Alena Sharp pays tribute to Humboldt Broncos throughout CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Throughout the entire week at the CP Women’s Open, Alena Sharp would write the number 16 on her golf balls.
It was one the Hamilton native’s ways of paying tribute to the 16 people that died in the April 6 bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team.
Sharp said earlier in the event that she felt as though she had 16 angels watching over her at the Wascana Country Club.
“I totally was thinking about them all day. Even on the last putt,” Sharp said after her final round on Sunday. “I wrote 16 on my ball just to give me a reminder of it.”
Thirteen people survived the crash that happened as the Broncos were on their way to a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game.
Sharp played this year’s Canadian championship with a golf bag that featured the Broncos’s green and yellow colours and team logo. The bag is being given to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and will be auctioned off at a fundraiser next month.
Sponsor obligations along with trying to learn the course prevented Sharp from making the trip to Humboldt, which is located 2 1/2 hours north of Regina. The busyness of the tournament also didn’t allow her to meet any of the survivors.
“I haven’t met them, but they’re always in my thoughts,” Sharp said.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., has captured the Canadian headlines during the tournament, but Sharp shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday to finish the event at 6 under. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (73) of Quebec City was 4 under.
As Sharp was walking on the cart path to the sixth hole on Sunday, she saw Henderson putting on the practice green and ran over to give her friend and Olympic teammate a hug before Henderson started her round.
Sharp said that she was excited for Henderson, who is aiming to become the first Canadian champion of the event since Jocelyne Bourassa won in Montreal in 1973.
“Hopefully she can stay strong in the last little bit, the last few holes and bring the win in,” Sharp said.
Sharp has struggled with consistency this season and said that it’s been a mentally tough year for her. She said that it’s always tougher to play at home but felt as though she has taken a step in the right direction with this week’s play.
“I’m just battling through some mental demons,” Sharp said. “I’m happy walking off of this week, I played well under the pressure and have a lot of positives to take to next week.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson shoots 65 to win CP Women’s Open by four strokes
REGINA – Brooke Henderson ended Canada’s long drought at the CP Women’s Open on Sunday, firing a final-round 7-under-par 65 to win the national championship by four strokes.
Henderson finished with a 21-under 267 total, sealing the win with a short birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Wascana Country Club.
“It’s amazing, just surreal,” Henderson said. “The crowds here have been so amazing all week, and to finish it off the way I did is really a dream come true.”
American Angel Yin was alone in second place after a 68 and American Jennifer Song (67) was six shots behind at 15 under. Australians Minjee Lee (68) and Su Oh (69) were seven strokes off the pace in a fourth-place tie with South Korea’s Amy Yang (68) and American Austin Ernst (69).
It was the first time a Canadian has won this tournament since Jocelyne Bourassa took the 1973 event – then called La Canadienne – at Montreal.
Henderson earned US$337,500 of the $2.25-million purse for her second victory of the season. It was her seventh career LPGA Tour win, moving her one behind Sandra Post’s record for all-time victories by a Canadian.
Henderson, who started the day with a one-shot lead, was aggressive from the start on an overcast, chilly morning in front of a vocal group of adoring supporters.
Displaying a steely focus and no sign of nerves, she found the fairway with her opening drive and cleared a greenside bunker with her second shot, sticking the ball 12 feet from the pin.
Henderson is one of the biggest hitters on the Tour but her short game can be inconsistent at times. The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., set the early tone by sinking the birdie putt for a two-shot lead.
She gave the stroke back on the second hole after her drive found the rough. A line of fairway-hugging trees forced her to chip out on the fairway and Henderson would settle for bogey.
Back-to-back pars followed, allowing Oh to briefly pull even with the Canadian. However, Oh missed a 10-foot par putt on the fifth hole and Henderson drained a 25-footer for birdie to regain the lead.
Canada’s @BrookeHenderson wins the 2018 #CPWO, becoming the first Canadian to win since 1973 https://t.co/rtdHhQ7ueb
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 26, 2018
After a birdie-bogey run, Henderson showed her form on the par-3, 206-yard eighth hole. With a challenging pin placement, she elevated her tee shot perfectly to clear a greenside ridge and bunker to leave herself an 18-foot putt.
