CALGARY – Twenty-one players took to The Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary for Monday’s final qualifying event in hopes of securing one of the four final spots into the 2016 CP Women’s Open.

Briana Mao of Folsom, CA, finished atop the leaderboard with a 3-over par 75 to earn medalist honours.

Mao, who holds conditional LPGA Tour status, battled cool and blustery conditions to top the field.

“It was really difficult conditions today, but I just hit it straight and low and it worked out,” said the LPGA Tour rookie and University of Virginia alumnae. “I knew scores were going to be high because the conditions were so difficult. But, I was patient and hit the ball well. So, I’m pretty happy right now.”

Mao will be playing her first pro event in Canada, but she also competed in the Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2014, where she tied for 30^th.

Briana Mao (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Also earning an exemption was Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., a 17-year-old amateur who carded a 77 to finish second to qualify for her first LPGA Tour event.

Brigitte Thibault

Christine Song of Oakville, CA and Angel Yin of Arcadia, CA  shot 78 and 79 respectively to claim the final two exemptions into the field.

With the addition of Thibault to the field, a total of 17 Canadians will now compete for Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

Click here for complete results from the 2016 CP Women’s Open Monday Qualifier at The Hamptons Golf Club.

PRIDDIS, Alta. – Canadian golf sensation Brooke Henderson spent well over an hour hammering balls on the driving range at Priddis Greens on Monday as veterans and rookies alike marvelled at her amazing year heading into this week’s CP Women’s Open.

Henderson, just back from the Summer Olympics in Rio, signed a couple of autographs before retiring to the driving range – working out the kinks as rain started to fall and a blustery west wind continued to blow at her back.

Her success and work ethic have not gone unnoticed.

“I think it’s very inspirational to be honest,” said Victoria’s Naomi Ko, a talented amateur who gained an exemption into the CP Women’s Open. “It kind of gives me a way to give myself a chance and know if they can do it I can give myself a chance and hopefully succeed like they do.”

Ko, like Henderson, is 18 and said Henderson’s play isn’t a surprise to anyone who knows her.

“She’s been playing really well but she’s always been a great player,” Ko said. “She’s always been and I think it was just a matter of time for her to get used to it.

“It’s amazing. It’s making Canada proud.”

Stephanie Meadow, an Irish professional golfer who made her debut at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, sees a lot of similarities between Henderson and three-time Canadian Open winner Lydia Ko.

“First off they’re both great people,” said Meadow, who represented Britain at the Rio Olympics. “I’ve played a lot with Brooke and a few times with Lydia and I can’t say enough good things about them.

“Golf-wise they’re fantastic players. They’re extremely consistent. Brooke hits it a long way for her size and fights it out. They’re mentally very tough.”

Tournament director Brent McLaughlin said because the CP Women’s Open is a national championship, it’s a major in the eyes of many competitors.

He also couldn’t say enough about the kind of year Henderson is having.

“It truly is a joy to watch someone like that grow up in front of your eyes and be so beyond her years,” he said. “She’s exactly what Canada needed.

“They needed a great hero on the women’s golf side. She is that.”

McLaughlin said Henderson has been embraced by the LPGA Tour much like Canadian Eugenie Bouchard was in the world of tennis.

“All sports need heroes and if you don’t have a young hero in your sport _ it’s tough,” he said. “You need heroes that you root for and Brooke, whether she likes it or not, is that in Canada.

“She means everything to the game.”

The $2.25-million Canadian Open, which begins Tuesday and runs through Sunday, returns to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, southwest of Calgary, after a stop there in 2009. The lucrative purse _ which includes $337,500 for the winner _ is expected to lure the game’s stars out of any post-Rio fatigue.

Tour veteran Lorie Kane of Charlottetown will join Henderson in the Canadian contingent after her induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Si Woo Kim won the Wyndham Championship by five strokes Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.

