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.

BARWON HEADS, Australia – Ayean Cho shot a 2-under 70 on a difficult day for scoring to take a one-stroke lead over Madelene Sagstrom after three rounds of the LPGA’s Vic Open.

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

Choi had a three-round total of 12-under 205. Canada’s Alena Sharp was in third, two strokes behind Cho after a 70.

“I don’t really think about winning but know that it’s there and really just stay in one shot at a time like I did today,” said Sharp. “I didn’t get ahead of myself, it was one shot after the next. It wasn’t, oh, I’ve got to hit a good drive on this next hole. No, I’ve got to make this putt first. Really stay in the present and stick to the process.”

Sharp’s best career LPGA Tour result came at the 2016 CP Women’s Open, where she finished fourth. She has 12 other top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth at the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

In the men’s event, Min Woo Lee eagled the 18th hole for 4-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead over three-time European Tour winner Marcus Fraser and fellow Australian Travis Smyth.

“I knew it was going to be difficult coming in, it was going to be a grind today,” Sagstrom told a television commentator before completing her round. “I am going to be tired after this.”

After Saturday’s third round, the men’s and women’s fields were reduced to 35 players each plus ties. The final round will be played on the Beach course. That course and the Creek course were used for the first two rounds of the tournament.

In the men’s event, Min Woo Lee eagled the 18th hole for 4-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead over three-time European Tour winner Marcus Fraser and fellow Australian Travis Smyth.

“There is so much wind, it’s so hard to figure out when to pull the trigger, I think it might be one of the best rounds I have ever played, regardless of the score,” Lee said.“

Lee had a three-round total of 15-under 201. Fraser shot 69 and Smyth 72.

Fraser said the windy conditions bordered on unplayable.

“My old man plays off 14, he’s a good golfer and I think he would have struggled to break 110 out there,” said Fraser. “I think that’s as strong a wind as I’ve played in anywhere.”

The tournament is also sanctioned by the Australasian PGA men’s tour and European Tour and the European and Australian women’s tours.

Vancouver, January 31, 2020 – Canadian Pacific (CP) and Golf Canada announced today that BC Children’s Hospital Foundation has been chosen as the primary charity partner for the 2020 CP Women’s Open. Fundraising initiatives will occur leading up to the tournament and a month-long public match campaign starts February 1st, in recognition of Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Month.

“The CP Women’s Open is an amazing opportunity to draw attention to the important work being done by doctors to mend the hearts of the future,” said Keith Creel, President and CEO of CP. “Partnering with BC Children’s Hospital Foundation again is a natural fit and progression from our first partnership in 2015. I look forward to seeing the lasting legacy this brings to the hospital, children and families who need it.”

Funds raised through the CP Women’s Open partnership will support the Children’s Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. Funds will be used to purchase a new fleet of the latest generation cardiac ultrasound machines, advance the cardiac research program and help to train the next generation of medical superstars.

“We are delighted to be chosen as the charity partner for the 2020 CP Women’s Open and are honoured to be the first charity to partner with CP for a second time,” said Teri Nicholas, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Funds raised through this partnership will continue to take children’s health care in our province to the next level, giving new hope to kids and families when they need it most.”

“CP’s generosity will not only support the daily work of the clinical care team, it will enable us to substantially expand our research capacity,” said Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, head, division of cardiology at BC Children’s Hospital. “This infusion of high-quality personnel into our scientific programs will create additional opportunities to pursue new solutions for children’s heart health. We are very grateful to have a partner like CP by our side as we work to solve tomorrow’s problems today.”

The month-long public match campaign beginning February 1 until the end of February will match online donations to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. In addition to matching all one-time donations, CP will also match the total of the first year of contributions for all new monthly donations. With the match in place, the Foundation is hoping to acquire 100 new monthly donors by the end of the month. Visit bcchf.ca/heart for more information.

CP is proud to also announce the CP Women’s Open community charity partner is Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in Kamloops, an important terminal in the CP network and home to nearly 200 employees. CP will contribute $250,000 to fundraising efforts in support of cardiac care at Royal Inland Hospital.

