottish Open on Sunday.

Thompson, an American ranked No. 10, dropped five shots in two holes on Nos. 11 and 12, and had a 78.

Among the 10 players tied for fourth place at even par were Sharp and Catriona Matthew, a 50-year-old Scot who was captain of Europe’s Solheim Cup-winning team last year.

Sharp, a Hamilton native, rebounded after hitting her opening shot out of bounds, resulting in a double bogey.

“I was just like, OK, you need to wake up, start playing golf shots.’ Don’t be afraid of the wind,” said Sharp, who had four birdies and no bogeys on the last eight holes. “This is just like all the other rounds I’ve played in the wind. You know, just from there on, I was just in grind mode the rest of the day.”

Sharp has a grandmother and uncle from Scotland.

“I feel like they were watching over me today and giving me a little help out there,” she said.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 6-over 77.

The conditions at an event being played in an isolated environment because of the pandemic were worse for the morning starters, who encountered winds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph). For some, it was four seasons in one day.

Olson went out in the afternoon and made only one bogey, on the par-4 third hole. She responded by chipping in for birdie at No. 4 and hitting to within a foot with an 8-iron from 191 yards for another at No. 6. Another birdie arrived at No. 11, before her tee shot at the par-3 14th hole settled three feet from the cup for another birdie.

Her fifth birdie came at No. 16.

The 28-year-old Olson has yet to win as a professional, though came close to capturing a major at the Evian Championship in 2018 when she tied for second place, a shot behind Angela Stanford. She tied for seventh at the Scottish Open last week, suggesting she was in the kind of shape to challenge at Troon.

Popov, who finished birdie-birdie, only qualified for the British with a top-10 finish at the Marathon Classic two weeks ago and was playing on the second-tier Symetra Tour in Phoenix last week, tying for second.

Alex rebounded from a double-bogey 7 at No. 6 with three birdies in a bogey-free final 11 holes.

Former No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 4-ranked Nelly Korda were among those to shoot 72.

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko, a winner of two majors last year, is absent from the tournament in Scotland along with fellow South Koreans Sung Hyun Park (No. 3) and Sei Young Kim (No. 6) because of coronavirus restrictions. Jessica Korda, the sister of Nelly, withdrew just before the start of the first round with an illness not related to COVID-19, organizers said.

The weather could be even tougher on Friday, with near-gale force gusts forecast in the afternoon.

The time has come for Brooke Henderson to get back into competitive golf.

Henderson tees off in the early afternoon on Thursday at the Women’s British Open at storied Royal Troon Old Course in Troon, Scotland. It’s her first tournament since January, a seven-month break that she believes is the longest she’s taken from competitive golf since she was in elementary school.

“That’ll be fun, I haven’t really felt that adrenalin in a little while. I’m looking forward to it,” said Henderson, who tied for fourth at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on Jan. 16 and then tied for 15th in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio a week later.

Henderson always planned to skip the LPGA Tour’s swing through Australia and was on the fence about playing in its Asian tournaments. The COVID-19 pandemic took that decision out of her hands.

“I was happy that I wasn’t over there and then after that more things started to get cancelled,” said Henderson. “It is unfortunate that this has happened but, at the same time, you can take some positives from it.

Back in action ? pic.twitter.com/2Ha5yaEWot

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 18, 2020

“My family’s been healthy and hopefully it stays that way and I’ve been able to do some extra things I don’t normally have time for.”

That inactivity has seen Henderson fall from the top 10 down to a tie for 37th in the Race to CME Globe standings. A solid performance at Troon, however, should help her move quickly back up the rankings.

“I’m really looking forward to competing again and I’m glad the LPGA has come up with a schedule and a plan to try and keep us players and everybody involved as safe as they can be during this crazy time,” said Henderson.

“I’m really appreciative of everyone that’s been working hard to get the show on the road.”

Always a cerebral player, Henderson enjoyed taking a step back from the day-to-day grind of a professional golfer. Instead of analyzing course layouts and working on her swing she’s had time to read books and do more cooking.

“It’s very mentally draining playing golf, both on the course and off,” said Henderson. “You’re constantly thinking of how to improve, how to play the course with maybe a better strategy, you’re always thinking and trying to get better that way.

“In this off-time I feel like I’ve had more mental energy to spend in different ways.”

She’ll be joined at Women’s British Open by Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, who has thrived since the LPGA Tour resumed play on July 31 at the inaugural Drive On Championship. Sharp is currently 42nd in the CME Globe standings.

