The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship didn’t have any Canadian entries at last year’s tournament. The entire women’s national amateur squad is making the trip this time around.

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain and Naomi Ko of Victoria will lead Canadian hopes starting Tuesday at the Hillside Golf Club.

“They all have the appropriate game to come and play well here,” said Canadian women’s head coach Tristan Mullally.

The tournament’s first stage includes two rounds of 18-hole stroke play on the championship links course. The field of 144 will be trimmed to 64 for the match play stage.

Each round of match play will consist of 18 holes leading up to Saturday’s final. The tournament shares top billing with the US Women’s Amateur as the premier events in women’s amateur golf.

“With match play, it’s always a bit of a challenge because you can play well in stroke play, play great golf and still get beat,” Mullally said from Southport, England after walking the course with the Canadians during their practice rounds. “But (we’ll) worry about that in a couple of days.”

The picturesque course features several elevated tees with many holes overlooking the Irish Sea. The early weather forecast is calling for warm, sunny conditions with little wind.

#TeamCanada‘s @naomiko_golf, @mszeryk and @gracestgermain lead ?? hopes at the @RandA #LadiesAmateur

Read ➡️ https://t.co/xEdYV2c3Fz pic.twitter.com/MZhxMuCwk1

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) June 26, 2018

Szeryk is the top Canadian on the women’s world amateur golf ranking list at No. 16 while Lee, who finished tied for 35th at this month’s Meijer LPGA Classic, holds the No. 40 position. Ko is at No. 176 and St-Germain is ranked 247th.

Szeryk closed out her college career with a tie for 17th at last month’s NCAA Championship. The Texas A&M player won four tournaments during her time with the Aggies and set an NCAA career record with 91 rounds of even-par or better.

“Maddie has been the most consistent performer in Canada over the last couple of years,” Mullally said. “She’s up to 16th in the world based on just playing well all of the time.”

Lee finished tied for fifth at the NCAA playdowns for the best individual finish in Ohio State Buckeyes history. She won three individual titles during her junior year and is slated to return for her final collegiate campaign next season.

“Jaclyn has had a great run of form,” Mullally said. “The way she hits the ball, she can really (use) different trajectories. I can see her having a really good run this week.”

St-Germain is off to the University of Arkansas in the fall while Ko played at North Carolina State last season. Ko had to borrow clubs for Monday’s practice round after the arrival of her usual set was delayed.

Marlene Stewart Streit was the last Canadian to win the Ladies’ British Open Amateur. She posted a 7-and-6 victory over Philomena Garvey in 1953.

The Pam Barton Memorial Salver is awarded to the winner of the championship. An international team award is presented after the stroke play qualifying rounds.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire beat Spain’s Ainhoa Olarra 3 and 2 to win last year at Pyle & Kenfig in Bridgend, Wales.

The tournament was founded in 1893.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A stellar 10-birdie effort catapulted Michael Gligic into a share of 2nd at 13 under par through 36 holes at the Lethbridge Open.

“I made a putter grip change this week. I went from the conventional to the claw and I’ve never really done it before, but I made a bunch today. My ball striking was pretty good, I didn’t get into too much trouble and was just fortunate to make a couple putts,” said Gligic, a Burlington, Ont., native.

With a stellar ten birdies in his second round, ?? @MGligicGolf is close to victory in a tie for second at @PGATOURCanada @LethPCOpen ???
pic.twitter.com/t3TUO2KJmX

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) June 23, 2018

As he has been doing all year, 36-hole leader Zach Wright tore up the course at Paradise Canyon Golf Club on a calm Friday morning, shooting 61 to put himself at 19-under-par at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open.

The 61 comes with a trio of achievements for Wright: a five-stroke lead going into the weekend, a new course record and a Mackenzie Tour 36-hole scoring record.

The 62-61 start breaks the record previously held by current PGA TOUR player Aaron Wise, who shot 15-under through the first 36 holes at the 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

Wright, who started the day on the back nine, worked his way around the golf course without a blemish on the scorecard for the second consecutive day.

The Louisianan State University alum began the day rather inauspiciously by his standards, maneuvering the front nine with two birdies, but an eagle on the 18^th hole began Wright’s run.