She hit the birdie to move to 16-under for a three-shot cushion on Oh and defending champion Sung Hyun Park of South Korea.
Henderson was playing to win and not to just hang on.
A steady rain started to fall as the last few groups made the turn. Some of the Tour’s biggest names were chasing Henderson but no one could get hot enough on the back nine to get close.
Yin hovered a few shots back but Henderson wouldn’t budge.
“It’s great for golf in Canada, women’s golf, and it’s great for her too,” Yin said. “I mean, people shouting her name left to right since the first hole, like (since) nine in the morning. I bet you she feels pressure.
“But she’s used to it and she handles it pretty well, and she finished the job.”
The Canadian was making almost every shot look easy. The greens softened up a touch and Henderson was going for the pins. Approach shots were usually in tight and the putter was working.
Yin rolled in her third straight birdie on No. 15, and Henderson answered by knocking in her fourth birdie putt in a row to keep her three-shot lead.
She maintained that cushion through the 17th hole, allowing her to fully enjoy the moment on No. 18 as the packed gallery roared during her walk up the fairway.
After a beautiful drive, Henderson’s approach shot from 69 yards out cozied up to the hole. She tapped in the short putt and the celebration was on.
Henderson raised her arms in the air and hugged her sister Brittany, who was on her bag all week. Their ecstatic father, Dave, ran on to the green and doused them in champagne.
Park (71), who finished at 13 under, will retain her No. 1 position in the world rankings. She was tied with three-time CP Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko (69) and several others.
American Mo Martin was another shot back at 12 under after firing a course-record 62.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was at 6 under, two shots ahead of Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (73).
The 2019 CP Women’s Open will be held at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson leads after three rounds of CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Canada’s Brooke Henderson feels most comfortable with her game when she’s on top of the leaderboard.
A solid third round has left her in that very position as she prepares to take a run at history at the CP Women’s Open.
Henderson moved into the lead Saturday with a 2-under-par 70, leaving her at 14-under 202 and one shot ahead of Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (69) and American Angel Yin (71).
“It’s a lot more fun (on top) and I feel like I can kind of go off the crowd a little bit more,” Henderson said. “It’s just really exciting and I feel like when I have a lot of confidence in my game, that’s when I tend to make a lot of birdies and I tend to play really well.”
After back-to-back scores of 66, Henderson had to deal with windier conditions at the Wascana Country Club.
Her length off the tee was impressive but her short game was inconsistent at times. Henderson did manage to hit some big putts when she needed to and spent most of the afternoon alone in first place.
On Sunday, she’ll try to become the first Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa to win this tournament. Bourassa was victorious in 1973 in Montreal.
Yin missed an eight-foot birdie putt on her final hole that would have given her a share of the lead. Defending champion and world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park of South Korea (70) was two shots back.
Australia’s Su Oh (69) and American Austin Ernst (70) were three strokes off the lead.
The 6,675-yard course sets up well for Henderson’s style. She’s one of the LPGA Tour’s longest hitters and is not afraid to go for it.
If Henderson can attack the par-5 holes and stay consistent on the greens, she’s got a great shot of winning the event.
“I definitely do play better when I’m aggressive,” she said. “I play smart but aggressive and when I’m kind of chasing birdies, I feel like that’s kind of where I’m playing my best. But it just kind of depends on the conditions.”
Play will begin earlier than usual in an attempt to avoid the wet weather that’s expected to arrive by lunch hour. The fourth round will start at 7 a.m. local time and the last group will tee off at 9:01 a.m.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., started the day one shot behind second-round leader Amy Yang, but the South Korean bogeyed her first two holes to give the Canadian the outright lead.
They were joined in a group with Yin, who hovered near the top of the leaderboard for most of the day.
With a vocal group of supporters cheering her at every turn, Henderson opened with four straight pars before a drive on the par-4 fifth hole found the rough and led to a bogey. She responded by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on the sixth.