Alena Sharp is keenly aware that time is not on her side as a shortened LPGA Tour season resumes this week.

The 39-year-old from Hamilton is the only Canadian in the field as the inaugural Drive On Championship tees off on Friday at Inverness Golf Course in Toledo, Ohio. Sharp was ranked 48th on the LPGA Tour before it suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-February.

“It sucks that this is happening towards the end of my career because I’m playing well,” said Sharp. “I want to just keep riding that momentum for as long as I can until I decide to maybe slow down and retire.”

After taking just a few weeks off following the 2019 season, Sharp played in three tournaments to kick off the new year. She missed the cut at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Raton, Fla., in January, tied for ninth at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in early February, then missed the cut at the Women’s Australian Open.

When that tournament finished the LPGA Tour, about to embark on its annual swing through Asia, decided to take a four-week break to avoid what was then a regional epidemic of the novel coronavirus. That epidemic exploded into a worldwide pandemic that has gripped the world.

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Sharp, who has been a professional golfer for 15 years, said she is worried that the dozen tournaments cancelled because of COVID-19 represent a dwindling number of opportunities to win on the LPGA Tour for the first time.

“I don’t have any injuries or anything like that but there’s a lot of up-and-coming players that are coming out and things happen as you age,” said Sharp.

A silver lining to the time off _ the longest off-season Sharp can recall _ is that she has been able to put an emphasis on her fitness. Gyms were closed in Arizona, where she lives, but she dedicated herself to outdoor workouts using kettlebells, resistance bands, smash balls and body weight exercizes.

Sharp also played regularly at Seville Golf and Country Club against some of the club’s best members to keep her competitive fires burning.

“I would play some little money games just to test myself and make sure that I was staying competitive, making the putts mean something,” said Sharp. “Some of the guys I gave strokes to so I had to play pretty well to beat them.

“I hate losing so it was definitely helpful to keep me in that competition mode.”

Sharp and Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., would have been competing for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics this week had it not been for the pandemic. Sharp notes that her world ranking should be improving this season because a series of missed cuts will be coming off her record, putting her in an excellent position to hold on to her Olympic berth for the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

“I’m glad that they’ve actually moved it to next year and rather than just cancel it entirely, because in four more years I mean I don’t know where I’ll be,” she said. “I hope to be still playing and being competitive but time isn’t on my side necessarily.”

Brooke Henderson has set her sights on the British Women’s Open.

One of the biggest names in women’s golf and the most successful pro player in Canadian history, Henderson has been out of competitive play for nearly seven months. At first it was intentional, as the No. 7 women’s golfer in the world had previously decided to sit out the LPGA Tour’s Australian leg, but then the COVID-19 pandemic began and the circuit suspended play.

“It’s been a very long break, especially for me,” said the 22-year-old Henderson from her family cottage. “I think it’s been the longest I’ve gone without playing competitively since maybe I was in elementary school.

“It’s been a big change for me but I’m very excited to get back out there. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of adrenalin on that first tee.”

Henderson tied for fourth at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions with an overall score of 12 under on Jan. 16 and then a week later she tied for 15th in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.

 

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But those two tournaments have been it so far for Henderson, who lives in Florida but repatriated to her parents’ home in Smiths Falls, Ont., early in the pandemic.

“I’ve enjoyed staying put and not travelling and not being exposed as much the last few months,” said Henderson, who quarantined herself for 14 days before moving back in with her parents. “I’ll be staying here until the British and then after the British I’ll be playing a few more events and getting out there more.”

The Women’s British Open begins on Aug. 20 at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. It will be the first major of the LPGA Tour’s season after the Evian Championship, originally scheduled for Aug. 6-9, was cancelled.

The LPGA Tour resumes its schedule on Thursday with the first-ever Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio. Henderson will miss it, the Marathon Classic Aug. 6-9 and the Ladies Scottish Open Aug. 13-16.

Henderson, who has played a rigorous schedule since turning pro in 2015, has enjoyed the break.

“I’ve read a lot of books, I was able to work out more than I do when I’m out on Tour,” said Henderson, whose sister/caddy Brittany stayed at their home in Florida. “I learned to cook way better, which is really exciting. I spent a lot of quality time with my mom and dad since I’ve been home.

“It’s been a nice break, in a way, I just wish the break happened but that it could have happened without affecting everyone.”

Henderson and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp would have left for Japan this week to play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the second time the pair would have represented Canada in women’s golf.