The Phoenix, Arizona native played holes 9-17 in 8-under par, making three birdies in a row from 3-5 before jotting down back-to-back circles on 7 and 8. Narrowly missing a 25-foot birdie try on his last hole, Wright signed for a 61.

“So far it’s been easy for me,” said Wright. “I’ve just been hitting wedge shots that’ve been going close, driving it pretty well and just making putts when I can.”

Wright has been the most consistent golfer on the Mackenzie Tour this season, leading the Order of Merit by posting T2, T6 and T2 finishes through the first three events of the season. This week though, Wright has been able to separate himself from the field with his ability off the tee.

“I’m hitting the driver really far and it’s going relatively straight,” said Wright, who is playing his first full season on the Mackenzie Tour. “I’ve been leaving myself with short clubs into greens and I’ve been hitting those close. When I’ve had 15 footers I’ve been rolling some of those in too, so things seem to be going my way and I just have to keep going.”

Wright is trailed by five players at 14-under, including Canadian Michael Gligic. The Burlington, ON native had previously missed all three cuts on tour before the event, but 10 Friday birdies has him in position to attack Wright’s lead on the weekend.

Others at 14-under include Cody Blick, Danny Walker, Chris Williams and Jared Bettcher.

ROGERS, Ark. — Since its first year on the LPGA Tour in 2007, the crowds at the NW Arkansas Championship have belonged to Stacy Lewis.

Another former University of Arkansas star staked her claim as the hometown favourite Friday when Gaby Lopez shot a career-low 8-under 63 to take the first-round lead at Pinnacle Country Club.

Like Lewis, the two-time winner of the tournament, Lopez starred as a three-time All-American for the Razorbacks before joining the LPGA Tour in 2016. Despite flashes of potential, Lopez had yet to join Lewis among the ranks of the world’s best — missing the cut in her last two tournaments and entering this week ranked 136th in the world.

For a day, at least, the Mexican standout felt right at home atop the leaderboard in her adopted home state.

“I feel like home,” Lopez said. “I feel so, so comfortable out here, because I feel that everyone and every single person out here is just rooting for us.”

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was just two shots back to tie for ninth after firing a 6-under 65 for her best round on the LPGA Tour this year. She bogeyed on No. 16 but recovered with an eagle on the 18th hole. Her previous best was a second round 3-under 68 at the Kingsmill Championship in mid May.

Moriya Jutanugarn was a stroke back along with Minjee Lee, Catriona Matthew, Nasa Hataoka, Lizette Salas, Mirim Lee and Aditi Ashok. Six others finished at 6 under on a day when only 26 of the 144 players finished over par, thanks to some mid-week rain that softened the greens and calm skies throughout the day.

Jutanugarn finished second at the tournament last year and is trying to win for the second time on the LPGA Tour this year. Her younger sister, Ariya, is already a two-time winner this year and shot an opening-round 66.

Lewis, the former world No. 1 who won the event in 2007 in 2014, finished with a 66. She’s expecting her first child in early November

Defending champion So Yeon Ryu, coming off a victory Sunday in Michigan, shot a 67.

Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay shot a 1-under 70 to tie for 79th, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 2-over 73 to tie for 128th and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 3-over 74.

Friday was Lopez’s long-awaited day to standout, though, much to the delight of the pro-Arkansas crowd.

After missing the cut her last two times out, Lopez took some time off and returned home to Mexico City to rest her mind and work on her game. The work paid off with two straight birdies to open her round and a 6-under 30 on her front nine.

Lopez needed only 25 putts and finished two shots off the course record of 61, and she overcame a poor drive on the par-5 18th to finish with a par and keep her place at the top of the leaderboard. Her previous low score was a 64 last year, and she matched her career best by finishing at 8 under.

“(Rest) is a key that no one really truly understands until you’re out here,” Lopez said. “… Sometimes resting is actually the part you’ve got to work on.”

CROMWELL, Conn. – Canada’s Mac Hughes carded a 2-under 68 in Friday’s second round to sit at 5 under par heading into the weekend at the Travelers Championship. Hughes, a Dundas, Ont., native, leads all Canadians in a tie for 17th at TPC River Highlands. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. is two back at 3 under par, while Corey Conners, Ben Silverman and Nick Taylor failed to make the cut.

