NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The success of the 2019 CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., was recently recognized as the Tournament Partners of the LPGA presented Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) with two Gold Driver Awards for delivering best-in-class elements among all LPGA Tour events.

The annual Gold Driver Awards were hosted in conjunction with the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. The Tournament Partners of the LPGA (formally Tournament Owners Association) have a long standing tradition of recognizing best in class tournaments with Gold Driver Awards at the season ending event on the LPGA Tour calendar.

At the formal ceremony, the CP Women’s Open received Gold Driver Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement and Best Sponsor Activation.

The award for Best Community and Charity Engagement was earned for the CP Has Heart community investment campaign, which raised nearly $2.5 million for children’s charities in the Greater Toronto Area – the largest donation in the history of the CP Women’s Open. As part of the program, $2.2 million was presented to the SickKids Foundation in Toronto, while a $250,000 donation was made to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont., to support paediatric cardiac care. In the six years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, more than $10.5 million has now been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This is the second time in the last three years that the CP Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver for Best Community and Charity Engagement.

The CP Women’s Open netted Best Sponsor Activation for the Levelwear Caddy Lounge. Headed by Canadian apparel company and Golf Canada partner, Levelwear, the activation delivered a first of its kind hangout for LPGA Tour caddies. The Lounge featured a host of amenities, from food and drinks to post-round massages, haircuts, games and more.

“It is humbling to see the CP Women’s Open honoured with two Gold Driver Awards,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director, Ryan Paul. “This year’s event was a true team effort. Thanks to tremendous fan, player and partner support, the 2019 CP Women’s Open was a resounding success and it is rewarding to be recognized with these meaningful awards.”

In August, Rolex World No. 1 Jin Young Ko fired a 26-under 262 over four rounds to best a stellar field of golfers, including 96 of the top 100 golfers in the world and become the 2019 CP Women’s Open champion. By doing so, she would take home US$337,500 of the US$2.25 million purse, the largest purse on the LPGA Tour outside Major Championships and the CME Group Tour Championship.

The 2019 CP Women’s Open enjoyed record walk-up and corporate hospitality sales and was the third-most attended CP Women’s Open in history.

The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to Vancouver as the 2020 CP Women’s Open will be contested at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club from August 31- September 6, 2020. The championship will mark the sixth time that the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

Information regarding tickets and corporate hospitality for 2020 can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com/tickets.

Golf Canada Foundation and the Canadian Seniors Golf Association (CSGA) announced today the introduction of a golf scholarship named in honour of long-time golf supporter and 2017 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame honouree, Jim Fraser.

Continuing the CSGA’s tradition of honouring those who have made significant contributions to the game, the Jim Fraser Scholarship will be awarded to students participating in recognized golf programs at university or college in Canada.

A scholarship presented in his honour is a fitting legacy for the former Executive Director of the Canadian Golf Foundation (now the Golf Canada Foundation) and long-time member of the CSGA. Jim is passionate about assisting young Canadian golfers pursuing post-secondary opportunities in Canada and in the United States. The creation of the Canadian University College Championship and Canadian University Golf Support Program are two of the meaningful initiatives launched during his tenure with the Foundation.

“Jim Fraser’s contributions to the game—as a volunteer and administrator as well as a fundraiser and donor—have been outstanding and we are extremely grateful to Jim and the CSGA,” said Golf Canada Foundation CEO Martin Barnard. “It is fitting that the Jim Fraser Scholarship will connect his many contributions with the CSGA and Golf Canada Foundation to aspiring Canadian student athletes pursuing post-secondary opportunities.”

In a 2016 profile for LondonOntarioGolf.com, Fraser reflected – “Golf has been an important part of my life, and it has given back to me so much more than what I have done for the game. I owe so much to golf, as it has provided me with a lifetime of pleasures.”