“We are so proud to witness first-hand the incredible work CP does through CP Has Heart and the meaningful impact made in the lives of countless Canadians,” said Lawrence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “Excitement for the CP Women’s Open continues to grow in the Vancouver area and I’m very much looking forward to a tournament week highlighted by world-class golf and charitable giving in support of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

The 2020 CP Women’s Open will feature the stars of the LPGA Tour at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club from August 31 – September 6.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Madelene Sagstrom won the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, birdieing the par-3 17th to tie for the lead and winning with a par when Nasa Hataoka missed a 3-footer on the last.

Sagstrom finished with a 2-under 70 for a 17-under 271 total at rain-softened Boca Rio Golf Club.

“I put something on the Instagram in the beginning of the week, saying I’m determined that 2020 is going to be the best season yet. I didn’t know it was going to be this good right away,” Sagstrom said. “But no, I have worked really hard over many years now, and I think that the biggest change or the biggest journey I have had is within myself and my mental game.”

Hataoka shot 69. The Japanese player birdied Nos. 15 and 16 to take the lead, then fell into a tie when Sagstrom birdied the 17th and lost with the bogey on the par-4 18th.

“It kind of helps me out with the beginning two tournaments, being there at the top, gives me a little strength to keep on going for the following many tournaments coming ahead,” Hataoka said. “Missing the win gives me more motivation to keep on going for the next many tournaments coming.”

She also finished second last week in the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, losing to Gaby Lopez on the seventh extra hole in a Monday finish.

Sagstrom bogeyed two of the first five holes, then rebounded with birdies on Nos. 8, 10 and 11 – chipping in on 10.

“It doesn’t matter how you start,” Sagstrom said. “If you just continue fighting, things can go your way. And I just told myself, `Keep fighting, keep fighting.”’

Sagstrom made a 4-footer for birdie on 17, then saved par from 5 feet on 18,

The 27-year-old Swede and former LSU star opened with a 72, shot a career-best 62 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead and doubled her advantage Saturday with a 67.

“I have never been in a situation like this before, so obviously it was all new to me,” Sagstrom said about taking the lead into the final round. “I didn’t know how I was going to handle it or if it was going to go my way or not, so my whole goal today was just go out and stay patient and do what I have done the other days.”

Sagstrom won in her 69th career LPGA Tour start. She’s the 12th Swede to win on the tour, and the first since Pernilla Lindberg in the 2018 ANA Inspiration. Sagstrom won three times on the Symetra Tour in 2016 and led the money list to graduate to the big tour.

Brooke Henderson was the top Canadian. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native finished in a tie for 15th place at 7 under after shooting 73 in the final round.

Danielle Kang was third at 15 under after a 69. She parred the final eight holes.

“I kept hitting it to 30, 35 feet,” Kang said. “And they’re not easy to make. So, it’s hard to two-putt, to be honest.”

Celine Boutier shot 70 to finish fourth at 13 under. Sei Young Kim was 11 under after a 73,

The tournament was the first official event in Boca Raton since the 1989 Oldsmobile LPGA Classic.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The final round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions featured a little bit of everything. Clutch shots, bold play, lead changes, a few costly mistakes and even bonus golf.

Sunday did everything but decide a champion.

Nasa Hataoka and Gaby Lopez matched par five times in a playoff at the 197-yard 18th hole until it was too dark to continue. They will return at 8 a.m. Monday at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club to see who gets the trophy.

LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park also was in the playoff, but was eliminated on the third extra hole when her tee shot with a fairway metal caromed off rocks left of the par-3 18th and bounded into surrounding water.

If the LPGA season can replicate the fireworks displayed in its season opener, this could be quite a year. Five players spent time with at least a share of the fourth-round lead. Lopez (5-under 66), Hat–aoka (68) and Park (71), who led by two shots after 54 holes, finished 72 holes of regulation at 13-under 271.

M.J. Hur, who made 10 birdies and shot 63, and Brooke Henderson (67) of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished one shot out of the playoff in this event featuring 26 LPGA tournament winners from the last two seasons.

.@BrookeHenderson starts off the year with a top 5 finish at #DiamondLPGA ???? pic.twitter.com/oiFPFTkxQt

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 19, 2020

The playoff that will resume on Monday is the LPGA’s longest since Pernilla Lindberg defeated Park in eight holes at the 2018 ANA Inspiration. Monday’s winner will earn $180,000.

