Canada’s Brooke Henderson leads after three rounds of CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Canada’s Brooke Henderson feels most comfortable with her game when she’s on top of the leaderboard.
A solid third round has left her in that very position as she prepares to take a run at history at the CP Women’s Open.
Henderson moved into the lead Saturday with a 2-under-par 70, leaving her at 14-under 202 and one shot ahead of Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (69) and American Angel Yin (71).
“It’s a lot more fun (on top) and I feel like I can kind of go off the crowd a little bit more,” Henderson said. “It’s just really exciting and I feel like when I have a lot of confidence in my game, that’s when I tend to make a lot of birdies and I tend to play really well.”
After back-to-back scores of 66, Henderson had to deal with windier conditions at the Wascana Country Club.
Her length off the tee was impressive but her short game was inconsistent at times. Henderson did manage to hit some big putts when she needed to and spent most of the afternoon alone in first place.
On Sunday, she’ll try to become the first Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa to win this tournament. Bourassa was victorious in 1973 in Montreal.
Yin missed an eight-foot birdie putt on her final hole that would have given her a share of the lead. Defending champion and world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park of South Korea (70) was two shots back.
Australia’s Su Oh (69) and American Austin Ernst (70) were three strokes off the lead.
The 6,675-yard course sets up well for Henderson’s style. She’s one of the LPGA Tour’s longest hitters and is not afraid to go for it.
If Henderson can attack the par-5 holes and stay consistent on the greens, she’s got a great shot of winning the event.
“I definitely do play better when I’m aggressive,” she said. “I play smart but aggressive and when I’m kind of chasing birdies, I feel like that’s kind of where I’m playing my best. But it just kind of depends on the conditions.”
Play will begin earlier than usual in an attempt to avoid the wet weather that’s expected to arrive by lunch hour. The fourth round will start at 7 a.m. local time and the last group will tee off at 9:01 a.m.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., started the day one shot behind second-round leader Amy Yang, but the South Korean bogeyed her first two holes to give the Canadian the outright lead.
They were joined in a group with Yin, who hovered near the top of the leaderboard for most of the day.
With a vocal group of supporters cheering her at every turn, Henderson opened with four straight pars before a drive on the par-4 fifth hole found the rough and led to a bogey. She responded by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on the sixth.
She was aggressive after the turn with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. Henderson nearly eagled the 14th hole, but her chip from the rough hit the back of the cup and bounced out for a tap-in birdie.
She ran into some trouble on the 16th hole but recovered nicely. Henderson pulled her drive and her second shot landed in the rough beside a greenside bunker.
Standing in the sand, she flopped a wedge that came up short but she hit a 20-footer to save par.
“To be able to get up and down when I kind of ran into a little bit of trouble there on 16 I think was really key and just (helped me) keep my composure a little bit,” Henderson said.
Henderson and Yin both struggled on the 17th green. Yin had an eagle putt but settled for par while Henderson missed a four-foot par putt.
Yang, meanwhile, struggled to a 75. She was in a five-way tie for seventh place at 10-under 206.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (70) and Anne-Catherine Tanguay (70) of Quebec City were nine shots off the lead.
Henderson, 20, has one victory this season and six wins over her LPGA Tour career. Her best career finish at this event came last year in Ottawa when she tied for 12th.
“She’s gritty and determined and aggressive,” Sharp said. “I think that is a huge thing to have out here, especially with the wind.”
The winner of the US$2.25-million tournament will earn $337,500. The runner-up will pocket $209,358.
Corey Conners four strokes behind lead T12
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Corey Conners is playing in the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship this weekend in hopes of grabbing his PGA Tour Card and it seems to be in reach. After recording another round in the 60s on Friday Conners heads into the weekend with a share of 12th at 5-under. The Listowel, Ont. native looks to finish strong this weekend to inch closer to securing his spot on the PGA Tour next year.