Fraser, a member at Toronto Golf Club and Beaconsfield Golf Club in Montreal, has held several positions as a volunteer and then an employee of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) over a career spanning nearly 40 years. He volunteered with the Association as a governor for a decade prior becoming a full-time staff member in 1993. During his tenure with the National Sport Federation, he served various Director roles with portfolios that included Rules, Handicapping and Amateur Status; Player Development and Junior Golf; Member Programs; Handicap and Course Rating; and Amateur Competitions. Following retirement, he remained active as a volunteer in a rules capacity and later supporting the library archives of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Among a multitude of accolades, Fraser has been honoured with the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) Distinguished Service Award (2007); Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award (2007); elected as a Patron of the Canadian Seniors Golf Association; was made a Golf Journalist’s Association of Canada honorary member; and was voted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Builder category.

Over his tenure, Fraser held a special regard for helping students and institutions through the Foundation’s collegiate scholarships and grants program, serving on the scholarships and grants committee for 34 years.

A native of Montreal, Fraser served as club president of Beaconsfield Golf Club in Point-Claire, Que. in 1976 and 1977. The club was founded in 1902 by Fraser’s great grandfather, Benjamin Tooke.

The CSGA has similarly honoured fellow CSGA member and executive director John Powell for his impact on the game. The CSGA’s executive director Ian Gibson said, “Jim Fraser has made a significant contribution to golf and the CSGA. Jim is a patron of our Association working tirelessly on projects like our recently published Centennial book and directing our charitable donations, and we’re proud to continue the tradition of honouring those who have given back so much to the sport.”

More information about the Jim Fraser Scholarship as well as the Golf Canada Foundation is available here.

***with files from LondonOntarioGolf.com

VANCOUVER (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for the 2020 CP Women’s Open, taking place August 31 to September 6 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. 

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CP Women’s Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour. Cheer on Canadian sensation and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson as she leads the stars of the LPGA Tour back to Vancouver alongside defending champion and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, past champions Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu and rising stars Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Danielle Kang and Minjee Lee.  

The 2020 CP Women’s Open will mark the sixth time that the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Golf Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.  

CLICK HERE to get your tickets for the 2020 CP Women’s Open 

General admission tickets, starting at just $20 for early week admission, provide access to the grounds to get an up-close look at the stars of the LPGA Tour. 

Tournament rounds for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are just $50; a Sunday final-round ticket is $60; and a week–long, fully transferable badge is $130. A $60 Anyday Grounds ticket is also available for those looking for ticket flexibility.  

A specially-priced youth ticket (13-17 years old) is also available while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long.  

In addition to general admission tickets and corporate hospitality products, the CP Women’s Open also offers a premium ticket product – The Heritage Lounge. 

The Heritage Lounge delivers an elevated fan experience within the Clubhouse of the prestigious Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. This premium destination is the perfect home base to sit, relax and map out your experience following the stars of the LPGA Tour! It offers upgraded food and beverage for purchase, ample televisions with a live feed of the broadcast and private washrooms.  Heritage Lounge tickets cost $100 for single day access or $250 for a fully transferable tournament (Thursday – Sunday) pass.

Volunteer opportunities to be a part of the 2020 CP Women’s Open are also available with a full listing of committee positions here. 

For an elevated experience, the CP Women’s Open offers many great hospitality packages to fit any budget. All corporate hospitality comes with private seating on one of Shaughnessy’s closing holes and all-inclusive food & beverage. A full list of offerings can be found here.   

The CP Women’s Open is so much more than a sporting event. Enjoy world-class golf and a premium hospitality experience at a signature Canadian sporting event that will leave a meaningful charitable legacy through CP Has Heart in support of children’s heart health.

Get your tickets today at www.cpwomensopen.com/tickets.

* Prices do not include applicable taxes or Ticketmaster fees.

The road to The 149th Open at Royal St George’s will stop in Canada once again, as the 2020 RBC Canadian at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto will be among 16 events in 11 countries to make up The Open Qualifying Series for 2020.

The Emirates Australian Open, which is being played from 5-8 December at The Australian in Sydney, will be the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal St George’s next year.

The Open Qualifying Series will visit Morocco for the first time with the European Tour’s Trophee Hassan II event offering one qualifying place for golf’s original championship, while the Travelers Championship on the PGA TOUR returns to the schedule for the first time since 2015 with two qualifying spots available.

A minimum of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “We have agreed an exciting schedule of events with our colleagues at the leading professional tours around the world and we will look forward to finding out which golfers qualify for Royal St George’s.