The 21-year-old South Korean player closed with a 3-under 67 to finish at 21-under 259 at Sedgefield Country Club, tying the tournament 72-hole record set eight years ago by Carl Pettersson.

Kim matched Pettersson by sinking an uphill 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Kim set a tournament record with a 60 in the second round. He earned 500 FedEx Cup points and $1,008,000 in prize money in the regular-season finale.

Luke Donald was second at 16 under after a 67. Hideki Matsuyama and Brandt Snedeker were 15 under, also each shooting 67.

Kim pretty much locked up the tournament on the par-5 15th.

Donald birdied that hole to pull within three strokes of Kim at 16 under, and Rafa Cabrera Bello – Kim’s playing partner – joined him by chipping in for eagle from a greenside bunker on that hole.

Kim then pushed a 15-foot eagle putt to the right of the hole, but tapped in a 4-footer for the birdie that put him back up by four strokes with three holes left.

With only six players left on the course and the final pairing headed to the 17th tee, play was suspended for 1 hour, 21 minutes as thunderstorms passed through.

That only meant Kim had to wait a little while longer for his victory party.

He vaulted to the top of the leaderboard Friday with his record round – he missed a 50-foot putt on his final hole for 59 – then stayed there Saturday with a 64 that put him up by four strokes entering the final day.

He’d come close to a win once before, losing to Aaron Baddeley in a playoff last month in Alabama in the Barbasol Championship.

It looked as if Kim would cruise in this one after he had four birdies on his front nine, including two in a row on Nos. 8-9 to move to 22 under and put him on pace for the record. When he made the turn, nobody was within six strokes of him.

But things briefly got tense on the back nine: Kim lost a stroke on the 10th after missing a 4-foot par putt in a driving rain, then gave two more back with bogeys on Nos. 13-14 to slip to 19 under.

“You had to play a perfect round of golf” to catch Kim, Snedeker said. “If he did what he has been doing all week, he’s really, really tough to catch.”

The dominant subplot each year at the Wyndham – the tour’s regular-season finale – is the push by the bubble players to crack the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings and qualify for The Barclays next week at Bethpage Black.

While Kim – who came to Greensboro at No. 43 on the points list – didn’t need any help, others certainly did.

Whee Kim, a South Korean player who arrived at No. 125, and No. 124 Matt Jones both slipped out of the playoff field after missing the cut.

Kyle Stanley and Shawn Stefani both finished 12 under – good enough to put them both in The Barclays. Stanley arrived at No. 127 while Stefani started at No. 133.

“I knew I had to come in here and have a good week,” Stefani said. “Just been a whirlwind of emotions this week and I’ve really felt good about my game and really love the direction my game is headed.”

Ottawa – If Brock Mackenzie decides to take up another sport outside of golf, he might consider long-distance running.

The 35-year old from Washington State prevailed in a marathon seven-hole playoff over Spain’s Samuel Del Val and Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson on Sunday to win the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, securing his third career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.

The win, which came thanks to a final round 3-under 68 and then a birdie on the seventh extra hole, moves Mackenzie to second on the Order of Merit with three events remaining.

“Winning is hard,” said Mackenzie. “It seems like it gets harder and harder on this Tour. The quality of guys goes up and up every year on this Tour so I don’t take it for granted, that’s for sure.”

Beginning the day three shots off the lead, the former University of Washington standout admitted he thought he was out of the tournament when Cornelson reached 17-under with three holes to go. Two closing bogeys for the Canadian, however, coupled with a Mackenzie birdie at the 72nd hole, changed the landscape of the tournament, and when Del Val managed two delicate par saves at the 17th and 18th, all three returned to the 18th tee for extra holes.

“I thought Adam had a stranglehold on it,” said Mackenzie. “Unfortunately he made those two bogeys and then all of a sudden the playoff started and chaos ensued.”