“(Tokyo) is something to look forward to next year,” said Henderson. “Obviously it was a very smart decision they made to move it to 2021. Hopefully by then it is safe to play and it’s not postponed another year.

“I really enjoyed playing last time in Rio in 2016. It’s definitely an honour.”

VANCOUVER – Due to continued travel and border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPGA Tour, together with Golf Canada and title-sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), have announced that the CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver has been postponed until 2021.

Golf Canada and CP have continued to monitor guidelines set by federal, provincial and municipal authorities intended to prevent the community spread of the virus. Physical factors including restrictions on international travel and mandatory quarantine along with limitations on group gatherings in the province of British Columbia ultimately forced the event’s postponement at Shaughnessy until 2021.

“The CP Women’s Open is a signature event for Golf in Canada and on the LPGA Tour and we share in the disappointment of our fans, players, volunteers and partners,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “The health of everyone who comes together for the event is our top priority and together with our partners at CP and the LPGA Tour, we can now look ahead to hosting an exceptional CP Women’s Open next year in the world-class city of Vancouver. I also applaud the swift and supportive response from our friends at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club as well as the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver who continue to be tremendous hosts and partners in welcoming the LPGA Tour back in 2021.”

As title sponsor of the CP Women’s Open, CP is committed to raising charitable dollars in the event’s host community through the CP Has Heart campaign in support of children’s heart health. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation had previously been named primary charity partner for the 2020 CP Women’s Open and will continue on in the same capacity in 2021.

“We are disappointed we are unable to run the event in Vancouver this year as planned. There is no doubt that the 2021 CP Women’s Open will be a remarkable event both on the course and in terms of leaving a positive impact on the community,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s best golfers to Vancouver next year.”

The 2021 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

“The CP Women’s Open is truly a world-class event and a favorite stop for all of us at the LPGA Tour,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “I understand this was a tough decision for everyone involved, but given the restrictions faced, there was simply nothing else that could be done that would have enabled us to run the event in 2020. It is disappointing to miss Canada’s national championship and I know I speak for all LPGA Tour players and staff when I say we look forward to being back in Vancouver next year.”

The 2020 event was originally set for August 31-September 6. The Board of Directors and membership at Shaughnessy quickly decided to shift their focus to welcoming the stars of the LPGA Tour back next August 23-29, 2021.

“Shaughnessy understands the need to postpone this year’s event in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic – we will continue to work with our fantastic group of volunteers and partners in preparation of hosting the best players in the world in 2021,” said Brian Mossop, General Manager and C.O.O. at Shaughnessy.

The rescheduled return of the LPGA Tour will be proudly supported by both the Province of British Columbia as well as Sport Hosting Vancouver. With a global audience reach of over 500 million households across 170 international markets, both bodies are getting behind one of Canada’s signature sports entertainment properties as part of their tourism platform for 2021.

“While we share the disappointment that this year’s CP Women’s Open in Vancouver is postponed, we know this is the right thing to do to keep players, fans and communities safe,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “We look forward to welcoming the LPGA Tour next year and invite all involved to explore more of Super, Natural British Columbia after the tournament.”

“Sport Hosting Vancouver is proud to support Golf Canada through our partners at Tourism Vancouver, the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association,” said Michelle Collens, Senior Manager, Sport Hosting Vancouver. “We look forward to continuing to work with all partners over the next year to ensure the 2021 CP Women’s Open is a highlight on the calendar, including initiatives to foster sport development and support the economic and social objectives of our destination.”

The third annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit, which was scheduled to take place on September 1 as part of CP Women’s Open tournament week, will be replaced in 2020 by a digital experience focused on audience empowerment and inspiring guest speakers. Full details including a schedule and guest speakers will be released in the coming weeks. The Summit, which is a celebration of business leaders, influencers and community champions, will continue to be part of the CP Women’s Open in 2021 and beyond.

Golf Canada, CP and the LPGA Tour would like to thank golf fans across the nation in addition to the many corporate partners, ticket and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.

Corporate hospitality buyers will be contacted by their Golf Canada sales representative over the coming days to plan forward for 2021. Individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will have the opportunity to be refunded within the next 30 days or be carried over to the 2021 event. Volunteers will be contacted by Golf Canada staff and will be able to choose between deferring their volunteer registration to 2021 or receiving a refund.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Given the continued impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and in collaboration with its partners, the LPGA Tour today is announcing updates to the remainder of its 2020 schedule in preparation for a safe and responsible return to competition.