Brian Harman shot a 4-under 66 on Friday to move to 10-under par and watched that hold up for the second-round lead in the Travelers Championship, thanks in part to a 10-second rule.

Harman finished a stroke ahead of Matt Jones and first round co-leader Zach Johnson, who lost a stroke during his round of 68 when his birdie putt hung on the lip of the cup at the third hole for longer than the maximum allowed 10 seconds before falling in, giving him a par.

“After 10 seconds, the ball was moving and at that point even if the ball is moving, It’s deemed to be at rest, because it’s on the lip,” Johnson said. “Don’t ask me why, but that’s just the way it is.”

Harman had his short game working for the second consecutive day, taking 26 putts after needing only 23 during the first round.

“The putter has been really good so far, but I’ve been in position a lot,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good looks at it. I’m just able to put a little pressure on the course right now, which is nice.”

Jones hit 16 of 18 greens for the second consecutive day, following up his first round 65 with a 66.

Bryson DeChambeau (66), Paul Casey (67) and Russell Henley (65) were two strokes back going into the weekend.

But Johnson, who started on the 10th tee, had the day’s most interesting round, which included just two birdies, but one amazing par save. He hit the ball into the TPC River Highland’s signature lake on No. 17, dropped across the water near the 16th tee box and then put his third shot within 8 feet of the hole from 234 yards away.

“You can’t hit that shot and then not make that putt,” he said. “It felt good to get away with that four. That’s as good an up and down as I’ve ever witnessed or performed.”

Lanto Griffin and two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson were at even par coming into Friday. But both shot a 63 to move into contention heading into the weekend, three shots behind the leader. Watson jump started his round with an eagle on his third hole, the par-5 13th.

“I had some mental mistakes yesterday, and then I didn’t make some putts,” said Watson. “Today I started out hotter. I made a good shot on 11, our second hole, made the putt, making a solid par putt on 12, and then that freed me up a little bit. Gave me some confidence going into the next hole where I made the eagle.”

Rory McIlroy also is at 7 under after a 69. McIlroy, Watson and Justin Thomas (5 under) were grouped together Thursday and Friday, drawing large galleries.

“I definitely helps, Thomas said. ”It’s fun playing with good friends. You definitely get more momentum when guys are playing well. I obviously couldn’t get a whole lot of momentum out there. I was kind of hovering around 1- or 2-under. It was pretty much just Bubba today. Rory didn’t play great either and both of us definitely could have had a lot lower rounds“

Defending champion Jordan Spieth, tied with Johnson after an opening 63, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 25th at 4 under. His round, which started on the back nine, included a triple bogey on the par-5 13th hole and an eagle on par-5 sixth, when he put his second shot within 2 feet of the hole from 276 yards away.

“I don’t go to the range after 63s very often, and I was there for an hour yesterday trying to figure out the golf swing,” he said. “So it’s not like things are on. Sometimes it can get disguised by rounds, but it’s not far off. It really is close.”

Masters champion Patrick Reed, coming off a fourth-place finish in the U.S. Open, shot a 67 to miss the cut by a shot at minus-1.

Calgary’s Wes Heffernan has won the SVR Alberta Open Championship for the sixth time.

That’s the second most all-time tournament victories only behind the legendary Stan Leonard who won the event nine times between 1937 and 1955.

The 41-year-old veteran closed with a 5-under stretch on the final seven holes to win by three strokes over fellow professionals Riley Fleming and Evan Holmes who finished in a tie for second place at 10-under-par.

“On the back nine we were kind of going back and forth. Every stroke was really important. It was pretty stressful but at the same time really fun. It’s awesome to have three guys in it until the end,” said Heffernan after the round.

Heffernan finished in style with a back-nine score of 31 highlighted by a closing putt made for eagle on the par 5, eighteenth hole to put an exclamation mark on the victory.

When asked about the host venue, River Spirit Golf Club, Heffernan said “the greens were fantastic. If you missed a putt this week it was your fault. Any time you play perfect greens you can shoot numbers like 65.”

The victory comes on the heels of a T6 finish on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada stop in Victoria, BC just over a week ago.

“Next week I have the PGA Championship of Canada in Ontario. I’m looking forward to that and this is a good step towards that. Hopefully I can carry this into next week”, added Heffernan, who also teaches out of the Golf Canada Calgary Centre. The PGA Championship of Canada runs June 25-29 at the Credit Valley G&CC.