She was aggressive after the turn with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. Henderson nearly eagled the 14th hole, but her chip from the rough hit the back of the cup and bounced out for a tap-in birdie.
She ran into some trouble on the 16th hole but recovered nicely. Henderson pulled her drive and her second shot landed in the rough beside a greenside bunker.
Standing in the sand, she flopped a wedge that came up short but she hit a 20-footer to save par.
“To be able to get up and down when I kind of ran into a little bit of trouble there on 16 I think was really key and just (helped me) keep my composure a little bit,” Henderson said.
Henderson and Yin both struggled on the 17th green. Yin had an eagle putt but settled for par while Henderson missed a four-foot par putt.
Yang, meanwhile, struggled to a 75. She was in a five-way tie for seventh place at 10-under 206.
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (70) and Anne-Catherine Tanguay (70) of Quebec City were nine shots off the lead.
Henderson, 20, has one victory this season and six wins over her LPGA Tour career. Her best career finish at this event came last year in Ottawa when she tied for 12th.
“She’s gritty and determined and aggressive,” Sharp said. “I think that is a huge thing to have out here, especially with the wind.”
The winner of the US$2.25-million tournament will earn $337,500. The runner-up will pocket $209,358.
Hadwin sits T7; DeChambeau builds 4 shot lead at Northern Trust
PARAMUS, N.J. — Bryson DeChambeau kept pouring in birdies as everyone around him went the other direction Saturday in The Northern Trust.
DeChambeau finished with two birdies, making an 18-foot putt on the last hole to cap off his 8-under 63 that gave him a four-shot lead over Keegan Bradley. Along with seizing control of the opening FedEx Cup playoff event, DeChambeau might make it tough for Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk to ignore him.
He narrowly missed earning one of the eight automatics spots on the U.S. team. Furyk makes three of his picks a week from Tuesday.
DeChambeau made nine birdies, four in a five-hole stretch to start pulling away.
What made him stand out, even more than his tam o’shanter cap and single-length shafts, was all the stars around him were in reverse. Of the final 10 players to tee off, DeChambeau and Adam Scott were the only ones to break par. Scott had to birdie three of his last four holes for a 70.
Brooks Koepka, who shared the 36-hole lead with Jamie Lovemark, had a 13-hole stretch in the middle of his round with three bogeys and 10 pars. He shot 72 and fell seven shots behind to enter into a tie for seventh with Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., amongst others.
Dustin Johnson, who started the day tied with DeChambeau, added a double bogey to a week that already included two triple bogeys. Johnson birdied his last hole for a 72 to fall nine shots back.
Scott was one shot behind when he made two bogeys, then chopped up the par-3 11th for a double bogey.
“I really switched off there for five holes and made a mess of things around the turn,” Scott said. “Might have shot myself out of the tournament. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow, but it’s going to be costly and make life difficult for me to win this thing now.”
Bradley finished his round about an hour after the leaders teed off, making five birdies over his last seven holes for a 62. He was leading at the time and figured he would be at least a few shots behind when the third round ended.
He might not have expected DeChambeau to be the one he was chasing.
“Just looking at who is at the top of the leaderboard, when I got to 10, I was like any birdie from here on out is really going to be big going into tomorrow,” Bradley said.
Tony Finau (66) and Cameron Smith of Australian (65) were five shots behind, with Billy Horschel (65) and Scott another shot back. Jordan Spieth finally got his putter going and shot a 64, leaving him seven shots behind but in a tie for seventh, boosting his bid to return to the Tour Championship.
Spieth, who hasn’t won this year, started the playoffs at No. 43. The top 30 after three playoff events go to East Lake for a shot at the $10 million prize. For players like Bradley and Horschel, making it to East Lake means getting into three of the majors and two World Golf Championships.
And for DeChambeau, it’s simply the process of winning.
“I’ve got a four-shot lead, and never really been in this spot before,” DeChambeau said. “But I’m excited because this is a new challenge for me, and I always like challenges.”
