PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Yani Tseng closed with an eagle and a birdie for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

Tseng hit a 6-iron to 4 feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 eighth hole just before play was delayed for about 90 minutes because of lightning and rain, then took the outright lead on the par-4 ninth with her sixth birdie of the day.

“I can’t wait to come out tomorrow,” Tseng said. “It will be a brand new day, but we’ll keep the same strategy and make as many birdies as I can.”

Ranked No. 1 in the world for 109 weeks, the 26-year-old Taiwanese player has slipped to 75th and is winless in 85 events since the 2012 Kia Classic. The 15-time tour winner tied for second in March in the LPGA Thailand for her only top-10 finish of the year.

“I’ve been working on my game forever, like every day,” Tseng said. “It’s just exciting. I really want to win a tournament for sure. We only have probably seven, eight tournaments left, but it’s never too late. Just very happy my game’s really coming back. … It doesn’t matter if it’s this week or next week or next year, just try to be patient as much as I can and stay positive.”

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis, the 2012 winner, played alongside Tseng.

“You can see she’s confident,” Lewis said, “She’s firing at pins that are tucked and hidden. She hits it so far and hits the irons so high that they have a lot of spin, so she’s able to kind of attack pins that nobody else is. … It’s fun to see her playing the way she should be.”

Tseng reached 10-under 134 on the links-style Senator Course with her lowest round since a 63 in the 2013 LPGA Thailand.

“It just feels like this course suits my game,” Tseng said. “I feel very comfortable and confident out there. I’m just kind of getting back to enjoy playing golf again and it was so much fun to play with Stacy. She made a bunch of birdies and we kind of kept that momentum keep going. … Stacy’s amazing. I don’t know how to describe the feeling because we are good friends, but at the same time we’re competitors, too.”

Austin Ernst was second after a 65, and playing partner Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner at age 16, was third at 8 under after a 67.

Sydnee Michaels and Julieta Granada were still on the course at 7 under when play was suspended for the day because of more rain and darkness. Michaels had four holes left, and Granada two.

Lewis topped the group at 6 under after a 68. Second last year in Prattville, the Texan is coming off a playoff loss to Lydia Ko on Sunday in British Columbia in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“I still haven’t put it all together,” Lewis said. “A bit of a frustrating round. I had a good front nine, had it going, played 10 really good holes and then just kind of stalled the last eight.”

Ernst also eagled the eighth hole and had eight birdies and three bogeys. The 23-year-old former LSU player won the Portland Classic last year for her lone LPGA Tour title.

“I’ve been playing well. It’s really just a matter of getting some putts to fall,” Ernst said. “I hit it really well today. I had a few holes that where I kind of hit some loose shots, but kind of just took my bogey and kind of went on with it. And then I had probably three wedge shots that I hit up within a foot and I just went up and tapped them in. I think I hit two more where I had about 3 feet.”

Canadian teen Brooke Henderson was 3 under after a 70. The 17-year-old Henderson won her first LPGA Tour title two weeks ago in Portland, Oregon.

“I would have liked a little more today, but overall it was a pretty solid round and I gave myself quite a few opportunities,” Henderson said.

Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., sits T37 at 1-under.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Brittany Lang birdied five of the first seven holes in windy conditions and shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

Added to the U.S. Solheim Cup team Monday as one of Juli Inkster’s two captain’s picks, Lang had a two-stroke lead over Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels and Ryann O’Toole.

“It was just one of those days. It was so enjoyable,” Lang said. “I wasn’t thinking about a whole lot. I was just super committed to seeing my shots. It was so much fun.”

The 30-year-old Texan won the 2012 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in Canada for her lone LPGA Tour title. She was second this year in the Ontario event and has three other top-10 finishes.

“I’m in a really nice place right now,” Lang said. “I had one of my better years … and the Solheim pick’s over with. I’m just in a really comfortable place, so I just felt really relaxed out there.”

Lang birdied Nos. 1, 3-5 and 7 in her morning round on the Senator Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex. She birdied Nos. 11-12, dropped strokes on Nos. 13-14 and rebounded with birdies on Nos. 16-17.