St. Albert’s AJ Armstrong, a senior at Washington State, claimed low amateur honours and a trip to the 2019 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

Sixty-nine of the best golf professionals from around the country descends upon the venerable Mississauga, Ont., venue all vying for the association’s most prestigious championship and historic P.D. Ross Trophy

[ACTON, ONT.]—The PGA of Canada’s best players tee it up next week at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club for the 97th playing of the PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf.

Sixty-nine of the best golf professionals from around the country descends upon the venerable Mississauga, Ont., venue all vying for the association’s most prestigious championship and historic P.D. Ross Trophy.

“The field for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf is arguably the finest since the rebirth of the championship in 2011,” said PGA of Canada president Mark Patterson.

Teeing it up at Credit Valley includes 21 past PGA of Canada national championship winners and 42 total national championship titles.

“With nearly a third of the field having won a PGA of Canada national championship in the past, we’re definitely going to feature a winner at week’s end with a solid pedigree.”

Additionally, 44 of the top 50-ranked players from the RBC PGA of Canada Player Rankings are in the field, which includes all 10 from the top 10.

Past PGA Championship of Canada winners in the field at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club include:

• JP Cornellier, 2017
• Marc-Etienne Bussieres, 2016
• Danny King, 2015
• Dave Levesque, 2014
• Bryn Parry, 2013
• Eric Laporte, 2012
• Jim Rutledge, 1984

For first round tee times, CLICK HERE.

Cornellier looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since George Knudson won in 1976 and 1977.

Ranked No. 80 on SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Courses in Canada for 2016, Credit Valley traces its golfing beginning back to 1930. Ontario’s then Lieutenant Governor, W.D. Ross, commissioned that a nine-hole course be built on the original property which was located where the driving range and parking lot now stand. Since its original design by Stanley Thompson in 1930, the club most recently underwent renovations to the course including changes to the first five holes, the 10th hole and a complete bunker renovation. In addition, in 2016, the Credit Valley redesigned its practice facility, which now includes 65,000 square feet of bent grass tee decks, eight target greens, a target fairway, two practice bunkers, a short game area, three putting greens and a dedicated teaching area, making it among the best practice facilities in Canada.

Credit Valley last hosted the PGA Championship of Canada 25-years ago in 1993, which was won by 12-time PGA TOUR winner Steve Stricker. The club has also recently hosted two PGA Women’s Championships (2010 and 2016) and a PGA Seniors’ Championship in 2015.

“Our members are very excited to host PGA of Canada top players from across the country in this year’s PGA of Canada Championship,” said Credit Valley’s chief operating officer and PGA of Canada executive professional Ian Webb. “Much has changed in the 25 years since Steve Stricker’s win, but with recent course and practice facility renovations, we have no doubt the players are in for a real treat.”

Credit Valley was also home to PGA of Canada Hall of Fame member Al Balding, a four-time winner of the PGA Championship of Canada, as well as recently deceased PGA of Canada member Jerry Anderson, who won the championship in 1987.

Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event through 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the historic P.D. Ross trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 69 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match-play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

This year’s championship at Credit Valley follows the same format.

In addition to Cornellier, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Danny King, Dave Levesque, Eric Laporte, Bryn Parry, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Steve Stricker, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

To follow the PGA Championship of Canada presented by Taylormade and adidas Golf online throughout tournament week, visit pgaofcanada.com, twitter.com/pgaofcanada, instagram.com/thepgaofcanada and facebook.com/pgaofcanada

NEW YORK – Phil Mickelson has apologized four days after intentionally violating golf rules by hitting a moving ball on the green at the U.S. Open, saying his frustration got the best of him.

The apology came Wednesday in a statement released by his representatives.

“I know this should’ve come sooner, but it’s taken me a few days to calm down,” Mickelson said. “My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I’m embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I’m sorry.”

Mickelson was struggling in the third round when he reached the 13th green.

His bogey putt from above the hole ran by the cup and was headed down a slope when he trotted over and swatted it back toward the hole with the ball still in motion. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty, scored a 10 on the hole and wound up shooting 81.