It was a windy Friday in Columbus, but not even the wind gusts could stop former PGA TOUR winner Robert Streb from making a statement in the Buckeye State, posting a second-round 3-under 68 to move to 9-under 133 heading into the weekend.
2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year Kramer Hickok sits one back of Streb, followed by a host of players tied at 7-under 135.
“(It feels) a little different,” Streb said of holding the 36-hole lead. “I haven’t done too much of it this year, but it’s nice to be playing well, putting well. Hopefully, I can keep getting some chances this weekend and see how we do.”
Streb, who entered Friday one stroke back of the lead, ran into trouble early at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course. After picking up a bogey on his opening hole Thursday, Streb ran into the same fate on Friday, carding a five on the par-4 10th (his first hole of the day).
“I hit it way left,” he said when asked what led to the error. “I got a pretty good break and just basically guessed poorly on the green firmness. I got through the green (on my approach shot), had a tough chip, and then hit a good one.”
The mistake ended up being the only one of the day for the Kansas State University alum, who kept his scorecard clean for the remainder of the round. Birdies on Nos. 12 and 18 allowed Streb to make the turn at 1-under 34 and join a collection of players who had become bunched atop the leaderboard.
After making par on the first three holes of his second nine, the father-of-three needed something big to build momentum and break away from the rest of the pack.
“That was nice,” Streb remarked after the round. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to cover the bunker or not. It covered, I had a pretty good number, and luckily, it landed soft on the green and I had a good putt at it.”
The 2012 Mylan Classic champion would go on to par his remaining five holes, ending the day with a 68.
After finishing at No. 178 in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Standings this year, Streb looks to return to the PGA TOUR with a win this week and make up for a 2017-18 season that was full of struggles. The Oklahoma native made just 10 of 29 cuts, picking up a lone top-10 finish at the Barbasol Championship (T10), where he held a share of the 54-hole lead.
Unlike Streb, Hickok’s status for next season has already been determined.
After notching four top-10s, including a runner-up, in his rookie season, the 26-year-old ended the Regular Season at No. 23, earning his first PGA TOUR card at the conclusion of last week’s WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz.
“I feel like I’m really just freewheeling it out here this week,” Hickok commented after the first round. “I feel like there are a lot of guys that have a lot more pressure than I do, whether they’re trying to (regain) their PGA TOUR card or they’re trying to get to the PGA TOUR for the first time. So my mentality is just way different. I’m really relaxed and just got nothing to lose, so I’m just out there playing the best golf I can.”
That sense of freedom allowed Hickok to continue his strong play into Friday, picking up five birdies alongside two bogeys to finish the day at 3-under 68, moving to 8-under 134 for the tournament.
“It’s tough out there,” Hickok remarked. “You’ve got to be really patient. I hit the driver really well today, which allowed me to put myself in position to score, but even then you can still make a quick bogey.
“The whole game plan is just to limit the mistakes, and I feel if you limit the bogeys, you’ll be able to shoot some low rounds out here. It’s not about making birdies; it’s not a birdie fest, so just limit the mistakes as much as you can and it seems to be helping so far.”
Adam Hadwin sits T11 heading into weekend
PARAMUS, N.J. – Canadian Adam Hadwin had a great round recording a 65, six strokes better than his 71 on Thursday. He sits tied in 11th after carding four back-to-back birdies on his front nine on Friday at The Northern Trust.
Brooks Koepka showed some muscle and unleashed a monstrous finish Friday to share the lead.
Tiger Woods missed yet another putt and was relieved to still be playing.
Koepka spent most of the second round trading birdies and bogeys, going nowhere. One swing changed everything on the 631-yard 13th hole at Ridgewood Country Club. From just under 310 yards, he swung 3-wood as hard as he could and saw the tight draw that had been missing all day. It stopped 20 feet from the hole, Koepka made it for eagle and then closed with three straight birdies for a 6-under 65.
He tied Jamie Lovemark, who shot a 66.