Tiger Woods had his first bogey-free round of the year, but managed only three birdies for a 68. He was 13 shots behind. In scoring conditions, Woods has seven birdies in 54 holes. DeChambeau made that many in 12 holes Saturday.
“That’s not going to get it done,” Woods said. “As soft as it is, these guys are making a boat load of birdies. And I just haven’t made any.”
DeChambeau’s big run began from the rough on No. 8, one of the par 5s converted into a par 4 for the tournament. He carved a 5-iron onto the green to about 8 feet, made a short birdie on the next hole, hit 8-iron to 10 feet on the par-3 11th and then chopped out of the rough to below the short par-4 12th to a few inches for birdie.
“I was so focused on my game today that I didn’t even worry about anything else,” DeChambeau said. “And so you just get in the zone every once in a while and block everything out and I really didn’t notice anybody else, actually. It’s a great feeling to have and I hope to bring it tomorrow.”
The top 100 in the FedEx Cup after Sunday advanced to the second playoff event at the TPC Boston. Among those on the bubble is Sean O’Hair, who is No. 121 and played with DeChambeau. O’Hair had a 72 to fall 10 shots behind, leaving him right on the bubble.
Final round of 2018 CP Women’s Open to be broadcast on TSN
REGINA (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada in partnership with title sponsor CP, the LPGA Tour and broadcast partner Golf Channel, are pleased to announce that Bell Media’s TSN will broadcast the final round of the 2018 CP Women’s Open at the Wascana Country Club on Sunday, August 26 live to Canadian audiences from coast to coast.
With possible inclement weather forecasted for Sunday in Regina and final round play adjusted to begin earlier, Golf Channel, the exclusive television rights holders for the 2018 CP Women’s Open, agreed to extend the Canadian broadcast television rights to TSN to bring live coverage of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship directly to Canadian households.
Canadian Brooke Henderson, currently the 54-hole leader, looks to become the first Canadian golfer since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973 to win Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship.
The final round of the CP Women’s Open will be broadcast live on TSN1 and TSN3 from 1-4pm ET (11am to 2pm CT), and on TSN.ca and the TSN App for TSN and TSN Direct subscribers.
“Together with CP and the LPGA Tour, Golf Canada is so proud to work with our great partners at Golf Channel to ensure Canadians can experience this incredible moment in Canadian golf history,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “We are also extremely thankful to Bell Media and TSN for coming together with Golf Channel to deliver Sunday’s final round live so that Canadians from coast to coast can experience the incredible finish to the CP Women’s Open.”
Golf Channel will broadcast the final round of the CP Women’s Open tape-delayed from 2-5pm CT and will also live-stream to US audiences on www.golfchannel.com.
With the forecast of rain and possible afternoon thunderstorms, the final round of the CP Women’s Open will start earlier than previously scheduled off the 1st and 10th tee beginning at 7:00 am CT in groups of three.
The final group of Canadian Brooke Henderson playing alongside Nasa Hataoka and Angel Yin will tee off at 9:01 am CT.
Corey Conners four strokes behind lead T12
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Corey Conners is playing in the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship this weekend in hopes of grabbing his PGA Tour Card and it seems to be in reach. After recording another round in the 60s on Friday Conners heads into the weekend with a share of 12th at 5-under. The Listowel, Ont. native looks to finish strong this weekend to inch closer to securing his spot on the PGA Tour next year.
It was a windy Friday in Columbus, but not even the wind gusts could stop former PGA TOUR winner Robert Streb from making a statement in the Buckeye State, posting a second-round 3-under 68 to move to 9-under 133 heading into the weekend.
2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year Kramer Hickok sits one back of Streb, followed by a host of players tied at 7-under 135.
“(It feels) a little different,” Streb said of holding the 36-hole lead. “I haven’t done too much of it this year, but it’s nice to be playing well, putting well. Hopefully, I can keep getting some chances this weekend and see how we do.”
Streb, who entered Friday one stroke back of the lead, ran into trouble early at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course. After picking up a bogey on his opening hole Thursday, Streb ran into the same fate on Friday, carding a five on the par-4 10th (his first hole of the day).