All three players made par on the first two extra holes, but Mackenzie put the pressure on after stuffing a 6-iron from 185 to four feet at the par-3 third hole. And while Del Val was able to keep pace after rolling in a long birdie putt, Cornelson’s dreams of a second victory in 2016 were dashed when he wasn’t able to cash in on a birdie try of his own.

“It was dumping rain and blowing 30 km/h, and everything else goes out the window. I just tried to battle and get it done,” said Cornelson, lamenting his bogey-bogey finish. “I was hitting a lot of good shots. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way but if you give yourself a chance that’s all you can do.”

When the playoff resumed, Mackenzie kept the pressure on, hitting green after green and forcing Del Val to match. But the Spaniard, a two-time runner-up on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, produced several tremendous up-and-downs for par to stay alive and force the playoff to a seventh chapter.

“I kind of thought I was going to win about three different times in that playoff,” said Mackenzie, admiring Del Val’s never-give-up mentality.

Eventually, Mackenzie’s ace ball striking paid off, giving himself a 12-foot look for birdie at the par-3 third that he poured in for the win seven hours and 44 minutes after he originally teed off in the final round.

“I’ve been in a few playoffs before,” said Del Val, “but definitely not a seven-hole playoff. It was a great battle. He made a great putt on the par-3 and I can’t do anything else but congratulate him.”

For Mackenzie, the win puts him in strong position to finish in The Five and earn a promotion to the Web.com Tour, where he played in 2015. Despite finishing second in Greens in Regulation, Mackenzie admitted to struggling on the greens last season and said he would relish the opportunity to get back to the Web.com Tour.

“I’ve played really good golf for probably the last three or four years,” said Mackenzie, who finished 97th on the Money List to retain conditional status. “Last year on the Web.com Tour I think I was the no. 2 ball striker on Tour, and I just putted poorly. Hopefully the putter is coming around and next year I’ll be up there doing what J.J. Spaun and some of the guys that have graduated up there are doing.”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brooke Henderson signed a few autographs and posed for some pictures after her final round Saturday, the frequent cheers from the grandstands behind her a reminder that others were still playing for the Olympic hardware she coveted.

She knew her 67 wouldn’t be enough to crack the top three at the Rio Games, a respectable 8-under-par 276 eventually leaving her in a tie for seventh place.

The final group came in about an hour after Henderson emerged from the scorer’s tent, a look of disappointment seared on her face.

South Korea’s Inbee Park would run away with the gold medal, a 5-under 66 giving her a 268 and a five-shot win. Lydia Ko of New Zealand birdied the last hole for the silver and China’s Shanshan Feng took the bronze.

Henderson fought hard all day, an aggressive push on the back nine of the Olympic Golf Course nearly paying off.

She birdied the 14th hole, added another birdie on the 16th and just missed a birdie putt on the 17th.

Knowing an eagle on the par-5 18th hole would be needed to have any kind of chance, Henderson crushed both her drive and approach shot. However, a 53-foot putt rolled just past the hole to snuff her faint medal hopes.

“Credit to her, she was 4-under at the start of the day and she pushed for a medal,” said Canadian coach Tristan Mullally. “You can’t ask for any more than that.”

Feng was third at 10-under-par 274 after a 69, leaving American Stacy Lewis (66), Japan’s Harukyo Nomura (65) and Hee Young Yang of South Korea one shot back.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton (69) finished in 30th place at 1-over-par 285.

Henderson did well to contend after a disappointing 75 on Friday. She declined to speak to reporters in the interview area after that round, no doubt still reeling from a rare four-putt on the 16th green.

She started play Saturday in a tie for eighth place, just five shots off the pace for a medal. Henderson recovered after a bogey on the opening hole, scoring birdies on three of her last five holes entering the turn.

Henderson saved pars on the 11th and 12th holes before taking a bogey on No. 13 after missing a nine-foot putt. That forced her to really go for it down the stretch.