“I wasn’t happy the first 11 holes the way I hit it,” Koepka said. “When I hit that 3-wood, it all clicked. I felt like I was finally able to release the golf club. Just tried to hit as hard as I could, big draw. Aimed at the tree on the right and tried to draw it back to the flag. When I did that, everything started to click.”
The U.S. Open and PGA champion took it from there.
Lovemark, winless in 135 starts as a pro, made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and was the first to reach 10-under 132.
Before long, a list of contenders lined up behind them in an entertaining start to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Adam Scott, building on his confidence from playing in the final group at the PGA Championship, had a 64 for the low round of the tournament and was one shot behind. Another shot back was Dustin Johnson, the world No. 1, who had another 67 that for the second straight day featured a triple bogey on his card. At least he got this one out of the way early, taking five shots from a mangled lie in deep rough behind the first green.
“That was not a fun start,” Johnson said. “There was nothing to do but laugh at that point.”
Bryson DeChambeau had a 66 and joined Johnson at 134. The group at 7-under 135 included Sean O’Hair, who is No. 112 in the FedEx Cup and needs to get to No. 70 by the third playoff event at the BMW Championship being played this year at Aronimink, his home club outside Philadelphia. He already is planning to play the member-guest a few weeks later, but O’Hair would love to play Aronimink for a $9 million purse.
Woods was not part of the action, even though he hit the ball beautifully. Woods had a birdie putt on every hole until the par-3 15th, when his tee shot rolled just off the green against the collar. All he had to show for it was two birdies, giving him four birdies in 36 holes.
He finished with a three-putt bogey from just inside 30 feet, giving him another 71. He made the cut on the number, leaving him 10 shots behind.
“The name of the game is you’ve got to make putts, and you’ve got to roll it,” Woods said. “No matter how good your drive, you’ve still got to roll them and still got to make putts, and I didn’t putt very well today. I had a hard time seeing my lines, and consequently didn’t make anything.”
Jordan Spieth made putts to get off to a good start, only to give it all back with a triple bogey on his 10th hole of the round at No. 18. Worse than pulling his tee shots into the trees, worse than the penalty shot, was Spieth sweeping in a 10-inch putt for double bogey only to stub the putter and move the ball only a few inches.
Scott continues to keep two putters in the bag, long and short. The idea is to use the short putter for the medium-length putts that have been a struggle for him. At the PGA Championship and at Ridgewood, however, he has found a good stroke with the long putter and felt no need to change.
The biggest difference is confidence. He is starting to recognize the player who reached No. 1 in the world a few years ago, and only a month ago was getting closer to falling out of the top 100. The third-place finish at Bellerive at least put him back in the top 50, but did a world of good between the ears.
“It’s just been very hard to find that consistency for me this year, and I’ve been chipping away at it the last couple months and it all came good at the PGA,” Scott said. “And teeing off this week, I felt the most confident of any tournament this year. I just couldn’t wait to get up here, really.”
Koepka knows all about confidence with two major trophies sitting at home in Florida. The knock has been that he hasn’t won enough regular PGA Tour events, so he wanted to treat the FedEx Cup playoffs like majors in how he prepared, even down to renting a house and bringing his own chef, trainer and regular crew.
Five shots out of the lead, he tugged a tee shot into the left bunker on the reachable par-4 12th, and hit a clean sand shot to 3 feet for birdie. Then came a big drive on the 13th, and a 3-wood that carried him to his big finish.
Kevin Tway was the only other play to reach the 13th green in two. He shot 69 and was part of the group at 7-under 135.
“Sometimes it doesn’t always go as perfectly planned as you’d like, and then you make one good golf swing, and all of a sudden you’ve got that feeling, you’ve got that rhythm and then you can build off that,” Koepka said. “And that’s kind of what happened today.”
Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane makes record tying 28th appearance at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – It’s a walk that never gets old for Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane.
She received a warm ovation as she strolled up the 18th fairway Friday after making a record-tying 28th appearance at the CP Women’s Open.