The 31-year-old Park, winless in 2019, by far had the most experience of the last players standing, having won 19 times, including seven major championships, in addition to winning an Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016. Perennially one of the LPGA’s best putters, Park struggled to make anything Sunday until rolling in a 15-footer for birdie at the short par-4 16th that lifted her back into a tie for the lead.

When Lopez, clad in the red and green colours of Mexico, and Hataoka scrambled to get up-and-down for pars on the third playoff hole, Park was eliminated. She dropped to 3-5 in her LPGA career in playoffs.

“I think just No. 18 got me yesterday and today,” said Park, who had three-putted the hole for bogey a day earlier. “If I shoot under par (Sunday), I should have won. That’s golf.”

Lopez’s 66 was one of the sharper rounds played Sunday. She completed it in grand style by making the lone birdie yielded all weekend at the 18th hole. Lopez hit a 4-hybrid past the flagstick and made an 18-foot, right-to-left slider to get to 13 under. There have been only five birdies on that hole all week by LPGA players in the tournament, which also features celebrity amateurs; Lopez owned two of them.

The 21-year-old Hataoka has giant goals for 2020. A three-time LPGA winner, she wants to climb to No. 1 in the world (she entered the week ranked sixth) and win gold at the Summer Olympics in her native Japan. She stayed alive on the second hole of the playoff by making a 15-footer for par following a poor chip.

With the leaders struggling to make birdies, Hur, a two-time winner in 2019, made a huge charge up the leaderboard. Her 18-footer straight up the hill at the par-5 17th was her 10th birdie of the round, and it temporarily moved her alongside Park in the lead at 12 under.

Henderson, who shared the 36-hole lead, also made a late run with four back-nine birdies, but missed the green short and right with her tee shot at the 18th and failed to hole a long pitch.

“I saw Inbee had fallen back to 11 (under) early,” Henderson said, “and I was like, `Wow, the door is sort of wide open.”’

There was one champion crowned on Sunday: John Smoltz, former Atlanta Braves standout starter and reliever and baseball Hall of Famer, repeated as champion in the celebrity division. He finished with 150 points in the modified Stableford scoring system, nine points better then U.S. Curtis Cup captain Mardy Fish, another two-time champion.

Smoltz said he hopes to get a two or three PGA Tour Champions starts in 2020 and will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, a field he made in 2018. He made six birdies Sunday and earned $100,000 for his victory.

“You don’t learn anything until you play tournaments like this,” Smoltz said. “I just want to see how good I can get my golf game.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Inbee Park finally made a bogey, but she still finished with a 4-under 67 Saturday and a two-shot lead over Sei Young Kim heading into the final round of the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., fell into a tie for fifth place after she carded a 1-over 72 on Saturday. Henderson now sits five shots back of the leader heading into Sunday’s final round.

Park, a 19-time winner on the LPGA Tour, hadn’t made a bogey since November’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. But she finally dropped a shot when she three-putted the difficult 211-yard par-3 18th.

To that point, Park had been precise and consistent and had a decent day with the putter. She hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and made five birdies. Three consecutive birdies starting at the par-4 13th built her lead to three shots.

“Well, it’s always disappointing to finish with a bogey … So I think I’ll just go ahead and make some birdies tomorrow,” Park said.

Closest to Park is Kim, whose three victories in 2019 included the lucrative CME Group Tour Championship. Kim made five birdies in a wild second nine and shot 67. Nasa Hataoka shot 68 and will begin Sunday three shots behind the leader.

With 10 victories, Kim widely is regarded as the most talented player on tour who has yet to win a major. After a sloppy bogey at the 13th hole, she bounced back by reeling off birdies on her next four holes. At the par-5 17th, she hit a 3-wood from 209 yards into the wind that finished 10 feet right of the hole, and narrowly missed the eagle attempt.

“Her (short off-season) break was good and it looks like she picked up where she left off,” said her caddie, Paul Fusco. Asked the biggest strength of Kim’s game, he answered, “Everything. She’s relaxed, and she makes it look very easy. She’s special.”

Kim was in high school when Park broke through to win for the first time as a pro at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open, the first of Park’s seven majors. Kim has played in the final round on Sunday with Park previously, and win or lose, has enjoyed the experience. In 2015, Kim holed out from 154 yards to beat Park in a playoff at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii; she lost to Park in a playoff at the Women’s PGA Championship.