“We know there is real excitement among fans at the prospect of The Open returning to Royal St George’s which will undoubtedly spur on players to qualify to compete over the famous Kent links come July next year.”

The South African Open hosted by The City of Joburg will be played at Randpark, Johannesburg from 9-12 January and three qualifying places will be on offer.

Four places in The Open will be available at both the SMBC Singapore Open, which is being played at Sentosa Golf Club, and The Mizuno Open taking place at The Royal Golf Club in Japan.

On the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and RBC Canadian Open will each have three qualifying places, while the last qualifying place will be confirmed at the John Deere Classic on the eve of The 149th Open.

On the European Tour, four places at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will be available.

Two places will also be available at the KOLON Korea Open in June.

Regional Qualifying events will take place throughout Great Britain and Ireland with Caldy, Rochester & Cobham Park and Moor Park confirmed as three new venues for 2020. A minimum of 12 places will then be available at Final Qualifying events taking place at Fairmont St Andrews, Notts (Hollinwell), Prince’s and St Annes Old Links.

NAPLES, Fla. – As the 2019 LPGA Tour season ends, the CME Group Tour Championship provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate a year’s worth of incredible on-the-course performances and off-the-course accomplishments.

Four-time 2019 LPGA Tour winner Jin Young Ko earned major hardware at Thursday night’s Rolex LPGA Awards, accepting the Rolex Player of the Year award and Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. She later added the Vare Trophy to her tally when she captured the award for the season’s lowest scoring average following completion of the CME Group Tour Championship, finishing at 69.062.

“At this very special occasion, I want to say that this is not the end but only the beginning,” said Ko. “I will work even harder to become a better golfer.”

Additionally, by winning the 2019 Official Money title with $2,773,894, Ko joined Yani Tseng, Lorena Ochoa and Ariya Jutanugarn as the only players to win the Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy and lead the Tour in season earnings while also sitting first in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Big congrats to our 2019 #CPWO champ Jin Young Ko on winning @LPGA Player of the Year!#DriveOn pic.twitter.com/EWoimh9GeU

— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) November 22, 2019

Brooke Henderson received the 2019 Founders Award, an honour previously known as the William and Mousie Powell Award. The award is given annually to an LPGA Member who, in the opinion of her playing peers, best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA through her behavior and deeds. The award has been given out since 1986, with a list of previous recipients that includes Kathy Whitworth, Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Betsy King, Juli Inkster, Lorena Ochoa, Chella Choi, Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb and So Yeon Ryu. Effective this year, the award will be presented in honour of the 13 LPGA Founders who began the LPGA Tour in 1950.

“I know we as a Tour will continue to do our best to honour all 13 Founders and act as they so courageously and inspiringly did. What makes this award even more special is that it was voted on by my playing peers on the LPGA. Thank you to all of you,” said Henderson. “I have made many great friends over my five years on Tour. I love being able to live my dream playing out there and to experience this journey along so many talented golfers who are also great people.”

Suzann Pettersen, who retired in September after returning from an extended maternity leave to sink the winning putt for Team Europe at the 2019 Solheim Cup, was named the winner of the 2019 Heather Farr Perseverance Award. The award honours an LPGA player who, through her hard work, dedication and love of the game of golf, has demonstrated determination, perseverance and spirit in fulfilling her goals as a player. Established in 1994, the Heather Farr Perseverance Award celebrates the life of Farr, an LPGA Tour player who died on Nov. 20, 1993, following a four-and-a-half-year battle with breast cancer. Previous winners of this award include Heather Farr, Shelley Hamlin, Martha Nause, Terry-Jo Myers, Lorie Kane, Nancy Scranton, Brandi Burton, Kris Tschetter, Kim Williams, Beth Daniel, Colleen Walker, Amy Read, Se Ri Pak, Leta Lindley, Sophie Gustafson, Lisa Ferrero, Stephanie Meadow, Ariya Jutanugarn and Jessica Korda.