Later, after acknowledging he was using Rule 14-5 to his advantage, Mickelson called USGA officials for clarification on the rule after hearing suggestions he should be disqualified from the U.S. Open. USGA officials said disqualification was not in order for his violation.

Asked if people would find his actions on No. 13 disrespectful, Mickelson said Saturday: “It’s meant to take advantage of the rules as best as you can. In that situation, I was just going back and forth. I would gladly take the two shots over continuing that display.”

Some observers were upset that Mickelson and playing partner Andrew Johnston were smiling as they walked off the green.

“How can you not laugh?” Mickelson said. “It’s funny.”

PGA TOUR Champions event sets fundraising goal at $10 million for 2018, names nine official charitable partners

CALGARY—The Shaw Charity Classic will take aim at raising $10 million for 182 children’s charities in Alberta, thanks to renewed support from its title partner Shaw Communications Inc. and AltaLink for the award-winning tournament’s Birdies for Kids program.

Shaw has announced it will become the new title sponsor of the charitable giving program, donating

$1 million to positively impact 182 charities from across the province.  Additionally, AltaLink extended its commitment as presenting sponsor for three more years. Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink will support more than 500,000 youth in the areas of sports, arts, health, development and counselling.

“We are touched by the work of so many people associated with the Shaw Charity Classic to create a foundation of giving and support for the charities that are working tirelessly to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, youth and families across Southern Alberta,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “We have set a high bar for the tournament this year, and we are eager to work with all of our partners to do even more for the organizations that work every day to make the lives of more children and youth better.”

Building on the title partner’s leadership, it was the tournament’s relationship with AltaLink around the creation of the unique Birdies for Kids program in 2015 that has sparked tremendous growth in the Shaw Charity Classic’s fundraising efforts.

“We are incredibly proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Birdies for Kids program since its inception in 2015 and to announce we are enthusiastically signed on for three more years,” said Scott Thon, President and CEO of AltaLink. “Increasing the number of eligible charities will only help make a greater impact for kids across Alberta and we look forward to working with Shaw Communications to grow this program even more.”

Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink gives corporations and individual donors alike the opportunity to give to the partnered children’s charity of their choice. On top of those donations, the charities will receive a match of up to 50 per cent of each contribution through a tiered matching program.

Having raised a total of $22.1 million over the event’s first five years, Birdies for Kids has flourished from impacting 90 charities with $2 million in 2015 to having raised $6.9 million for 159 charities last year after welcoming donations from more than 2,400 Canadians in all corners of the country. Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink hopes to raise $9.6 million by the time the 2018 champion is white-hatted on the 18th green on September 2.

“The tournament’s charitable spirit is rooted in the generous support of these two community leaders: Shaw Communications and AltaLink,” said Clay Riddell, Tournament Chairman, Shaw Charity Classic.

“Never could we have imagined that year-after-year our tournament would shatter records for charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions, but this is not possible without a shared passion we have with these incredible partners for watching the greatest names in golf come to Calgary, and a commitment to helping our youth. I know we will continue to have a tremendous impact on the lives of Alberta youth through the continued support of this program.”

The Shaw Charity Classic also announced nine official charitable partners for the sixth edition of the Shaw Charity Classic, including: Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, Calgary Police Foundation, Classroom Champions, Horizon Housing, Junior Achievement Southern Alberta, Kids Cancer Care, KidSport Calgary, and The PREP Program. In addition to participating in the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program, each of these nine official partners will receive an additional donation through the tournament.

To mark the occasion, tournament officials paired a representative from each of the nine charities with a community personality for a five-hole team golf competition at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club on Wednesday. The winning team received $1,000 for its charity, representing the first official donation of 2018.

Companies and individuals can begin pledging their donations to Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLinkby visiting www.shawcharityclassic.com for full list of participating charities. All donations qualify for a charitable tax receipt, and 100 per cent of every donation goes directly to the selected participating charity.

REGINA – Brooke Henderson stood at the Wascana Country Club podium and looked over at the CP Women’s Open trophy, resisting the urge to pick it up.

She may not have earned the right to do that yet, but veteran Lorie Kane thinks it’s only a matter of time.

Henderson will aim to be the first Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973 to capture the women’s national championship when Regina hosts the tournament from Aug. 20-26.