“The birdies on 16 and 17 were pretty big after the bogeys on 13 and 14,” Lang said. “Not stupid bogeys, small misses, but I stayed aggressive, so I was excited with that. Stayed aggressive and made two bogeys, but it was really good to birdie 16 and 17.”

O’Toole had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of her morning round.

“It’s been windy all week, so I was expecting that,” O’Toole said. “What I noticed was the greens were even faster than yesterday or Tuesday. … It took me five holes to get really thinking that if you’re above the hole, you just had to tap it. Breaks were breaking double of what you saw because of the speed change. So, it took me a little bit to get used to that.”

Julieta Granada, Hyo Joo Kim, Ariya Jutanugarn, Therese Koelbaek and Simin Feng were three strokes back at 68.

Stacy Lewis, the 2012 winner, had a 70. Second last year in Prattville, she’s coming off a playoff loss to Lydia Ko last week in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“The golf course was playing really hard early this morning and I didn’t really get anything going, then couldn’t get any putts to fall there on the back nine, so kind of a frustrating day,” Lewis said.

The third-ranked Lewis bogeyed the par-4 third hole and rallied with birdies on Nos. 8-9 and 11.

“The wind was blowing early this morning,” Lewis said. “I don’t think I ever hit 4-iron into the third hole before, so I was just hitting clubs into holes that I’ve never hit.”

Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner at age 16, opened with a 69.

Canadian teen Brooke Henderson had a 71. The 17-year-old Henderson won her first LPGA Tour title two weeks ago in Portland, Oregon.

Mi Jung Hur, the winner last year at a tournament-record 21-under 267, shot a 74.

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Lydia Ko calmly tapped in a two foot par putt on the first playoff hole at The Vancouver Golf Club to defeat Stacy Lewis and take home her third Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title in the last four years.

“It feels amazing,” Ko said. “It’s great to come back to Vancouver and play well in front of such big crowds. I had an amazing week. I didn’t know that in 2012, I might be coming back here in a couple years, and then win here again. So many great memories here and hopefully we’ll be able to come back here.”

The victory is the eighth of Ko’s young career and the three wins in Canada ties her with Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley for the most in tournament history.

“It would have been great if I was coming down the 18th with like a four-shot lead like I did in 2012,” Ko said with a smile. “But it is what it is. Stacy played amazing today; to shoot 67 under those conditions.”

Lewis forced the playoff with a 5-under final round to tie Ko, who shot an even par 72 on Sunday, and send the duo back to the 18th for extra holes.

On the playoff hole, Lewis found trouble off the tee and with her approach and was forced to scramble for a missed par attempt, while Ko calmly hit the fairway and green and then two-putted for her third victory of 2015.

“I said, hey, you’ve just got to concentrate on your game, just one shot a time, and that’s what I tried to do,” Ko explained. “I said, I don’t want to get too aggressive to that pin but maybe it was a little bit too safe and maybe wasn’t the best shot going in. I made a really good first putt on my normal 72nd hole, and made a good putt on the first playoff hole. If the put was any longer for my second one, I would have been really nervous.”

“Well, if you would have told me at the beginning of the day, I was going to be in a playoff, I would have been pretty happy,” Lewis admitted. “Just with the way my game has been over the last month or so, I felt I was close to putting together a good round, and that’s what I did today. Still left a few out there. But would have liked a better lie in the rough in the playoff, but other than that, it was pretty good.”

While Ko has taken home the trophy three times, 2015 will mark the first time that Ko is able to take home a winner’s cheque in Canada as her victories in 2012 and 2013 came when she was still an amateur.