“I never knew Heather Farr, but I’ve known of her and this award since I joined the LPGA Tour. I can’t tell you how much is means to receive this, not just because of the player it honours, but because of all the players who have received before me and because it’s chosen by our fellow players, my peers,” said Pettersen, who became emotional later in her speech when speaking of her son Herman. “The LPGA Tour has been such a huge part of my life. It gave me the opportunity to follow my childhood dream and to reach beyond my wildest imagination. To go places, meet people and do things I never dreamed possible. For almost two decades, I’ve been able to measure my game against the very best female golfers in the world. I made many great friends and received lots of good advice along the way.”

The Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony celebrated Rolex-First Time Winners Celine Boutier, Cydney Clanton, Hannah Green, Cheyenne Knight, Bronte Law and Jeongeun Lee6. Additionally, Lee6 also added to her trophy count when she accepted the 2019 Rolex Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year award with a painstakingly memorized English speech that brought the crowd to its feet.

“With the support of my family and friends, I was able to pursue my biggest dream. The LPGA Tour is where we get to compete with the best players in the world. Just being a part of it made me feel like I could take on anything,” said Lee6, the 13th player from the Republic of Korea to capture the honour and the fifth consecutive, following Jin Young Ko (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), In Gee Chun (2016) and Sei Young Kim (2015). “It is an honour to compete on the LPGA Tour, to be able to play at the best golf courses around the world and among the world’s best golfers. Winning the U.S. Women’s Open and receiving Rookie of the Year has all been a dream come true.”

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan selected KPMG as the 2019 recipient of the Commissioner’s Award. In his speech, Whan spoke of their foresight in stepping in as title sponsors of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, revamping the LPGA Championship into a week-long celebration of female leadership and empowerment. When accepting the award, retired Chairman of KPMG International and incoming LPGA Board member John Veihmeyer thanked LPGA Tour player and KPMG Ambassador Stacy Lewis for her role in elevating the competition and focusing its most important asset – the players.

“There’s nothing that has made me more proud over the years of being at this championship than listening to the players, hearing them or having them come up to me and telling me how much they love this event,” said Veihmeyer. “This is all about the players. We have some of the greatest athletes in the world here. They deserve to be on the best courses in the world. They deserve to be playing for the best purses in the world and they deserve to be on network TV.”

Nancy Quarcelino, a member of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals (T&CP) Hall of Fame who has coached players on both the LPGA Tour and the PGA Tour, joined an elite group of her peers as the recipient of the 2019 Ellen Griffin Rolex Award. Instituted in 1989, the award honours the late Ellen Griffin, the best-known woman golf teacher in U.S. history. The award recognizes an individual, male or female, who has made a major contribution to the teaching of golf and who has demonstrated, through teaching, Griffin’s spirit, love and dedication to the golf student, teaching skills and game of golf.

“I’ve been very blessed in my life to be able to get up every day and go to work and do something that I love,” said Quarcelino. “I can only hope that I can be an inspiration to people that are watching, that are teaching, that are coming up, that are playing. I can only hope that I can be that inspiration to them and I do want to Drive On for the future.”

Earlier in the week, the LPGA Tour celebrated the winners of two season-long competitions. Carlota Ciganda captured the inaugural Aon Risk Reward Challenge and earned the $1 million prize. The competition, which measured the performance of LPGA Tour and PGA Tour golfers on a series of holes across multiple tournaments, tested players’ ability to analyze risk, utilize data-driven insights to identify opportunities and maximize performance in the moments that matter most. Ciganda joined PGA Tour winner Brooks Koepka in winning the inaugural honour, with both players receiving equal prize money.

Additionally, Ko won the LEADERS Top 10 competition on a tiebreak, earning $100,000. She racked up 12 top-10s in 21 starts, including four victories and three runner-up spots, to finish ahead of second-place Brooke Henderson and third-place Hyo Joo Kim. Henderson and Kim also recorded 12 top-10s but Ko won the competition via a tiebreak, her four wins eclipsing Henderson (two) and Kim (none).

NAPLES, Fla. – Sei Young Kim hit the putt of her life, a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of the CME Group Tour Championship to win $1.5 million, the richest prize in the history of women’s golf.

Kim closed with a 2-under 70 to beat an unlikely foe Sunday at Tiburon Golf Club.