“This trophy right here has been kind of haunting me all day,” Henderson said Monday at the tournament’s media day. “I really just want to pick it up but I have to work really hard for that.”

Kane, from Charlottetown, will be competing in this year’s event for a record 28th consecutive time. She said that Henderson’s legacy is just beginning.

“I know, mark my words, that child will have that trophy in her hand at some point in her career,” Kane said.

The 20-year-old Henderson has six career victories that includes one major title at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Henderson won earlier this year at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April.

She dedicated that victory to the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, which was involved in an April 6 bus crash that killed 16 people and left 13 others injured.

Henderson said that seeing the progress on Twitter of some of the survivors has been incredible. She added that she’s not sure whether she’ll wear a green and yellow ribbon once again in August like she did when she won the Lotte Championship.

“I’m glad I was able to win it for them and being here in Saskatchewan, to win another one and dedicate it to them would be truly special as well,” Henderson said.

The Smiths Falls, Ont., native nearly missed the cut at last year’s CP Women’s Open at her home course in Ottawa, but birdied on her final hole of the second round to qualify for the weekend.

The following day, she fired a course-record 8-under 63 to jump up the leaderboard and eventually finished the tournament tied for 12th.

Henderson said that it will be a little bit different this year playing in Regina.

“I knew almost everyone in the crowd it felt like,” she said of last year’s event.

“But it doesn’t really matter where you come from in Canada, you’re Canadian, you’re part of the family and that’s how I always feel at Canadian Women’s Opens.”

South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park won the 2017 tournament and is expected to participate once again this year. A total of 156 golfers will compete at the 2018 CP Women’s Open which has a tournament purse of US$2.25 million with the winner receiving $337,500.

Henderson is currently 18th in the world rankings and fifth on the LPGA’s money list this year with $602,142.

She had to withdraw from the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this month and head home to be with her family after her grandfather Robert Moir died from cancer on June 1. He was 81.

Henderson admits that it’s been a challenging time since his death.

“It has been pretty tough last few weeks for my whole family as well,” Henderson said Monday afternoon. “Having great family and friend support and my CP family as well and knowing that they’re always there for me has really helped with a lot of things.”

She said that her grandfather was a big part of her life and that it’s sad to see him go.

“It’s difficult to know he’s not here any longer, but he’s in a better place now.”

Inaugural event focused on networking, empowerment and philanthropy to be held Tuesday, August 21^st at Hotel Saskatchewan

 Tickets and corporate partnership opportunities are now available

REGINA – Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP), is proud to announce that the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit will take place Tuesday, August 21 at Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2018 CP Women’s Open.

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesswomen from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week as a thank-you for their participation.

The keynote speaker for the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit will be Canadian Olympic hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser. The five-time Olympic hockey medalist and Saskatchewan native will join a confirmed list of participating panelists that includes Joan Hardy, CP’s Vice-President of Grain and Fertilizer; LPGA Tour professional and CP ambassador Lorie Kane; Lesley Hawkins, General Manager with adidas Golf, Canada; and Shannon Cole, Senior Director of Brand Marketing with RBC. Rogers Sportsnet Central Co-Anchor Evanka Osmak will act as the emcee for the event.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to promote diversity in both business and sport by participating in the first ever CP Women’s Leadership Summit,” said Joan Hardy, CP Vice-President, Grain and Fertilizer. “I engage with a variety of customers across Saskatchewan every day, and I look forward to bringing together a group of women who are leaders in what they do, and discuss what motivates, challenges, and inspires us to work hard and enhance our careers.”

For Golf Canada, introducing the Women’s Leadership Summit as part of Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship aligns with the organization’s commitment to developing a more inclusive culture in Canadian golf.

“Launching the CP Women’s Leadership Summit is an extension of our efforts to encourage more women and girls to engage with golf and use the CP Women’s Open as a platform to bring together like-minded businesswomen in the spirit of networking, idea-sharing and empowerment,” said Mary-Beth McKenna, a member of Golf Canada’s championship management team who is leading the event. “All of our speakers are leaders in their respective industry who will provide participants with an inspiring experience and wide array of perspectives.”

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit begins at 10:00 am on August 21 at Hotel Saskatchewan and will feature networking opportunities, a question-and-answer session with panelists along with a three-course lunch.

For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.