“I hit it way left,” he said when asked what led to the error. “I got a pretty good break and just basically guessed poorly on the green firmness. I got through the green (on my approach shot), had a tough chip, and then hit a good one.”
The mistake ended up being the only one of the day for the Kansas State University alum, who kept his scorecard clean for the remainder of the round. Birdies on Nos. 12 and 18 allowed Streb to make the turn at 1-under 34 and join a collection of players who had become bunched atop the leaderboard.
After making par on the first three holes of his second nine, the father-of-three needed something big to build momentum and break away from the rest of the pack.
“That was nice,” Streb remarked after the round. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to cover the bunker or not. It covered, I had a pretty good number, and luckily, it landed soft on the green and I had a good putt at it.”
The 2012 Mylan Classic champion would go on to par his remaining five holes, ending the day with a 68.
After finishing at No. 178 in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Standings this year, Streb looks to return to the PGA TOUR with a win this week and make up for a 2017-18 season that was full of struggles. The Oklahoma native made just 10 of 29 cuts, picking up a lone top-10 finish at the Barbasol Championship (T10), where he held a share of the 54-hole lead.
Unlike Streb, Hickok’s status for next season has already been determined.
After notching four top-10s, including a runner-up, in his rookie season, the 26-year-old ended the Regular Season at No. 23, earning his first PGA TOUR card at the conclusion of last week’s WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz.
“I feel like I’m really just freewheeling it out here this week,” Hickok commented after the first round. “I feel like there are a lot of guys that have a lot more pressure than I do, whether they’re trying to (regain) their PGA TOUR card or they’re trying to get to the PGA TOUR for the first time. So my mentality is just way different. I’m really relaxed and just got nothing to lose, so I’m just out there playing the best golf I can.”
That sense of freedom allowed Hickok to continue his strong play into Friday, picking up five birdies alongside two bogeys to finish the day at 3-under 68, moving to 8-under 134 for the tournament.
“It’s tough out there,” Hickok remarked. “You’ve got to be really patient. I hit the driver really well today, which allowed me to put myself in position to score, but even then you can still make a quick bogey.
“The whole game plan is just to limit the mistakes, and I feel if you limit the bogeys, you’ll be able to shoot some low rounds out here. It’s not about making birdies; it’s not a birdie fest, so just limit the mistakes as much as you can and it seems to be helping so far.”
Adam Hadwin sits T11 heading into weekend
PARAMUS, N.J. – Canadian Adam Hadwin had a great round recording a 65, six strokes better than his 71 on Thursday. He sits tied in 11th after carding four back-to-back birdies on his front nine on Friday at The Northern Trust.
Brooks Koepka showed some muscle and unleashed a monstrous finish Friday to share the lead.
Tiger Woods missed yet another putt and was relieved to still be playing.
Koepka spent most of the second round trading birdies and bogeys, going nowhere. One swing changed everything on the 631-yard 13th hole at Ridgewood Country Club. From just under 310 yards, he swung 3-wood as hard as he could and saw the tight draw that had been missing all day. It stopped 20 feet from the hole, Koepka made it for eagle and then closed with three straight birdies for a 6-under 65.
He tied Jamie Lovemark, who shot a 66.
“I wasn’t happy the first 11 holes the way I hit it,” Koepka said. “When I hit that 3-wood, it all clicked. I felt like I was finally able to release the golf club. Just tried to hit as hard as I could, big draw. Aimed at the tree on the right and tried to draw it back to the flag. When I did that, everything started to click.”
The U.S. Open and PGA champion took it from there.
Lovemark, winless in 135 starts as a pro, made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and was the first to reach 10-under 132.
Before long, a list of contenders lined up behind them in an entertaining start to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Adam Scott, building on his confidence from playing in the final group at the PGA Championship, had a 64 for the low round of the tournament and was one shot behind. Another shot back was Dustin Johnson, the world No. 1, who had another 67 that for the second straight day featured a triple bogey on his card. At least he got this one out of the way early, taking five shots from a mangled lie in deep rough behind the first green.