“I’m sure there will come a time where I may decide that might be the last,” Kane said. “As for right now, I don’t see that in my near future. At least I hope.”
The 53-year-old from Charlottetown struggled in both rounds at the Wascana Country Club. She missed the cut after shooting a 77 on Friday, a day after opening the tournament with an 83.
Brooke Henderson was the low Canadian as the last few groups finished second-round play. She shot a second straight 66 for a 12-under-par 132 total, one shot behind clubhouse leader Amy Yang of South Korea.
A total of 16 Canadians entered the tournament but most will miss the cut.
Anne-Catharine Tanguay of Quebec City (71) was a good bet for weekend play at 3-under 141, one stroke better than the projected cut line.
Bubble players included Alena Sharp of Hamilton, amateur Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que. They were all on the windswept course in the late afternoon.
Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., (73) and Victoria amateur Naomi Ko (79) finished at 3-over-par 147, one stroke ahead of Vancouver amateur Tiffany Kong (72). Saskatoon’s Anna Young (75) was at 153 and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha (79) was at 154.
Saskatoon’s Anna Young, Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon were all well back with late tee times.
Kane plays the occasional event on the LPGA Tour and also keeps busy with appearances on the Legends Tour. Quick with a smile and always keen to sign autographs and chat with fans, she remains as popular as ever.
Like Henderson, Kane’s picture is featured on promotional banners around the course and she has become an ambassador for the game throughout the country.
Kane took part in a charity clinic this week and was also a featured speaker at a women’s leadership panel. She believes in a ‘Lift and Climb’ philosophy so that others can benefit.
“For me that means as I’m climbing, I want to bring somebody with me because I was lifted,” Kane said. “I was lifted high and I’m just trying to return the favour.”
Longtime golf analyst Bob Weeks of TSN said Kane is very passionate about her work on and off the course.
“It’s a feel-good story of someone who has gained a lot from golf but has probably given back 10 times more in terms of Canadian golf and where she’s taken it.”
Kane has been the low Canadian at this tournament on nine occasions – eight outright and one tie – with her best result coming in 2001 with a third-place tie.
After hitting the 18th green with her approach shot on Friday, Kane acknowledged the supporters by taking off her red visor and waving at the crowd.
“I’ve never spent too much time looking back,” Kane said of her long career. “I hope to just be able to continue to look forward. But there is nothing like that walk up 18.”
The four-time LPGA Tour winner shares the tournament’s all-time appearance record with JoAnne Carner. The mark will likely be broken next year at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
In fact, chances are good that Kane will receive an exemption to participate for as long as she wants to continue to playing at the event.
American Joseph Deraney rallies to win Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
VICTORIA, B.C. – Victoria Golf Club continued to test some of the best mid-amateur golfers for the fourth consecutive day, but nothing could stop Joseph Deraney as he rose to the challenge and shot a spectacular 65 to capture the 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title on Friday.
Starting his day in sixth position, Deraney got off to a hard and fast start with back-to-back birdies on his first two holes. From there the 35-year-old never looked back, answering a solo bogey with four more birdies to win the championship by a 3-stroke margin at 4-under-par 276.
“I’m really excited, I played really flawless, good shot after good shot,” said Deraney. “Earlier in the round I had a couple of 15 footers go in, which honestly I haven’t had all week so I got some momentum going.”
With his victory, the Lexington, Ky., native becomes only the second American to win the tournament. Previously, Deraney’s best finish at the tournament was T4 in 2016. This year’s win secures him an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, his first PGA Tour event, to be held at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Deraney may be on top of the world with wins at this tournament alongside victories at the Timuquana Cup and Carlton Woods Invitational earlier this year, but there was one thing more that made the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur a highlight.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to win some national mid-ams in the US, not any of the USGA ones but some of the national bigger ones,” said the dad of three. “Probably this venue and where it’s at and the fact that me and my wife got to spend some time together, I would have to say that it would be at the top if not the top.”