“You know, really the cheque is the last thing I’m thinking about,” Ko said. “It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle, and to play good golf in front of great crowds was really one of the highlights of this week. I kind of feel like somewhat Canadian. But the CP Women’s Open is such a great event, with the top players playing here, so, you know, every year, I have fun.“

Brooke Henderson capped a special homecoming at The Vancouver Golf Club with her best round of the week, a 5-under 67 to finish with a tournament-total 4-under and the Sandra Post Low Canadian Medal. The 17-year-old came into Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship fresh off a victory last week at the LPGA Cambia Classic in Portland, a historic accomplishment that put her centre-stage all week long with fan and media expectations.

“I’ve received quite a bit of attention in my amateur days and then earlier this year playing well. But after a win and coming back to Canada, I have received a lot of attention that made my schedule extremely busy,” said Henderson who finished T23 to add $22,816 to her 2015 earnings. “But it’s a great problem to have, as I’ve been saying to a lot of people. I learned a lot about myself and how I can handle it, and I think it will be good for the next time.”

Rounding out the Canadian trio to make the cut was Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. who carded a final-round 75 to finish T47 and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., whose final-round 80 dropped her into a share of 74th position.

COQUITLAM, BC – Lydia Ko beat one of the strongest fields on the LPGA tour this year to win the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title, but it is British Columbia’s kids that will leave with the biggest prize as CP is donating $1.2 million to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (BCCHF) in support of pediatric cardiac research.

“We are proud to have brought professional golf to the Lower Mainland and we are even prouder to make one of the largest charitable donations on the LPGA tour to this important cause,” said CP President and Chief Operating Officer Keith Creel. “The leading edge cardiology research being conducted at BC Children’s Hospital has the potential to change and even save the lives of children living in BC, and the newly established CP Healthy Hearts Research Fund will ensure these benefits continue long after the end of our tournament.”

The CP Healthy Hearts Research Fund will expand the abilities of BC Children’s cardiology department, specifically by way of research. PhD trained researchers will be hired to lead new studies related to Heart Rhythm Disorders and Congenital Heart and Vascular Health. A predominant focus of the research will also connect the effects of exercise on those with congenital heart disease.

“Congenital heart disease affects one in every 100 children; it’s among the most common congenital anomalies,” said Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, head of Cardiology at BC Children’s Hospital. “As the centre for specialized pediatric cardiology care in British Columbia, BC Children’s Hospital treats infants, children and teens with complex heart problems from all over BC, the Yukon and other Western Canadian provinces. This tremendous support from CP will allow us to continue to provide excellent care to this important population. It will also allow us to improve our care by expanding our research efforts to find even better treatments for these children.”

The final donation total was a result of a number of fundraising initiatives leading up to the conclusion of the golf tournament, including BC Children’s Hospital Miracle Weekend, Grind for Kids and online donation matching.

“Through this tournament and its CP Has Heart initiative, Canadian Pacific has engaged the community to support our hospital’s cardiac programs and research,” said Teri Nicholas, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “It’s an ideal partnership: CP takes care of the country’s major arteries while our cardiac specialists take care of the smallest. We are extremely grateful to CP, Golf Canada, The Vancouver Golf Club and all who contributed to help BC Children’s achieve its vision to provide the best care possible.”

BC Children’s Hospital serves close to one million children living in BC and the Yukon, with the Heart Centre seeing thousands of patients a year. Patients like 17-year-old Samantha Armstrong, the CP Has Heart ambassador for the 2015 CP Women’s Open. On the day she was born, Armstrong was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect. At age nine she had open-heart surgery at BC Children’s Hospital.

“When I was born I had a congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly and I’ve been in treatment with BC Children’s Hospital my whole life. The doctors have counselled me to be stronger and work on my cardio, and this has allowed me to live my life as a normal kid, and not have my heart condition hold me back from anything,” said Armstrong. “CP Has Heart is a really great cause that means so much to me, my family and my friends with heart defects. BC Children’s means our lives, to us.”

CP has extended its commitment as the title sponsor of Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship through 2018 and will continue to give back to host communities throughout the lifetime of the sponsorship. The 2016 CP Women’s Open, to be held in Calgary at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, will benefit Alberta Children’s Hospital’s pediatric cardiac care and research.