“Unfortunately I just missed out but that (bogey) gave me momentum to get my rear in gear and I made birdie on 14 right after,” she said. “After that I was trying to make birdies, I was trying to make an eagle out there on the last (hole) to move my name up a little bit more.

“But at the end of the day I tried my best.”

With two tournament victories — including a major — already under her belt this season, it’s easy to forget that Henderson is only 18 and still in her first full year on the LPGA Tour.

She showed flashes of brilliance this week and also endured some hiccups along the way. It was a learning experience, she said, both on and off the course.

“A lot of them are personal things, but just handling situations,” she said, when asked to expand on what she had learned. “I kind of had some rough weeks so coming here and trying to improve was a big goal for me and I think I did that.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., defended her title in Portland in June but finished well behind at her next three tournaments ahead of Rio.

Cracking the top three in the world rankings and earning over US$1.3 million would be dream accomplishments for many players on the Tour, but the young Canadian is always aiming higher.

“She’s a fighter,” Mullally said. “She grinds hard and gets the most out of her game. I think that’s probably what separates her from a lot of players. Some players have to play well to have a good score. Brooke normally tries to get the best score out of however she’s played.

“That’s unique in terms of her and that’s why she has so many top-10s and why she’s done so well so early (in her career).”

The final leaderboard showed Henderson at 276 with Australia’s Minjee Lee (67) and Britain’s Charley Hull (68).

Finishing in the top 10 — although outside the top three — would normally be a satisfying result.

At the Summer Olympics, it may be a position more painful than any other.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 4-over-par 75 and is tied for eighth at 4-under heading into the fourth and final round of the women’s Olympic golf competition Saturday.

Henderson had four bogeys Friday, plus a four-putt double-bogey on the 16th hole. She began the day in a tie for 3rd at 8-under. The 18-year-old is seven-shots behind leader Inbee Park of South Korea

Round 3 Tristan Mullally Interview – LISTEN

Brittany and Brooke Henderson (IGF)

Park sits two-shots ahead of New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Gerina Piller of the United States, who both are at 9-under.

The wind was a factor for many golfers as the gusty conditions on the Olympic Golf Course in Brazil, but not for Ko. On the par-3 eighth hole, the 19-year-old drained carded her first-ever hole-in-one. Earlier on the same hole, China’s Xi Yu Lin, 20, carded an ace of her own.

It’s been a theme in golf! Now it’s #NZL Lydia Ko with a hole-in-one on 8. #Golf https://t.co/YW6JVZmoZq https://t.co/Kv4kQrq0Iz

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 19, 2016

Round 3 Alena Sharp Interview – LISTEN

Alena Sharp of Hamilton also had a 75 and is tied for 34th at 3-over 216.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot a 7-under-par 64 and is tied for third following the second round of the women’s Olympic golf tournament.

Henderson birdied five of the final six holes Thursday to finish 2-shots back of leader Inbee Park of Korea.

“Yeah, it was a much better day today,” said Henderson, who was 1-under 70 following the opening round. “I felt better right off the bat. I was 2-under through my first nine holes, which was good, and I was hoping to get a few more birdies on the back nine, and I definitely was able to do that, especially my last six holes. I kind of got momentum and putts drained for me and I was able to hit some really good shots. I’m really happy with today and hopefully I’ll do something similar tomorrow.”

Round 2 interview with Brooke Henderson – LISTEN  I  READ

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., came into the day five shots off the pace set by first-round leader Ariya Jutanugarn. The native of Thailand carded an even-par 70 Thursday and moved into a tie for 8th.

The 18-year-old Canadian is 8-under for the tournament and trails 36-hole leader Inbee Park (10-under) who recorded a 5-under 66 for the second consecutive day.

Stacey Lewis is 9-under and in second place. The American was the lone golfer to better Henderson’s 64, shooting an 8-under 63.

Great Britain’s Charley Hull is tied for third with Henderson at 8-under.

Henderson will tee-off at 10:58 a.m. BRT with Nicole Larsen of  Denmark and Marianne Skarpnor of Norway.