The LPGA recently informed its athletes that it is currently targeting a restart of the 2020 LPGA Tour season in mid-July.

“One thing that has become clear is that there will be no ‘opening bell’ regarding a return to safe play in this new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “To be honest, being ‘first’ has never been the goal when it comes to returning to play in this new normal. We have built a schedule that we think is as safe as possible given what we know about travel bans, testing availability, and delivering events that our sponsors and our athletes will be excited to attend.

“While July seems like a long way away, we are certainly aware that restarting our season in Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey will require a continued improvement in the situation in each of those states.”

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G in Rogers, Ark., originally scheduled for June 19-21, will now take place Aug. 28-30. The Marathon Classic presented by Dana in Sylvania, Ohio, originally scheduled for July 9-12, will now be held July 23-26.

The PGA of America also announced Wednesday that the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., originally scheduled for June 25-28, will move to Oct. 8-11. For more information, please visit pga.com.

Additional changes have also been made to deliver a full LPGA Tour season for 2020.

The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in Grand Rapids, Mich., previously postponed from its June date, has been rescheduled for Oct. 1-4. The Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging in Belleair, Fla., which had been rescheduled to November, will shift one week later to Nov. 19-22, and the Volunteers of America Classic in The Colony, Texas will move to Dec. 3-6.

Finally, the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla., originally scheduled for Nov. 19-22, will move to Dec. 17-20 and will be the final event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season.

Due to the limited dates available for official full-field events on the LPGA calendar, the UL International Crown will not take place in 2020. Additionally, the Volvik Founders Cup, the LOTTE Championship, the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open and the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship, which had previously been postponed, will return to the schedule for the 2021 season.

The LPGA also announced increases to the purses of numerous 2020 tournaments, bringing the total available purse remaining for the year to more than $56 million, with players competing for an average of nearly $2.7 million per event.

“Many of our remaining events will feature higher purses in 2020 thanks in part to some of our sponsors, who could not reschedule their events, offering some of their prize funds to increase other purses,” said Whan. “In what has been a very challenging year for everyone, we are so thankful to our partners for their creativity, collaboration and dedication to helping our athletes get the most out of the playing opportunities they will have in this unprecedented season.”

Summary of LPGA Tour events affected in the latest schedule update:

• Marathon Classic presented by Dana will move to July 23-26
• Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G will move to Aug. 28-30
• UL International Crown, originally slated for the week of Aug. 24, will not be played in 2020 so a full-field, official event can be held that week
• Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will move to Oct. 1-4
• KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will move to Oct. 8-11
• Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging will move to Nov. 19-22
• Volunteers of America Classic will move to Dec. 3-6
• CME Group Tour Championship will move to Dec. 17-20 and will be the final event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season

If necessary, further schedule adjustments will be shared when appropriate.

Below is a revised look at the LPGA Tour’s 2020 schedule, as of April 29:

Alena Sharp wasn’t expecting an extra month of time off – but she’s glad to have it.

Sharp flew home from the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open on Feb. 16 after the LPGA Tour announced the cancellation of the Honda LPGA Thailand and the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Those events, along with the Blue Bay LPGA on China’s Hainan Island that was scheduled for this week, were all cancelled over fears of spreading the new coronavirus.

That means that when the Volvik Founders Cup kicks off on March 19 in Phoenix near Sharp’s home, the Hamilton native and the rest of the field will have had four weeks off.

It turned out that Sharp’s trip home was timely, as she and her partner continued to mourn a death in the family and one of their dogs needed emergency surgery.

“It’s a long break, but it’s gone by kind of fast because I’ve been a little bit occupied with things. So, but it’s been nice to be home, honestly,” said Sharp, who turns 39 Sunday. “I’d love to be playing golf, but it’s kind of worked out to be able to be home to take care of our dog and then get some rest because the off-season was so short, so it might have been a blessing in disguise a little bit.”

After taking just a few weeks off following the 2019 season, Sharp played in three tournaments to kick off the new year. She missed the cut at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Raton, Fla., in January, tied for ninth at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in early February, then missed the cut at the Women’s Australian Open.

Once Sharp had settled back home in Arizona, she started focusing on her golf again and making the most of the surprise down time. That meant regular rounds at Seville Golf and Country Club, her home course, consulting with coach Brett Saunders, and competing in a Cactus Tour event, a local professional women’s circuit.

“Even with all this time off I’ve been up on the course, like three hours a day, not five or six,” said Sharp, who prefers intense, high-quality practices over long meandering sessions. “I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve been done what I need to do, I don’t need to be grinding super hard right now. I still have two weeks. I’ve got to pace myself.’