Charley Hull of England birdied her last three holes for a 66, the last one a 12-footer that gave her a tie for the lead. Kim, who looked shaky in missing three straight birdie chances from 12 feet, tugged her approach to the top of a crown at the bag of the green. The winning putt – the money putt – was hit with perfect pace and broke sharply to the right as Kim pumped her fists in disbelief.

She finished a wire-to-wire victory for her third LPGA Tour title of the year and 10th of her career.

This was memorable for the finish and the reward.

For $1.5 million…

Sei Young Kim wins the @CMEGroupLPGA with a birdie on the 18th‼️#RaceToCMEGlobe ? pic.twitter.com/IoyTW4sB9M

— #RaceToCMEGlobe (@LPGA) November 24, 2019

Instead of a $500,000 first-place check and a $1 million bonus to a season points race, CME Globe wanted to award $1.5 million in official money to any of the 60 players who qualified for the season finale. That’s $500,000 more than the previous record prize, $1 million at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Kim, who never trailed during the final round, was feeling the heat coming down the stretch as Danielle Kang and then Hull took aim.

Kang, who made five birdies on the front nine, went quiet on the back until making a 30-foot eagle putt on the 17th. She hit 4-iron into 15 feet on the final hole, and her birdie attempt to tie for the lead was short. She closed with a 65.

Hull birdied five of her last seven, and when she saw the leaderboard on the 15th, she figured she would have to birdie everything coming. From short of the green on the par-5 17th, she hit putter up the slope to tap-in range to get within one shot of Kim. And on the 18th, she walked in the birdie putt.

Kim thought her biggest threat was Nelly Korda, who started one shot behind. Korda stalled with two hooked tee shots, the second one hurting her chances at a birdie on the 17th.

Walking up the 18th, Kim realized Hull had tied her.

“I didn’t know Charley finished at 17 (under),” Kim said at the trophy presentation. “What if I couldn’t make it? I could go to a playoff. It’s not good for me. It was really nervous when walking through hole 18. I was like: `OK, not a big deal. Try to play like a practice round.’ Even then, I was really nervous.”

She set nerves aside and made the only putt that mattered. The $1.5 million was more than she had made all year.

Kim finished at 18-under 270 and finished No. 2 on the LPGA money list behind Jin Young Ko, who tied for 11th and still had no complaints about her season. Ko won LPGA player of the year, the money title and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average.

Ko won four times this year, including two majors.

Hull was an example of how the format change turned the Tour Championship into a free-for-all. She had only one top 10 this year and was No. 51 in the Race to CME Globe. A year ago, she wouldn’t have been eligible for the $1 million bonus.

“I gave it my best shot,” said Hull, who won $480,000 for being runner-up. She made $405,961 in her previous 21 events this year.

Korda, the highest-ranked American who had a chance to get to No. 2 in the world with a victory, tied for the lead with a birdie on the fourth hole. But she began to fall back by failing to birdie the par-5 sixth, scrambling for bogey on No. 9 and making a careless bogey on the 11th that put her three shots behind.

On both par 5s on the back nine, she hit tee shots well left, leading to bogey at No. 14.

#Golf is easy for @BrookeHenderson ?? pic.twitter.com/TJXpsgoTWV

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 24, 2019

“I thought about it once today,” Korda said of the prize. “I was just out there trying to play some golf.”

She birdied the last hole for a 71 to tie for third with Kang. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot 67 and finished alone in fifth.

Canada’s Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., finished her strong season at 5 under in a tie for 29th.

NAPLES, Fla. – Sei Young Kim was on the verge of taking all the drama out of the chase for the richest payoff in women’s golf history.

She opened with three birdies in seven holes Saturday in the CME Group Tour Championship as her challengers either stalled or faded. She led by five shots before making the turn.

Kim hit the brakes.

Nelly Korda hit the gas.

When the third round ended at Tiburon Golf Club, Kim had to settle for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot lead over Korda with one round remaining to see who wins the $1.5 million.

Both made it sound as though it will be just another round of golf.

Then again, no one in LPGA Tour history has ever played for this much cash. It’s more than either of them has made all year.