“She’s fun,” Kim said of Park. “She’s very consistent. Yeah, opposite of my character.”

Kim’s $1.5 million winner’s check at the CME Group Tour Championship was the richest prize ever won by an LPGA player. Kim, who turns 27 on Jan. 21, was asked earlier this week if she’d made any big purchases with her winnings. “I buy a lot of dinner,” she said.

With this being an Olympic year, Park, the gold medallist in Rio de Janeiro when golf returned to the Olympics in 2016, decided to get to work a little earlier than normal. She hadn’t made a January start since 2016, but currently ranks as second alternate among competitors from South Korea, a country that boasts four players among the top seven in the world rankings. Park spent 106 weeks in her career at No. 1, but currently is 16th.

How important are the Olympics to her? Park’s dog is named Rio.

In the 49-player celebrity division, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, the event’s defending champion, had 111 points in the modified Stableford format to lead through three rounds, four better than two-time Diamond Resorts champion Mardy Fish. Mark Mulder, the 2018 champion, was in third place, six points back.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson parlayed four birdies and a late eagle into Friday’s hottest round and a share of the lead at the LPGA’s season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Henderson had a 5-under 66 to join Inbee Park of South Korea at 9-under 133 heading to the weekend at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando.

Henderson, No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings and the highest-ranked player among the 26 LPGA players in the field, had a clean scorecard until three-putting from the back collar at the difficult, 192-yard closing hole for her lone bogey.

She wasn’t pleased with the finish, but she also wasn’t going to allow it to sour a solid body of work on a day when the scoring average was nearly 71. Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, whose lone LPGA victory is the 2018 Blue Bay LPGA in China, shot 69 and is alone in third, two shots back.

Park, already a World Golf Hall of Fame member with more victories (19 on the LPGA, seven majors) in the Diamond Resorts field, does not usually compete this early in the season. But with 2020 being an Olympic year, the gold medallist in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 adjusted her winter schedule to play weeks earlier than normal. Park shot a bogey-free 68 Friday, nearly holing her third shot at the par-5 17th to set up her third and final birdie.

That’ll work, @BrookeHenderson! A tap-in ? moves her into the lead in the LPGA season opener ??pic.twitter.com/C4ORPOUL06

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 17, 2020

Only 22, Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is seeking her 10th LPGA victory, and has earned multiple victories in each of her four seasons on tour. Winning this week would be a nice jump on extending her streak. Friday’s wind proved more demanding than a day earlier, with gusts topping 20 mph as Henderson reached the middle of her round.

“Once it started to pick up, I guess around the seventh hole, Britt (Henderso’n, her younger sister and caddie) and I did a really good job of just counting in all the factors and trying to hit smart shots and give ourselves some birdie looks,” Henderson said.

Her highlight was making an eagle-3 at the 525-yard 17th hole. After a big drive, Henderson had 200 yards to the front of the green, 230 yards to the flagstick. She was between a 3-wood and 7-wood, decided on 3-wood because of strong crosswinds, and ripped an approach shot that finished 4 inches from the hole.

Henderson owned one of two eagles recorded in the round. The other was by France’s Celine Boutier, who made the LPGA’s first ace of 2020 when she holed a 4-iron at the 179-yard fifth hole. It was her second lifetime hole-in-one, her first coming eight years ago, when she was an amateur.

When Boutier birdied her next hole, she held a share of the lead with first-round leader Danielle Kang at 9 under. Boutier (69) is tied for fourth, two shots behind the leaders.

Kang, who had birdied six of her first 10 holes and shot 5-under 29 on her front nine a day earlier, opened her day with seven consecutive pars before making back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth holes. Kang, however, would stumble with four bogeys on her closing nine and shot 73. She trails the leaders by three shots.

In the 49-player celebrity and entertainment division, which competes for a purse of $500,000 (the LPGA’s purse is $1.2 million), Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Fox analyst John Smoltz, the event’s defending champion, surged into a three-way tie for the leader. He was joined by two-time Diamond Resorts champion Mardy Fish (tennis) and U.S. military veteran Chad Pfeifer, who plays with a prosthetic left leg.

All three players have 74 points using a Modified Stableford scoring system. Blair O’Neal, a former Symetra Tour player who now works in television, is playing six-months pregnant and is tied for sixth.