Two-time Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Kevin Carrigan finished the event in second. The Victoria, B.C., native struggled with three bogeys across his first nine holes but recovered on the back-nine under the eyes of a hometown crowd by recording two birdies to finish at 1-under-par 279.
Another home crowd favourite and host club member, Saare Adams, started the day in the lead but fell back after he shot a final-round 73. The 34-year-old finished sharing a piece of third with 36-hole leader Garrett Rank.
Rank started the day in a tie for second after a difficult third round. He started off well with a birdie on the first hole and was tied for the lead at one point during the day. However, the 30-year-old couldn’t find his footing and dropped to fifth until back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes saw him finish in a tie for third at an even-par 280.
The Mid-Master division came down to the wire as Sandy Harper and defending champion Todd Fanning spent the day paired up in a battle for the win. The duo made the turn with Harper leading by two, but the 61-year-old spent the back-nine switching between leading and sharing the lead with Fanning. After parring their final hole, the two were sent to playoff action to determine the winner.
It was an all too familiar situation for Fanning, who won the Mid-Amateur title in a three-man playoff last year.
“The playoff is the thing for me at this tournament,” said the 50-year-old. “I wish I was in the playoff for the Mid-Am but Joe played fantastic so hats off to him.”
Fanning came out on top as his bunker shot rolled into the hole for an eagle over Harper’s birdie to take home his second consecutive Mid-Master title while Harper settled for second.
“What a great week by all the people and the members of Victoria Golf Club. I can’t think of a better venue for the mid-amateur and it’s going to be tough to top this,” added Fanning. “At 50 years old, even when you’re the best 40-and-over amateur in Canada two years in a row that does feel quite good.”
Victoria’s own Craig Doell finished one shot behind them in third at 5-over-par 285.
On Wednesday, Team Ontario defended their inter-provincial title, securing the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fourth straight year to bring their total titles to 14.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson moves one shot off clubhouse lead at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Sung Hyun Park emerged from the scorer’s tent after a masterful round of 64 at the CP Women’s Open to a swarm of golf fans.
Few seemed to notice the defending champion and world’s best women’s golfer as she strolled undisturbed down the path, fresh from tying a course record at the Wascana Country Club.
This crowd had only one person on its mind. Canadian star Brooke Henderson is the star of this show, especially after a second straight 66 left her just one stroke behind clubhouse leader Amy Yang of South Korea.
“Brooke is almost like Canada’s Tiger Woods,” said Park, who played with Henderson and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist. “I was really surprised at how many fans came out to support Brooke today. To witness that was pretty awesome.”
Dozens of fans – many clad in red and white and waving small Canadian flags – let out a roar when Henderson chipped in on her opening hole and they were just as vocal when she capped her round with another birdie.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., was at 12-under-par 132 and right in the mix for what could be a very exciting weekend.
“I hit the ball in good spots and made birdie putts when I had them,” Henderson said. “I feel like I made the most of today’s round, which is always a great feeling.
“To be close to the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend is awesome, especially when you’re here in Canada.”
Henderson has managed to score in different ways over the first two rounds. She took advantage of her impressive length on Thursday and had her short game working when the wind picked up Friday.
Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s second-round 66 at the #CPWO pic.twitter.com/8oB7WVXWwG
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 24, 2018
Yang shot a 65 to move into top spot at 13-under-par 131. American Angel Yin (67) joined Henderson in second place with several groups still on the course.
“I was hitting it pretty solid out there,” Yang said. “But I gave myself a lot of good chances and I think I made most of them out there.”
Park, from South Korea, was three shots off the lead after her 64, a score that three players attained a day earlier. She was joined at 10 under by first-round co-leader Nasa Hataoka of Japan (70) and Maria Torres of Puerto Rico (66).
Starting on the par-4 10th hole, Henderson had four birdies over her first six holes before missing a three-foot putt on the 16th for a bogey.
She started to spray the ball a little bit after that miscue, but the six-time winner on the LPGA Tour had some luck on her side too.