“I had a pretty solid round front nine,” Kim said. “But back nine was little tough to focus. I kept thinking about future, so I was like, ‘Nope, Sei Young. Stop thinking. Focus on it.’ I had a lot of chances back nine. Going to practice and ready for tomorrow.”

Korda, who has a chance to reach No. 2 in the women’s world ranking with a victory, fell back early with a double bogey by going long of the green on the par-3 fourth. She recovered with three birdies over the next five holes, and then really turned it on.

“Kind of hit the brakes every single day on the back nine,” Korda said. “I told myself to be really aggressive on the back nine, and it worked out today.”

She opened with three straight birdies, holing out from a greenside bunker on No. 11, and she was back in the game. Korda shot a 31 on the back nine for a 66.

Kim was at 16-under 200 and will be in the final group with Korda.

Caroline Masson of Germany, who will join them in the final pairing, had a 70 and was four shots behind, with Charley Hull of England another shot behind after a 66.

For so many others, an ideal day for scoring at Tiburon turned out to be a lost opportunity.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who attracted the biggest gallery playing with Korda and with a horde of Canadians in Florida for the winter, had bogeys on three of the par 5s and never got anything going for a 71. She was six shots behind.

Dialing it in from distance! @BrookeHenderson finishes at 1 under for the day and is in a tie for 5th ?? pic.twitter.com/okOTC06Nzz

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 23, 2019

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the only other Canadian in the field. She shot a 69 to sit in a tie for 24th at 5 under.

Defending champion Lexi Thompson made an early charge, only to be slowed by a pair of bogeys on the back – all her bogeys this week have been on the back nine – that gave her a 70 and put her seven shots behind.

Kim has shown few signs of coming back to the field. She has made only one bogey through 54 holes, and with her strong start it looked as though the 26-year-old Korean might run away from the field.

The back nine changed everything.

Korda appeared to be in trouble on No. 11 when she fanned a shot from the waste area into a bunker. She blasted it out and watched the ball crash into the pin and drop for birdie. She made another at the par-3 12th and took advantage at the end with a 4-hybrid on the green at the par-5 17th for at two-putt birdie.

Kim gave herself plenty of reasonable looks at birdie on the back nine. She couldn’t get any to fall except for a 25-footer on the 15th hole that restored her lead to two shots, but only briefly.

Kim’s second shot into the 17th was well short and to the right into a bunker, and she blasted out to some 30 feet away. She played away from the flag on the 18th and two-putted for par from about 40 feet.

Still, she was in the lead after the third straight day, one step closer to a massive payoff.

The format changed this year from a points-based system in which only the top 12 players had a shot at a $1 million bonus to any of the 60 players who made it to the Tour Championship getting $1.5 million in official money by winning the tournament.

Jin Young Ko, celebrated Thursday night as LPGA player of the year, tried to get back into the game with a 66. She still was six shots behind along with Jessica Korda (69), the older sister of Nelly Korda.

Ko is virtually a lock to win the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average and needs a 65 to become only the second woman to finish with a sub-69 average score for the year.

NAPLES, Fla. – Sei Young Kim wasted two good birdie chances late in the second round Friday when she got a pep talk from an unlikely source.

Cristie Kerr was working as a commentator for Golf Channel, and on the long walk to the 18th tee, she told Kim that a strong finish in the CME Group Tour Championship would make dinner that much better.

“I just said, `Yeah, I’m going to make the birdie.’ Yeah, it come true,” Kim said.

She fired a 6-iron to the perfect spot in the middle of the green and watched it roll toward the back pin until stopping less than 2 feet away. Kim tapped in for a birdie and a 5-under 67, keeping her lead at two shots in the chase for the richest prize in women’s golf.

Kim has made only one bogey over two rounds at Tiburon Golf Club and was at 12-under 132.

Everyone around her had far more excitement, not all of it good.

Caroline Masson of Germany atoned for missing a birdie chance on the par-5 17th by rolling in a 40-foot birdie putt from off the green and through the shadows on the final hole for a 66 that closed the gap to one shot until Kim finished with her birdie.