Canada’s Alena Sharp is tied for 32nd place at 1-under. The Hamilton native tallied a 2-under 69 Thursday.

Sharp will tee off at 9:14 a.m. with Suzann Pettersen of Norway and Anna Nordqvist of Sweden.

Round 2 interview with Alena Sharp – LISTEN

Alena Shape (Getty Images)

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brooke Henderson battled inconsistency in her first round at the Olympic Golf Course. Teammate Alena Sharp couldn’t seem to get a putt to drop.

Despite those challenges, the two Canadians managed to hang around the middle of the pack Wednesday on a hot, sunny and windy day at the Rio Games.

Henderson did well to finish at 1-under 70 after a rough start while Sharp bookended her round with birdies for a 72. They showed they have the potential to score well on a wide, hilly course that suits their games.

“The way both of them played, there’s a 65 or a 64 in both of them,” said Canadian coach Tristan Mullally. “That’s what you need to potentially get yourself back into contention.”

Canadian Rd. 1 Rio 2016 Interviews: Brooke Henderson – LISTEN  I  Alena Sharp – LISTEN

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn opened with a 6-under-par 65 for a one-shot lead on Inbee Park and Seiyoung Kim of South Korea. Nicole Broch Larsen of Denmark was in a group of three players at 67 and American Lexi Thompson was in a four-way tie at 68.

“I wasn’t far off today,” Henderson said. “Just a couple mishit shots, a (bad) bunker lie, but that’s going to happen. You just have to move on, learn from it and make a better shot the next time.”

Henderson bogeyed the second hole and found the sand on No. 4 before settling for double bogey. She rebounded with an eagle on the 493-yard, par-5 fifth and added birdies on two of the next three holes.

“Many a player at three-over par through four holes would not recover from there,” Mullally said. “If anything she uses it as motivation to come back even stronger.

“She had a couple double bogeys today and still shot under par.”

The other double came on the 12th when she was well wide of the fairway and needed to hit a provisional ball. Henderson hit a 10-foot putt to avoid a rare triple bogey.

“I don’t see double bogeys on my card very often, which is a good thing,” she said. “But unfortunately I had two today.”

The third-ranked Henderson has enjoyed a strong season on the LPGA Tour with a pair of tournament victories, including her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Her approach shots were a little off Wednesday as she hit only 12 of 18 greens in regulation.

“My putting was probably the best part of my game today,” she said. “I made a couple long ones for birdie, and then inside 10 feet, I was pretty clutch to save pars a couple times when I needed to, save bogey, save double-bogey a couple times.”

It was the opposite for Sharp, the world No. 81, who couldn’t seem to get her putter going.

She double-bogeyed the fifth hole and added a couple bogeys on the back nine before closing with a birdie.

“You saw some of the guys shoot seven under last week,” Sharp said. “I think it’s doable if you hit the right ridges. The way I’m hitting it right now, I can’t sit here and tell you that it’s out of the question for me.

“If I just get my putter hot, I’ll be good.”

Mullally, who split the day walking the 6,245-yard course with both Canadians, agreed with her.

“It’s hard to watch that kind of round, you feel bad for her because she’s played as well if not better than players shooting four or five under par but just doesn’t have the result for it,” he said.

Play continues through Saturday.

The men’s Olympic Golf podium this past Sunday exuded experience and longevity with the likes of PGA TOUR veterans Justin Rose (gold), Henrik Stenson (silver) and Matt Kuchar (bronze).

The average age of the trio is 38 years old with Rose the youngest (36) and Stenson the oldest (40). Chances are the three women standing on the podium come Saturday will be a representation of youthful exuberance and a snapshot of the future of golf.

Almost every trend in women’s golf in recent years has pointed to the fearless crop of youngsters who have taken the game by storm.  And, it looks like the youth movement has made its way to the Reserva de Marapendi golf course this week in Barra da Tijuca.