“People continue to rally around the CP Has Heart cause and we are delighted with all the fundraising success CP had through this event,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “We look forward to working with CP over the next few years as they continue to leave legacies in the host cities of this world-class event.”

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Lydia Ko and Candie Kung share the 54-hole lead heading into the final round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“Overall I played really solid today, so I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it and the way I’m putting it,” Ko said. “I think every round, unless I shoot 18-under par, I’m probably going to say, hey, I knew it could have been better. But no, I’m playing solid, and that’s the mind-set I’ve got to have and just have fun out there tomorrow.”

Ko recorded four birdies against a lone bogey on 18 to shoot a 69. Kung’s play was more up-and-down with four birdies and three bogeys.

“Feeling pretty good today,” Kung said. “I hit the ball good and it was actually one of the best ball-striking days I had all week. Just missed a couple putts here and there. Those were all wrong reads. But I’m hitting it good, putting it good.”

Ko will be looking to become just the third golfer to win three Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship titles, joining Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley.

Kung, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, is coming off of her best finish of the year with a tie for second at the Cambia Portland Classic last week and will be looking for her first victory since the 2008 Hana Bank-KOLON Championship.

“I’m actually very relaxed,” Kung admitted. “After what I went through last week, I’m actually feeling quite comfortable where I’m at right now.”

Chasing Ko and Kung in the penultimate group will be Alison Lee, who shot a third-round 65 to sit two shots back and Karine Icher who is three back at 9-under.

Alena Sharp remains the top Canadian after a 1-under 71 has her tied for 28^th at 2-under for the championship. The Hamilton native will look to go even lower Sunday.

“I want to go out and have a good Sunday here,” Sharp said. “I didn’t look at the scoreboard out there, but a 67 or 68 tomorrow would be nice.”

Brooke Henderson recovered from a rough start to shoot an even-par round of 72. The 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., missed a short birdie putt on her opening-hole, had a bogey on the second hole, and then hit the water on No. 3 for a double-bogey.

Henderson, who had sister Brittany as her caddie Saturday, settled down with birdies on No. 6 and No. 7. and then put together a string of pars before ending the day with a birdie to get her round back to even-par.

The final-round gets underway Sunday at 8:40 am PT with the final pairing teeing-off at 2:50pm PT. Tickets are still available at the gate and kids 17 and under are free.

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Candie Kung shot a bogey-free 64 to jump into the 36-hole lead at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“I’ve been working pretty hard lately,” Kung admitted. “I guess it was a slump that I had back in 2010, 2011, I just got caught up in life a little bit. Now I feel like I can get back into it again, play some golf, have some fun.”

Kung started her day in style with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, her first two holes of the day, and then added a tap-in eagle at the par-5 13th to take her score to 7-under for the tournament. Eight pars followed before Kung closed strong with birdies on four of her last six holes to post the low round of the tournament which also tied the course record.

“I just went out there, played one shot at a time, and I knew that I was putting pretty good,” Kung said. “I missed a few out there from about 10 feet. I was hitting them pretty close all day and then made some key putts coming in.”

The four-time LPGA Tour winner is coming off of her best finish of the year with a tie for second at the Cambia Portland Classic last week.

“I’ve been playing well,” Kung said of her recent strong play. “Just the putter has to go and so far, it’s been going pretty good the last six tournament days.”

Chasing Kung will be first round leader Karine Icher and 2012 and 2013 champion Lydia Ko, who each sit two shots back at 9-under par.

“I really don’t care who is behind me,” Kung said confidently. “I’m just going to go out there, play my one shot at a time. I’m hitting it good, I’m putting it good, and let’s see what happens.”

Seventy-six players made the cut at 1-over par 145. Notables to miss the cut included – Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Karrie Webb.

Alena Sharp heads into weekend action as the low Canadian after shooting even-par 72 to grab a share of 32^nd. Sharp came to The Vancouver Club riding momentum from a top-10 finish last week in Portland. The Hamilton native, who made her first cut at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship since 2009, fed off support from the Canadian crowd and looks forward to making a charge on the weekend.