“That was not a fun start,” Johnson said. “There was nothing to do but laugh at that point.”
Bryson DeChambeau had a 66 and joined Johnson at 134. The group at 7-under 135 included Sean O’Hair, who is No. 112 in the FedEx Cup and needs to get to No. 70 by the third playoff event at the BMW Championship being played this year at Aronimink, his home club outside Philadelphia. He already is planning to play the member-guest a few weeks later, but O’Hair would love to play Aronimink for a $9 million purse.
Woods was not part of the action, even though he hit the ball beautifully. Woods had a birdie putt on every hole until the par-3 15th, when his tee shot rolled just off the green against the collar. All he had to show for it was two birdies, giving him four birdies in 36 holes.
He finished with a three-putt bogey from just inside 30 feet, giving him another 71. He made the cut on the number, leaving him 10 shots behind.
“The name of the game is you’ve got to make putts, and you’ve got to roll it,” Woods said. “No matter how good your drive, you’ve still got to roll them and still got to make putts, and I didn’t putt very well today. I had a hard time seeing my lines, and consequently didn’t make anything.”
Jordan Spieth made putts to get off to a good start, only to give it all back with a triple bogey on his 10th hole of the round at No. 18. Worse than pulling his tee shots into the trees, worse than the penalty shot, was Spieth sweeping in a 10-inch putt for double bogey only to stub the putter and move the ball only a few inches.
Scott continues to keep two putters in the bag, long and short. The idea is to use the short putter for the medium-length putts that have been a struggle for him. At the PGA Championship and at Ridgewood, however, he has found a good stroke with the long putter and felt no need to change.
The biggest difference is confidence. He is starting to recognize the player who reached No. 1 in the world a few years ago, and only a month ago was getting closer to falling out of the top 100. The third-place finish at Bellerive at least put him back in the top 50, but did a world of good between the ears.
“It’s just been very hard to find that consistency for me this year, and I’ve been chipping away at it the last couple months and it all came good at the PGA,” Scott said. “And teeing off this week, I felt the most confident of any tournament this year. I just couldn’t wait to get up here, really.”
Koepka knows all about confidence with two major trophies sitting at home in Florida. The knock has been that he hasn’t won enough regular PGA Tour events, so he wanted to treat the FedEx Cup playoffs like majors in how he prepared, even down to renting a house and bringing his own chef, trainer and regular crew.
Five shots out of the lead, he tugged a tee shot into the left bunker on the reachable par-4 12th, and hit a clean sand shot to 3 feet for birdie. Then came a big drive on the 13th, and a 3-wood that carried him to his big finish.
Kevin Tway was the only other play to reach the 13th green in two. He shot 69 and was part of the group at 7-under 135.
“Sometimes it doesn’t always go as perfectly planned as you’d like, and then you make one good golf swing, and all of a sudden you’ve got that feeling, you’ve got that rhythm and then you can build off that,” Koepka said. “And that’s kind of what happened today.”
Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane makes record tying 28th appearance at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – It’s a walk that never gets old for Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane.
She received a warm ovation as she strolled up the 18th fairway Friday after making a record-tying 28th appearance at the CP Women’s Open.
“I’m sure there will come a time where I may decide that might be the last,” Kane said. “As for right now, I don’t see that in my near future. At least I hope.”
The 53-year-old from Charlottetown struggled in both rounds at the Wascana Country Club. She missed the cut after shooting a 77 on Friday, a day after opening the tournament with an 83.
Brooke Henderson was the low Canadian as the last few groups finished second-round play. She shot a second straight 66 for a 12-under-par 132 total, one shot behind clubhouse leader Amy Yang of South Korea.
A total of 16 Canadians entered the tournament but most will miss the cut.
Anne-Catharine Tanguay of Quebec City (71) was a good bet for weekend play at 3-under 141, one stroke better than the projected cut line.
Bubble players included Alena Sharp of Hamilton, amateur Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que. They were all on the windswept course in the late afternoon.
Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., (73) and Victoria amateur Naomi Ko (79) finished at 3-over-par 147, one stroke ahead of Vancouver amateur Tiffany Kong (72). Saskatoon’s Anna Young (75) was at 153 and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha (79) was at 154.
Saskatoon’s Anna Young, Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon were all well back with late tee times.
Kane plays the occasional event on the LPGA Tour and also keeps busy with appearances on the Legends Tour. Quick with a smile and always keen to sign autographs and chat with fans, she remains as popular as ever.
Like Henderson, Kane’s picture is featured on promotional banners around the course and she has become an ambassador for the game throughout the country.
Kane took part in a charity clinic this week and was also a featured speaker at a women’s leadership panel. She believes in a ‘Lift and Climb’ philosophy so that others can benefit.
“For me that means as I’m climbing, I want to bring somebody with me because I was lifted,” Kane said. “I was lifted high and I’m just trying to return the favour.”
Longtime golf analyst Bob Weeks of TSN said Kane is very passionate about her work on and off the course.
“It’s a feel-good story of someone who has gained a lot from golf but has probably given back 10 times more in terms of Canadian golf and where she’s taken it.”
Kane has been the low Canadian at this tournament on nine occasions – eight outright and one tie – with her best result coming in 2001 with a third-place tie.
After hitting the 18th green with her approach shot on Friday, Kane acknowledged the supporters by taking off her red visor and waving at the crowd.
“I’ve never spent too much time looking back,” Kane said of her long career. “I hope to just be able to continue to look forward. But there is nothing like that walk up 18.”
The four-time LPGA Tour winner shares the tournament’s all-time appearance record with JoAnne Carner. The mark will likely be broken next year at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
In fact, chances are good that Kane will receive an exemption to participate for as long as she wants to continue to playing at the event.
American Joseph Deraney rallies to win Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
VICTORIA, B.C. – Victoria Golf Club continued to test some of the best mid-amateur golfers for the fourth consecutive day, but nothing could stop Joseph Deraney as he rose to the challenge and shot a spectacular 65 to capture the 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title on Friday.
Starting his day in sixth position, Deraney got off to a hard and fast start with back-to-back birdies on his first two holes. From there the 35-year-old never looked back, answering a solo bogey with four more birdies to win the championship by a 3-stroke margin at 4-under-par 276.
“I’m really excited, I played really flawless, good shot after good shot,” said Deraney. “Earlier in the round I had a couple of 15 footers go in, which honestly I haven’t had all week so I got some momentum going.”
With his victory, the Lexington, Ky., native becomes only the second American to win the tournament. Previously, Deraney’s best finish at the tournament was T4 in 2016. This year’s win secures him an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, his first PGA Tour event, to be held at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Deraney may be on top of the world with wins at this tournament alongside victories at the Timuquana Cup and Carlton Woods Invitational earlier this year, but there was one thing more that made the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur a highlight.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to win some national mid-ams in the US, not any of the USGA ones but some of the national bigger ones,” said the dad of three. “Probably this venue and where it’s at and the fact that me and my wife got to spend some time together, I would have to say that it would be at the top if not the top.”
Two-time Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Kevin Carrigan finished the event in second. The Victoria, B.C., native struggled with three bogeys across his first nine holes but recovered on the back-nine under the eyes of a hometown crowd by recording two birdies to finish at 1-under-par 279.
Another home crowd favourite and host club member, Saare Adams, started the day in the lead but fell back after he shot a final-round 73. The 34-year-old finished sharing a piece of third with 36-hole leader Garrett Rank.
Rank started the day in a tie for second after a difficult third round. He started off well with a birdie on the first hole and was tied for the lead at one point during the day. However, the 30-year-old couldn’t find his footing and dropped to fifth until back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes saw him finish in a tie for third at an even-par 280.
The Mid-Master division came down to the wire as Sandy Harper and defending champion Todd Fanning spent the day paired up in a battle for the win. The duo made the turn with Harper leading by two, but the 61-year-old spent the back-nine switching between leading and sharing the lead with Fanning. After parring their final hole, the two were sent to playoff action to determine the winner.