The top three ranked players in the world are no older than 20 years old: No. 1 Lydia Ko (19), No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (20) and Canada’s own Brooke Henderson (18) and are all front runners this week in Rio. In the latest world rankings, seven of the top-10 players are 24 years old or younger.

Through the first 22 events on the LPGA Tour, 20 of them were won by players 23 years old or younger, while three teenagers have broken into the winners circle (Ko, Henderson and Minjee Lee).

India’s Aditi Ashok, a rookie on the Ladies European Tour, is the youngest in the field and will be 18 years, 4 months, 19 days on day one of competition. The average age of the 60 female players is 26.97 years old. Four players are under the age of 20 and only two are over the age of 40.

Also in contrast to the men, the ladies will have three amateur competitors this week versus none last week. Leona Maguire of Ireland, Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland and Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong will try to upstage the world’s best on the world’s biggest stage.

Catriona Matthew is the oldest player in the Rio 2016 field at 46 years old.

NUMBERS TO KNOW:

• 3 – Amateurs (Leona Maguire, Albane Valenzuela, Tiffany Chan)
• 26.97 – Average age of the 60 Olympians in the field
• 46 – Catriona Matthew is the oldest player at 46 years old
• 18 – Aditi Ashok is the youngest player at 18 years old

PLAYERS BY AGE:

• 4 – <20
• 20 – 20-25
• 20 – 26-30
• 10 – 30-35
• 4 – 36-40
• 2 – 40+

Canadian golf star Brooke Henderson has used longer clubs since her junior days and it has helped her create a unique swing that generates tremendous power.

Henderson brings the club way back, flattens it out as it comes down and then uses her balance and core strength as she strikes the ball. She has become one of the longer hitters on the LPGA Tour and is expected to be a podium favourite in the Olympic women’s golf tournament, which starts Wednesday.

“When you mix power and probably some clubs that are a little longer, she’s created a way to create some leverage,” said Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally. “She definitely uses the ground, she definitely gets down into it, sinks into it and then rotates her body super quickly. When she came on to the program, strength wasn’t the issue, it was more stability and balance.

“We’ve worked a lot on trying to clean up the little things so that she can continue to be powerful and continue to have a go at it because that’s when she plays great.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., turns 19 next month. She has risen to No. 2 in the world rankings and won her first major tournament — the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship — in June.

She’ll be joined by Alena Sharp of Hamilton at the Olympic Golf Course for the stroke play competition.

Mullally has worked with Henderson since she was 14 and has helped fine-tune a swing he describes as “hard and aggressive.”

“We wanted to keep that but with kids, you can run into injuries pretty quickly if that’s the way you go,” he said in a recent interview. “It was just about cleaning that up. I would say it’s natural, it’s her. She knows where the club is in space which makes her great.

“Anything we’ve ever done has always been around trying to help with the variety of shots or to make it pain and injury-free. That’s really where we’ve had some input.”

Long-time golf instructor Kevin Haime hosted a recent junior golf event in the Ottawa area that featured Henderson and her sister Brittany. Haime said he regularly uses a video demo of Brooke’s swing for his students.

“I will tell you that she is in some incredibly good positions,” he said. “Her transfer of club from backswing to downswing is really dynamic. It’s really similar to Sergio Garcia’s, it’s almost (Ben) Hogan-esque, the way the club drops. You don’t see that very often.”

Haime called it an “athletic swing” that is only seen a few times a generation on tour.

“She’s got that Rory McIlroy-type of talent if she gets it all going,” he said. “I think Lexi Thompson has that as well, a dominant performance possibility. I’m not so sure how many others have that. It wouldn’t be more than 10.

“So if you think about the limited field at the Olympics, No. 1, and then No. 2, you think about her horsepower if she gets it going just right, I think Canadians should be excited about that.”

Golf is making its return to the Olympic program for the first time since the 1904 St. Louis Games.