“So next week, I’ll play maybe once with some of the members (at Seville) and then play in that Cactus Tour event. I think I’ll be ready.”

One benefit of the time back in North America has been that Sharp got to work in an impromptu visit to Saunders, who is based at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, B.C.

“All athletes are very competitive, they want to get at it as scheduled but in Alena’s case I think it’s really helped,” said Saunders. “She had a long season and she played well and she played a few extra events last year that and off the course she had a few personal issues so she didn’t really have an off-season.

“So this little break has helped. It enabled her to come and see me last week which was kind of unexpected and unplanned, but was nice to see her and get back on track, review and monitor the plan.”

Sharp travelled up to British Columbia rather than bring Saunders south to Arizona – she’s quick to point out the weather is better in the desert this time of year – but the coach has access to better swing analysis tools at Morgan Creek.

Thank you @BSaundersGolf for the fine tuning the last two day’s @morgancreekgolf Very cool to see some great changes and clean up my putting. Make a plan and blueprint and stick to it! Yellow is current. Blue is from Nov. ? pic.twitter.com/I5bzhjpIWp

— Alena Sharp (@AlenaSharp) February 28, 2020

“You can really see the work that I was doing,” said Sharp, who proudly posted a photo of her changed backswing to social media in a post thanking Saunders for his help. “It changed my position at the top, which is resulting in better ball striking.”

MELBOURNE, Australia – Korea’s Hee Young Park, who came close to quitting golf last year, made par on the fourth hole of a three-way playoff Sunday to win the LPGA Tour’s Victoria Open from compatriots Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeon Ryu.

On a course swept by a boisterous wind and as evening closed in Park, Choi and Ryu returned repeatedly to the tee on the dog-leg par-5 18th to play out a gripping finale after finishing tied at 281, 8-under par.

Former world No. 1 Ryu dropped out on the second playoff hole when she missed a birdie putt but Park and Choi continued until luck and nature intervened.

Choi’s tee shot on the fourth playoff hole came to rest against a pine cone in light rough left of the fairway, leaving her with no choice but to chip out. Her attempt to do so came up short, she put her next into a hazard, dropped out, and finally reached the fringe of the green in six.

Park had an eagle putt to win the tournament on the first playoff hole but saw it slide by the cup. She faced three more holes in tough conditions before clinching her third LPGA title.

“Last year was the worst year in my life and I had to go to q-school and I was going to stop golf because I thought (there was) no more game in my mind,” Park said. “Then I made q-school and I had a chance to play another year this year.

“I never stopped and I think God gave to me this present.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp started the final round in third, two strokes back from the leader but struggled through a 5-over 77 to tie for ninth. It marked the 14th top-10 finish of Sharp’s career on the LPGA Tour and her first of the season.

The tournament at the 13th Beach Golf Links also featured a European Tour men’s tournament running alongside the women’s event.

After Saturday’s third round, the men’s and women’s fields were reduced to 35 players each plus ties. The final round was played on the Beach course which was one of two courses used in the first two rounds along with the Creek course.

Australia’s Min Woo Lee held his nerve on a day of high winds and high drama to win his first professional title in the same tournament his sister Minjee Lee won as an amateur in 2014 and again as a professional in 2018.

Minjee Lee, who finished in a tie for sixth in the women’s event, was beside the 18th green when Min Woo tapped in a birdie putt to win the title by two shots from New Zealander Ryan Fox.

Lee, 21, began the final round three shots clear of three-time European Tour winner Marcus Fraser and fellow Australian Travis Smyth. But his main challenge came unexpectedly from Fox who carded an 8-under 64 in his final round to move to 17 under for the tournament and to place pressure on the lead.

Lee led by two shots at 19 under coming to the 17th but bogeyed and reached his final hole with only a one shot lead over Fox.

He didn’t falter. He found the fairway, then the green to leave himself a 12 foot birdie put which ended just inches wide of the hole and tapped in for a win which has been long anticipated.

“I just played awesome and I’m proud of myself,” Lee said after embracing his sister.

“I was walking off 14 and I heard a roar and I was guessing (Fox) or someone in that group had made eagle or birdie. I just counted up and figured he could have eagled 16 or birdied 17 and eagled 18.”

He was right. Fox birdied 16 and eagled 18 to complete his charge up the leaderboard.

Fraser shared third with Robin Sciot-Siegrist of France who shot 68 to finish 14-under.