“If you look around, there’s so many people here. The crowds are amazing and it’s always like that at the Canadian Open and everybody is always cheering for you. It’s that little extra pressure you put in your mind because you want to play well for the hometown crowd,” said Sharp. “I feel great. I haven’t made the cut at the Canadian Open I think since 2009, so it’s been a long time. I played well the last two days. Left some shots out there, but I have lots to look forward to on the weekend.”

Teenage sensation Brooke Henderson began the day with a share of 13th position at 2-under but stumbled Friday to a 3-over 75 to make the cut at plus-1 on the number. The Smith Falls, Ont., native acknowledged the extra expectation to perform in front of the home crowd and the need to channel that energy.

“It’s pretty cool that so many people are watching and wanting me to do so well. And I think it is a much different atmosphere than if I was playing across the border. Same conditions just different crowd,” said Henderson. “You know, it’s fun, though, and I have to really learn to enjoy it and just build off their energy, because it is pretty cool that they are cheering for me.”

Rounding out the Canadian contingent advancing to weekend play was Maude-Aimee LeBlanc. The Sherbrooke, Que., native shot a 1-under 71 Friday and sits tied with Henderson at 1-over for the championship.

Third-round action gets underway Saturday at 8:30 am PT with the final pairing teeing-off at 2:40pm PT. Tickets are still available at the gate and kids 17 and under are free.

COQUITLAM, B.C. – Brooke Henderson struggled with her putting and shot 3-over 75 during Friday’s second round at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

The score left the 17-year-old at 1 over, hovering around the projected cut on the 6,681-yard, par-72 Vancouver Golf Club course.

“It wasn’t a great day out there but I ground it out pretty well,” said the Smiths Falls, Ont., native.

“I just missed some shots. Other than that it could have been good. I hung in there and really played well on the back nine.”

Henderson, who began the day on the 10th tee, had five bogeys, including back-to-back ones on No. 18 and No. 1. After finishing the No. 1 hole she walked off the green before the other two players in her group had finished.

Henderson battled back with a pair of birdies on the front nine. On the last hole of the day she had to chip onto the green, then sink a four-foot putt for par.

“It was a tricky up-and-down,” she said. “I played really smart with that chip and was happy to make that putt.”

It’s been a busy week for the teenager, who was granted her Tour card on Tuesday after becoming the youngest Canadian to win an LPGA or PGA Tour event with her victory last weekend at the Cambia Portland Classic.

Henderson has been dealing with extra media attention, playing before large galleries. When not facing a television camera she’s been surrounded by autograph seekers of all ages.

“It’s been busy,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of attention and a lot of things that I’ve had to do over the last couple of days.

“That is not an excuse for how I played today. Hopefully I will get used to all that attention because hopefully I will be winning more often.”

Henderson fed off the energy of a Canadian crowd that cheered her every shot.

“It’s pretty cool that so many people are watching and wanting me to do so well,” she said. “I think it is a much different atmosphere than if I was playing across the border. It’s the same conditions, just a different crowd.

“It’s fun. I have to really learn to enjoy it and just build off their energy. It is pretty cool that they are cheering for me.”

The win in Portland moved Henderson to No. 17 in the world rankings and boosted her earnings over US$660,000.

The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open has a purse of US$2.25-million, with the winner taking home US$337,500.

The tournament ends Sunday.

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Karine Icher shot a bogey-free 65 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at The Vancouver Golf Club.

“My putting was very good, and I think today I’ve seen the hole bigger than the other days,” Icher said. “So sometimes you have days like that where everything works, so I’m quite happy with this one.”

Icher’s round was keyed by a stretch of six birdies in seven holes from holes 5-11 to move her from 1-under to 7-under.

“When you make some birdies like that in a row, you have more and more confidence and build some confidence through the round,” Icher explained. “Then it’s good for the tournament, for the season, for everything. I mean, it’s always nice to have some rounds like that where you don’t have so much questions. You know the club, you take the club, you hit the shot, and it’s close to the pin.”

Chasing Icher down will be two-time former champion Lydia Ko, who sits two back after an opening round 67, and a group of four players – Danah Bordner, I.K. Kim, Stacy Lewis and Pernilla Lindberg – who are all at 4-under-par.

Ko birdied the final two holes of her opening round to shoot a 5-under 67 to sit two behind the lead at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“Yeah, hopefully that will give me good momentum tomorrow,” Ko said of her strong finish. “But playing in the morning and then afternoon tomorrow there is quite a bit of wait, but I’ve just got to keep the positive attitude going. Hit one shot at a time and just have fun out there.”

Three years ago, Ko burst onto the scene at The Vancouver Golf Club becoming the youngest winner in LPGA history at a mere 15 years, 4 months and 2 days in just her third LPGA event.

“I think the biggest difference is me. I don’t have the glasses, and I feel much older,” Ko said with a smile. “But it’s great to come back to a course where you’ve played well and the spectators have been great and they’ve been supporting me today, even in the practice rounds. It’s definitely a great where you feel really welcome.”

Ko has always felt welcome in Canada and admitted that her and her family nearly moved to area when she was younger.

“I just always feel very welcomed when I come to Canada,” Ko said with a smile. “I feel Canada is quite like New Zealand, so I love coming back here. When I was younger we nearly moved here.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., has been the early talk of the tournament on the heels of her historic victory this past weekend which earned her full membership on the LPGA Tour. Her steady play continued during Thursday’s opening round, firing a 2-under 70 to sit as the low Canadian with a share of 13th position. The 17-year-old admitted it was a special moment to stand on the first tee Thursday as a newly minted member of the LPGA Tour and fan favourite at The Vancouver Golf Club.

“It was cool. It was the first time as an LPGA member, right after the win last week, I really wanted to get another good number today, and 2-under, I’ll take it,” said Henderson. “The course wasn’t easy out there today, though Karine Icher is making it look that way. But I’m excited to get back out at it tomorrow. The crowds were unbelievable, and just to be back home in Canada and playing in front of them was really cool.”

Second-round action gets underway Friday at 7:04 am PT. Tickets are available at the gate and kid’s 17 and under are free.

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – So Yeon Ryu will look to defend her crown at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open this week at The Vancouver Golf Club.

“It always feels special coming back as a defending champion,” Ryu said. “Canadian fans are always really friendly and humble. So I really enjoyed being here. Especially this is really close to Koreatown, so I feel even more comfortable.”

While Ryu is the defending champion her 2014 title was captured at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. Her last time in Vancouver, when the event was here in 2012, she missed the cut.

“Actually, three years ago I didn’t really play well at this golf course,” Ryu admitted. “This golf course feels very different the front nine and back nine. The front nine is very hilly, the greens severe. I do like the back nine more than the front nine. But I think the key point is I would say iron shots because we need to put in like safest positions so like there is no three-putt. So, I would say iron accuracy and of course putting is always every week 365 days that’s key.”

Ryu is more confident in her game and situation this time around and will be looking to capture her first win of the 2015 season after tallying seven top-10 finishes.

“Actually, three years ago I had a lot of problems with my swing,” Ryu explained. “Also it was my rookie year, and I was kind of homesick about at this time because it was about halfway through the season. Right now it feels like home and I’m in the LPGA. I don’t have any home sickness anymore. So for sure I can be playing better than I did last year or three years ago.”

Challenging Ryu will be a top notch field which includes the winner from the last time the Tour was in Vancouver – Rolex Rankings No. 2 Lydia Ko, who won as a 15-year-old amateur, and the runner-up at this event that year Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park, who is coming off a victory at the RICOH Women’s British Open to complete the career grand slam.

“Definitely feels great to come back to a course where you’ve played well, and you know there are a lot of great memories,” Ko said. “Here I won my first LPGA event. So it’s awesome to be back, but I do feel much older. I saw one of the photos and I looked totally different. So I’m showing signs of age.”

Alena Sharp is one of 14 Canadians competing in our national championship this week at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“It’s always a great week to come back to Canada no matter where we are,” Sharp said. “I feel very welcomed. I’m from Ontario, but when we play in B.C. or Alberta or Quebec, I still feel like I’m at home, so it’s nice.”

Sharp was on the green last Sunday to celebrate with fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson after winning the Cambia Portland Classic to become the first Canuck to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane in 2001.

“I’d love to see more Canadians out on Tour,” Sharp admitted. “It’s nice to see the Canadian flags up anywhere you look. And even this year the men have been playing well too. So it’s nice that Canada is getting back on the map of golf.”

This week Sharp, who is coming off her best finish of the season with a T10 in Portland, will be looking to make it back-to-back wins for Canadians.

“I’d be speechless,” Sharp said. “It would be amazing to do that. It’s only Wednesday. I’ll just take it one day at a time, and I’d love to be on those last nine holes and have a chance to win.”

Opening-round action gets underway at 7:04 am PT.

COQUITLAM, B.C. –  After Brooke Henderson was denied early admittance into the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school, the Canadian teenager gave commissioner Michael Whan several reasons to change his mind.

Henderson put together a string of impressive results in LPGA events this year despite having to rely on sponsors’ exemptions or qualification just to play. And two days after she cruised to her first Tour victory at last weekend’s Cambia Portland Classic, Henderson was finally granted full LPGA membership.

“It’s an opportunity that not a lot of people get,” the 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., said Tuesday before shooting a practice round at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. “I can start living my dream today.”

Having a full membership means Henderson won’t have to play Monday qualifying tournaments for the rest of the season. She faced having to qualify because she had exhausted all six of her sponsors’ exemptions.

“It’s a little bit surreal,” said Henderson. “The last couple of days have been an amazing journey.

“I’m still going to play my own game and go out there and do what I have always done. Just to know I have a place to play now any week I want to, and I have full status for at least a year, is really exciting. I am playing really well right now. Hopefully I can keep it going.”

Henderson had appealed to the LPGA for early admission in the past. She petitioned the organization to allow her to attend qualifying school last year after winning three times as an amateur on the Canadian Women’s Tour, but was turned down.

“That was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,” she said. “It made me realize what I really wanted in life and what I really desired.

“It made me work really hard, made me focus and be more determined.”

LPGA policy states that any woman 18 years of age or over is eligible to apply for Tour membership, but golfers between the ages of 15 and 18 may be granted special permission to apply for membership by petitioning directly to the Tour commissioner.

Henderson had the weight of a Tour victory behind this petition, becoming the second golfer in LPGA history to go from Monday qualifier to tournament winner in Portland.

“After reviewing Brooke Henderson’s petition, I have granted her LPGA Tour membership beginning immediately,” Tour commissioner Michael Whan said in a statement. “Brooke truly earned her card, and we are looking forward to Brooke joining our Tour and our family.”

Veteran Canadian golfer Lorie Kane said Henderson deserves to be on the Tour.

“It’s very exciting,” said Kane. “It was only a matter of time before that happened.”

Any money Henderson earns during the remainder of this season will be considered official money. The 10 remaining tournaments of 2015 will also be considered her rookie season on the LPGA Tour.

The win in Portland moved her to No. 17 in the world rankings, boosted her earnings over US$660,000 and secured her 2016 card.

Henderson can now concentrate on playing in the $2.25-million CP Women’s Open, which begins Thursday.

She was greeted with a round of applause when she walked onto the driving range at the Vancouver Golf Club on Monday and has been busy signing autographs.

“It’s pretty cool to be famous,” she said.

Henderson’s win made her the first Canadian to win an LPGA event since Kane in 2001. She is the Tour’s third-youngest champion ever at 17 years 11 months six days.

The past few days have been a whirlwind, but Henderson knows her journey is just beginning.

“I have big goals and big dreams ahead of me,” she said. “I am still a long ways from where I want to be. It’s still pretty cool to know I am competing against the best in the world.

“If I can continue to improve and get better every day, hopefully good things will happen.”