Her drive sailed well right on the 18th hole, hitting a grandstand post on a bounce before settling in the rough. Henderson found the green with her next shot and two-putted for par.
Five pars followed after the turn before Henderson found a late groove. She hit a tricky four-foot downhill putt on the sixth hole and drained a 22-footer from the fringe for another birdie on the seventh.
“Definitely have a lot of confidence in (my putter) this week, which is always amazing when you can depend on that club,” she said. “But I think overall, everything is kind of going really well.”
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., closed her round by going up-and-down from the side of the ninth green for birdie to the delight of the partisan gallery.
Americans Mariah Stackhouse (69) and Austin Ernst (69) were at 9-under-par 135, one shot ahead of Nordqvist (66) and several others.
It was hot and sunny again on the 6,675-yard course and the wind really started howling later in the day. First-round co-leaders Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe had late tee times.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City (71), one of 16 Canadians in the field, was a good bet to make the cut at 3-under 141. The early projected cut line was 2 under.
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event.
Three way tie for first round lead at CP Women’s Open; Henderson two shots back
REGINA – An early bogey may have been a good thing for Canada’s Brooke Henderson at the CP Women’s Open on Thursday.
She attacked the Wascana Country Club course with a vengeance after the early hiccup, firing six birdies over seven holes at one point en route to a 6-under-par 66 that left her two shots off the first-round lead.
“It was really solid today,” Henderson said. “I got off to a little bit of a shaky start with a bogey on the first hole but I made a ton of birdies today and that’s always a really good sign.”
Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka shared the course record by opening at 64. American Angel Yin and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark were one shot back.
Henderson was joined at 66 by three-time CP Women’s Open champ Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Australia’s Minjee Lee and several others. Victoria amateur Naomi Ko was in a group at 68.
Uribe was in one of the opening threesomes and set the early tone by trimming a shot off the course record.
“It’s nice to start with a bogey-free round to actually see my golf game getting to where I know it is,” Uribe said. “It’s going to be a good week.”
Jutanugarn matched her score about an hour later. The world No. 2 opened with four straight birdies and had just one blemish with a bogey on the par-4 16th hole.
“Today my goal was (just) don’t worry about the future too much,” she said. “Don’t think about what I’m going to shoot today. Just try to focus on things I can control.”
Several players went low in the morning as they took advantage of ideal weather conditions. Hataoka and Henderson were two of the afternoon standouts.
Preferred lies were in effect on the 6,675-yard course. Greens were playing firm and fast and there was only a light breeze in the heat and sunshine.
Henderson was hitting the ball long off the tee and left a few strokes out there. She missed a seven-foot par putt on the 11th hole and settled for par on the 12th after missing an eight-footer.
https://www.facebook.com/cpwomensopen/videos/1807037606031530/
Playing in a group with top-ranked Sung Hyun Park and Anna Nordqvist, Henderson moved back up the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th. She saved par on the 17th hole after a nice up-and-down from the sand and just missed an eight-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
The course seems to set up well for the 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont. If her short game is on point, Henderson could be in the mix on the weekend.
Another hot day was in the forecast for Friday but the wind was expected to pick up.
“I think this course is meant to be windy, so I think some holes can kind of play in your favour that way,” Henderson said. “It’s just going to be a challenge for the whole field.
“Hopefully I still hit the ball in good places, give myself a lot of birdie looks and hopefully capitalize.”
Nordqvist, from Sweden, and Park, from South Korea, were at 2-under 70 in a group that included Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City. Alena Sharp of Hamilton and amateur Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., opened at 71.
There are 16 Canadians in the field. Play will continue through Sunday at the US$2.25-million tournament.
Charles Fitzsimmons of London, Ont., and Todd Fanning of Winnipeg shared the previous course record at Wascana. They posted rounds of 65 at last year’s Canadian men’s mid-amateur championship.