They will be in the final group on Saturday, moving closer to a shot at the $1.5 million to the winner.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., began her second round with a double bogey on the par-5 opening hole. She finished much better, with five birdies over her final seven holes that put her squarely back into the mix with a 67, leaving her three shots behind.

Henderson has a home not far from Naples and gets a big following, many of them Canadians in Florida for the winter.

“Great crowd, great energy out here,” Henderson said. “I’m excited to be playing the weekend near the top of the leaderboard, so it should be fun.”

Alena Sharp of Hamilton is at 2 under after her second straight 71.

From downtown Smiths Falls ?? pic.twitter.com/dHkfYvgNHR

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 22, 2019

Also three shots back was Nelly Korda, the top American in the women’s world ranking at No. 3, who didn’t finish so well.

Korda provided the biggest challenge to Kim all day, firing darts into the seventh and ninth greens for short birdie putts that gave her a 31 on the front nine and gave her a one-shot lead.

Korda was one shot behind when she missed a birdie putt on the par-3 16th, and then shockingly missed the 2-foot par putt.

“It’s not going to be the last putt I miss,” Korda said. “It’s just how it is.”

Looking to get a shot back on the 17th, Korda instead hit a hard hook off the tee beyond the cart path and through the dirt until it came to rest under a tree.

“May be been a little ticked off,” Korda said with a grin. “I did snipe it left into the trees.”

She had no choice but to pitch back to the fairway and did well to give herself a birdie chance with a shot into about 15 feet, only to miss it. She made par on the final hole for a 68.

Su Oh of Australia had a 67 and was four behind, while the group five back included defending champion Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda, both with 67s.

The format for the season finale changed this year, from only the top 12 in the Race to CME Globe have a chance at the $1 million bonus to all 60 players in the field winning $1.5 million in official money just by winning the tournament.

Friday was critical not to lose much ground.

Jin Young Ko, who received her award Thursday as LPGA player of the year, shot a 69 and remained eight shots behind. Jeongeun Lee6, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, felt a burden lifted and shot 67. She had six birdies, twice as many as the first round.

The burden had nothing to do with the big prize. Lee6 was rookie of the year, and she gave a moving speak in English before a full banquet room and without notes, having rehearsed it for two months. She received the loudest ovation of the night.

“A lot of people this morning were cheering and then they were congratulating me and then they saw that, `Oh, she did really well with the speech,’ and I felt really good about it,” Lee6 said. “And I felt like really good feelings about today, so my shots and my putting were good so far. But I kind of want to try my best I can for the last two rounds.”

Aaron Cockerill only needed to glance at his phone to find proof that he’d qualified for the European Tour.

Cockerill finished seventh overall at the Q-school event in Tarragona, Spain, on Wednesday, finishing 16-under overall at the six round event to earn a partial exemption on the Euro Tour this season. His cell has been ringing constantly since.

“Oh god. My phone hasn’t stopped buzzing for a couple of days,” said Cockerill during a layover on his way home to Stony Mountain, Man., 35 minutes north of Winnipeg. “It was cool to see a lot of people that I’ve run across in the past reach out, message me and all the kind words that everyone’s had to say.

“I just had a seven-hour flight and I’m pretty cheap so I don’t normally buy the Wi-Fi but I bought the Wi-Fi and I was basically going through my phone for seven hours responding to people and going through social media.”

The 27-year-old Cockerill struggled in the first round, firing a 2-over 73 but recovered with a 66-69-67-68-69 line at Lumine Golf Club to finish nine strokes behind winner Benjamin Poke of Denmark in front of a crowd that included his parents.

“My parents had never been over to Europe before and they decided to come over, so that was pretty special to have them there,” said Cockerill. “It’s a hard game, so it was pretty emotional. When I was done it was exciting and a relief.”

Cockerill has spent portions of his professional career on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour and the Challenger Tour. He’s also played in events in China and Australia. He’s excited for the new challenge the European Tour represents.

“The world ranking points, the purses, the schedule, it’s a massive difference. It’s probably the second biggest tour in the world behind the PGA Tour, right?” said Cockerill. “I’m super excited to play. Other than the PGA Tour it’s probably the best tour you can play.”