It was an all too familiar situation for Fanning, who won the Mid-Amateur title in a three-man playoff last year.
“The playoff is the thing for me at this tournament,” said the 50-year-old. “I wish I was in the playoff for the Mid-Am but Joe played fantastic so hats off to him.”
Fanning came out on top as his bunker shot rolled into the hole for an eagle over Harper’s birdie to take home his second consecutive Mid-Master title while Harper settled for second.
“What a great week by all the people and the members of Victoria Golf Club. I can’t think of a better venue for the mid-amateur and it’s going to be tough to top this,” added Fanning. “At 50 years old, even when you’re the best 40-and-over amateur in Canada two years in a row that does feel quite good.”
Victoria’s own Craig Doell finished one shot behind them in third at 5-over-par 285.
On Wednesday, Team Ontario defended their inter-provincial title, securing the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fourth straight year to bring their total titles to 14.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson moves one shot off clubhouse lead at CP Women’s Open
REGINA – Sung Hyun Park emerged from the scorer’s tent after a masterful round of 64 at the CP Women’s Open to a swarm of golf fans.
Few seemed to notice the defending champion and world’s best women’s golfer as she strolled undisturbed down the path, fresh from tying a course record at the Wascana Country Club.
This crowd had only one person on its mind. Canadian star Brooke Henderson is the star of this show, especially after a second straight 66 left her just one stroke behind clubhouse leader Amy Yang of South Korea.
“Brooke is almost like Canada’s Tiger Woods,” said Park, who played with Henderson and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist. “I was really surprised at how many fans came out to support Brooke today. To witness that was pretty awesome.”
Dozens of fans – many clad in red and white and waving small Canadian flags – let out a roar when Henderson chipped in on her opening hole and they were just as vocal when she capped her round with another birdie.
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., was at 12-under-par 132 and right in the mix for what could be a very exciting weekend.
“I hit the ball in good spots and made birdie putts when I had them,” Henderson said. “I feel like I made the most of today’s round, which is always a great feeling.
“To be close to the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend is awesome, especially when you’re here in Canada.”
Henderson has managed to score in different ways over the first two rounds. She took advantage of her impressive length on Thursday and had her short game working when the wind picked up Friday.
Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s second-round 66 at the #CPWO pic.twitter.com/8oB7WVXWwG
— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 24, 2018
Yang shot a 65 to move into top spot at 13-under-par 131. American Angel Yin (67) joined Henderson in second place with several groups still on the course.
“I was hitting it pretty solid out there,” Yang said. “But I gave myself a lot of good chances and I think I made most of them out there.”
Park, from South Korea, was three shots off the lead after her 64, a score that three players attained a day earlier. She was joined at 10 under by first-round co-leader Nasa Hataoka of Japan (70) and Maria Torres of Puerto Rico (66).
Starting on the par-4 10th hole, Henderson had four birdies over her first six holes before missing a three-foot putt on the 16th for a bogey.
She started to spray the ball a little bit after that miscue, but the six-time winner on the LPGA Tour had some luck on her side too.
Her drive sailed well right on the 18th hole, hitting a grandstand post on a bounce before settling in the rough. Henderson found the green with her next shot and two-putted for par.
Five pars followed after the turn before Henderson found a late groove. She hit a tricky four-foot downhill putt on the sixth hole and drained a 22-footer from the fringe for another birdie on the seventh.
“Definitely have a lot of confidence in (my putter) this week, which is always amazing when you can depend on that club,” she said. “But I think overall, everything is kind of going really well.”
The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., closed her round by going up-and-down from the side of the ninth green for birdie to the delight of the partisan gallery.
Americans Mariah Stackhouse (69) and Austin Ernst (69) were at 9-under-par 135, one shot ahead of Nordqvist (66) and several others.
It was hot and sunny again on the 6,675-yard course and the wind really started howling later in the day. First-round co-leaders Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe had late tee times.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City (71), one of 16 Canadians in the field, was a good bet to make the cut at 3-under 141. The early projected cut line was 2 under.
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event.