Celeste Dao shows why she’s one of Canada’s top women’s golf prospects
REGINA – Celeste Dao wanted her first appearance at the CP Women’s Open to be an experience she’ll always remember.
Her first hole at the Wascana Country Club on Thursday was one she’ll likely never forget.
Battling nerves in her tournament debut, the 17-year-old developmental squad player nearly sent her opening drive out of bounds. Faced with a terrible lie under low-hanging tree branches, she whiffed on her second shot and later found the rough and the bunker before settling for a double-bogey six.
But showing remarkable mettle for a youngster not used to playing on the LPGA Tour, Dao responded with a birdie on the second hole.
“I turned the page,” Dao said. “I was ready to make birdies after.”
Dao bogeyed the seventh hole and had three birdies on the back nine for a solid 1-under-par 71.
“Being patient – that’s my big thing to play well,” she said. “I knew on the back nine there were par fives and par fours waiting for me.”
Dao, from Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., is considered one of Canada’s top young prospects. She won her first international title at the 2018 Mexican Junior Girls Championship and also qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Open.
Dao uses a slow backswing and comes down on the ball with a seemingly effortless motion. Her crisp ball striking and impressive short game were on display Thursday and she’ll be a good bet to make the cut if she keeps it up in the second round.
“All the skills are there,” said Golf Canada junior squad women’s coach Matt Wilson. “She just needs to keep chipping away at it. The more experience and exposure that she can get against the best competition possible, the better it is for Celeste.”
Dao, one of 16 Canadians in the field, was seven shots behind clubhouse co-leaders Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was the low Canadian in the early going at 2-under 70. Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. joined Dao at 71 while amateur Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., was at even-par 72.
Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., had a 73 and Augusta James of Bath, Ont., was at 74. Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., shot a 75 and Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon had an 83.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was one of several Canadian players with afternoon tee times. Jocelyne Bourassa was the last Canadian to win this tournament, taking the 1973 title in Montreal.
Dao said she also whiffed a shot in the fescue at last week’s Girls British Open Amateur in Northern Ireland.
This time, the ball settled under a large pine tree. She was forced to use a five-wood because her irons weren’t long enough due to the overhanging branches.
After the miss, her third shot found the long grass and fourth shot landed in the sand. Dao managed a nice save and hit the short putt.
She drank some water and quickly focused on the second hole, forgetting all about her opening struggles. Wilson said Dao knows she’s fully capable of recovering and putting a rough hole aside.
“It’s not common among teenagers especially when they would likely mostly panic in that situation,” he said. “But again, she’s a very resilient kid and just hyper-competitive.”
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event.
Rank holds the lead at Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after 36 holes
VICTORIA, B.C. – As the brisk, windy conditions set in at Victoria Golf Club, Garrett Rank fought hard to keep the heat going during the second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and hold on to his lead at Victoria Golf Club on Wednesday.
The three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion started off strong with three birdies and an impressive eagle across his first twelve holes against a single bogey. However, the strength of the wind picked up, making for difficult playing conditions on the back-nine.
“Sometimes you get the bad end of the draw and we got the bad end of the draw with nine holes of absolute survival in the wind,” said Rank. “I couldn’t really distance myself today and I guess mother nature didn’t cooperate, so it was a bit of a grind there.”
The less-than-ideal weather saw the 30-year-old make two more bogeys for a second round 68. With more wind forecasted for Thursday, the Elmira, Ont., talent will head into the third round with a three-stroke lead.
“I’m in a good condition after the first two days,” added the NHL referee. “Now everyone has to play in the same weather conditions, so it levels the playing field a little bit and I’m in a good spot.”
It was a different story for the three local golfers who round out the top-three. With the Victoria crowds cheering them on during the earlier wave, they are still within reach of winning the championship on home soil. As the familiar green of his home club lay under his feet, Victoria native Jordan Caron shot a 67 to sit in solo-second.
“I just wanted to come in with low expectations,” said the former host club Assistant Professional. “But it’s easy to get on your home golf course in a tournament like this and start thinking more about where not to hit instead of where to hit it, so I’ve been reigning myself in.”
Despite struggling with his swing, Caron registered four birdies and three bogeys enroute to a two-round score of 4 under par.
“I grinded well and kept my head and made a lot of par putts which is good and a few birdie putts here,” added Caron. “It was kind of fun to start getting to the part when I was under par again, so it’s exciting but at the same time you’re trying to treat it like a regular round of golf out here.”
Another Victoria Golf Club member, Saare Adams, started on the back-nine weighed down by four bogeys, but made three consecutive birdies after making the turn. The 34-year-old finished the round sharing a piece of third at 2 under with fellow Victorian Kevin Carrigan, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2013.
In the Mid-Master division, Todd Fanning from Winnipeg, Man., held on to first place, recovering from a shaky start that included two bogeys and two double bogeys.
“Today was a little more up and down than yesterday,” said the defending champion. “I had a lot of silly shots and a lot of good shots and turned out to be an even-par 70 which was a bit of a grind because I had to finish 3 under on my last seven.”
After recording the first ace of the tournament on the sixth hole, Sandy Harper of Nanaimo, B.C. is in second, three shots behind Fanning at 2 over. David Greenaway of Barrie, Ont., and host club member Craig Doell of Victoria, B.C., are tied for third at 4 over par.
Team Ontario cemented their spot in the tournament’s history, defending their inter-provincial title with an impressive 10-stroke margin to win the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fourth straight year. Thanks to Rank’s lead, three-time Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Brampton, Ont., and Patrick Forbes of Toronto, Team Ontario secured their 14th win in the inter-provincial division, the most wins by a team since the division was established in 1992.
Team British Columbia finished in second with a total 2-over-par 282 while Team Manitoba came in third at 9-over-par 289.
In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2018 champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.
A look at five players to watch at the LPGA Tour’s CP Women’s Open
REGINA – A look at five players to watch at this week’s CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club:
BROOKE HENDERSON
All eyes will be on the 20-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., as she goes for her second LPGA Tour win of the season.
Henderson, who won last April in Hawaii, is brimming with confidence after closing with a 63 last week in Indianapolis to finish tied for seventh.
She made her CP Women’s Open debut as a 14-year-old and quickly rose up the rankings as a teenager. Henderson currently holds the No. 14 position.
Two more victories will pull her into a tie with Sandra Post for most career wins (eight) on the LPGA Tour.
LYDIA KO
Three of Ko’s 15 career LPGA Tour wins have come in Canada: two as an amateur and one as a pro.
Ko became the youngest winner in LPGA history in 2012 when she won in Edmonton at the age of 15 years four months two days.
She defended her title a year later and won again in 2015.
The world No. 16 from New Zealand would set a tournament record with a fourth title at this event.
SUNG HYUN PARK
The defending champion from South Korea has picked up where she left off after an impressive rookie season last year.
Park and Ariya Jutanugarn lead all LPGA Tour players with three wins apiece this year. Park’s victory last week bumped Jutanugarn down to second in the world rankings.
Park became the fastest player in LPGA history to reach US$2 million in career earnings. She did it in seven months 13 days, needing only 19 starts to reach the plateau.
CELESTE DAO
Dao leads an impressive group of Canadian youngsters in the field this week at Wascana Country Club.
The 17-year-old national development squad member earned her first international title this year by winning the Mexican Junior Girls Championship.
She also led Canada to a third-place finish at the Junior World Cup in Japan.
Dao, from Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open but did not make the cut.
BOBBI BRANDON
The Saskatoon native will have a significant cheering section when she makes her first appearance at this event in 20 years.
Brandon earned one of the last four exemptions at Monday’s qualifying event at Royal Regina Golf Club.
The PGA of Canada professional, who works out of the Moon Lake Golf & Country Club, shot a 2-over-par 74 to finish tied for second in the 11-player qualifier field.
Brandon missed the cut at the 1998 tournament in Windsor, Ont.