Cockerill doesn’t yet know what tournaments he’ll play on for the entire season since he has a limited exemption as a Q-school qualifier.

However, he does know that he’ll be playing in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa next Thursday, then compete in the AFRASIA BANK Mauritius Open on Dec. 5 before heading Down Under for the Australian PGA Championship in Gold Coast on Dec. 19 before returning to Manitoba for Christmas.

Just days into the new chapter of his career, Cockerill’s still processing what it means to be on the European Tour.

“I’ve thought about it a little bit, but I’m also trying to figure out so many things right now in terms of schedule and flights for the next one that I haven’t had too much time to think about it,” said Cockerill. “It’s exciting to be playing in these bigger events. Some of the guys I know who got through last year turned it into a lot more, like full cards for the next year and better schedules. It’s just really exciting.”

In a comfortable floral jumpsuit and with her parents in the audience, Brooke Henderson added another award to her ever-growing trophy case.

The 22-year-old won the 2019 Founders Award at the Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony Thursday night in Naples, Fla. during the week of the CME Group Tour Championship.

The Founders Award is newly named for 2019. Formerly called the William & Mousie Powell Award, it was renamed for this year to celebrate the 13 founders of the LPGA.

Henderson told golfcanada.ca that the win was extra special since the winner of the award comes from a vote by fellow golfers on the LPGA Tour. It’s annually given to, in the opinion of her peers, someone “whose behaviour and deeds best exemplifies the spirit, ideals, and values of the LPGA.”

The nine-time LPGA Tour winner said she first found out at an LPGA Tour Players’ Meeting earlier in the year that she was one of the nominees, and said to know people were voting for her was ‘pretty crazy.’

“It means a lot,” Henderson said. “I spend so much time with these girls that it’s really a great honour to be given the Founders Award.

“To be considered in the same sentence as (the founders)… their passion and perseverance and what they did this Tour was amazing. This is really cool for me.”

Henderson has made a habit of capturing awards-by-votes in 2019.

Earlier in the year she became the first Canadian golfer to win an ESPY award (she won for ‘Best Female Golfer’) and in October she won the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame People’s Choice Award – a new award designed to recognize ‘future Hall of Famers who are a champion of their sport and a champion for their community.’

“This year has been really crazy for the awards. I didn’t expect any of them,” Henderson said, flashing her recognizable smile. “To get them is just amazing. I’m honoured, humbled… and it’s just an amazing feeling.”

 

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A champion both on and off the #golf course ???⁣ ⁣ @BrookeHendersonGolf was named the 2019 recipient of the Founders Award, given to the player “whose behaviour and deeds best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the #LPGA” #DriveOn

A post shared by CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) on Nov 21, 2019 at 5:48pm PST

Henderson, who sat at a table with Lexi Thompson and executives from Rolex at the awards dinner, has won twice in 2019. Her victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic was the ninth in her young career. Win no. 9 gave her more than any other Canadian in the history of the LPGA or PGA Tour.

“This award that Brooke got is maybe one of the most special ones because it’s voted on by her peers and we’re so impressed and thrilled for Brooke to be recognized. We know how special she is,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “For all of her peers on the LPGA Tour to give her this award is phenomenal. It’s great for herself and her family and for all of Canadian golf.”

The native of Smiths Falls, Ont. has become a driving force for young golfers across the country – but even this week in Florida there are plenty of girls dressing with a visor and ponytail like Henderson walking outside the ropes – and she said being able to play in front of Canadians no matter where she goes makes her even more grateful for the support.

Henderson said she’s recognized her role and is happy to have an opportunity to be an inspiration both on the golf course with her record-breaking play, and off the course as well, as someone people can look up to.

“I’m always trying to become a better golfer, but I’m always trying to become a better person every day, too,” said Henderson. “When you work hard and are focused on achieving some goals, good things happen. This year is definitely proof of that.”

2019 CP Women’s Open winner Jin Young Ko was the night’s big winner, as she took home the Rolex Annika Major Award, and Rolex Player of the Year. With just three rounds left in the LPGA Tour season, she has nearly wrapped up the Vare Trophy (for lowest scoring average) as well.

Henderson sits T5 after the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship.