EDMONTON — Miyu Yamashita’s first trip to Canada was a successful one.

The 25-year-old from Japan won the CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton on Sunday.

Yamashita claimed her fourth LPGA Tour victory and second this year with a dominating performance at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

She shot a 4-under-par 66 in Sunday’s fourth round to finish 23 under in the US$2.75-million tournament.

Leading by six strokes after three rounds, Yamashita won by nine over her countrywoman and runner-up Yuri Yoshida at 14 under.

“I’m really happy to win in Canada,” Yamashita said through an interpreter. “A lot of people came out to support me and I was able to enjoy playing today and then throughout the week.”

The four-foot-11 Yamashita took the Meijer LPGA Classic in June in Michigan after winning the Women’s British Open and Maybank Championship in 2025 to earn rookie of the year.

Yamashita became the fastest Japanese player to reach four LPGA wins and her four-day score of 257 in Edmonton tied the lowest all time on the LPGA Tour.

Vancouver’s Anna Huang posted a 5-under 65 to finish at 12-under par as the top Canadian in a tie for fourth.

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng finished with a 69 to get to 11 under and tied for seventh. She was the low amateur in the tournament for a second straight year.

Two-time winner Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., turned in an even par 70 in the final round to finish at 7 under in a tie for 13th.

“It’s amazing to see so many Maple Leafs at the top of the leaderboard,” Henderson said. “It’s really cool to see that and to be a part of it, and I feel like the future is really bright for the next few years.”

The 17-year-old Huang claimed her fourth European Tour win in 11 months in early August, and became the youngest to win four. She made the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open after two previous tries.

“It just means so much to me to be back home, play in front of home crowds,” Huang said. “I had a lot of fun this week and I gained a lot of valuable experience.

“To make a cut at any LPGA event is really special and then to play so well as I did this week at the Canadian Open is just really, really awesome. I’m really happy that I played well in front of the best in the world and hopefully I can continue doing that.”

Top-10 results for Huang and Deng give both entry into the LPGA’s FM Championship starting Thursday at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.

“The most important thing is that simple golf is the best golf,” Huang said. “Even if you think you’re playing some really boring golf, it’s always a good day just because you’re hitting fairways and greens.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States shot 69 on Sunday to finish 1 under for the tourney.

Yamashita set an early cracking pace in the tournament that neither Henderson nor the rest of the field could match.

The 28-year-old Henderson, who owns 14 tour wins, hit into the unforgiving rough a few too many times and needed more birdie putts to fall for her over the four days to mount a challenge.

“It was a great week overall,” Henderson said. “I’ll hang on to the top 15, so hopefully that’ll be the case and move onto next week.

“I hit the ball really well this week. I feel like I didn’t get everything out of it that maybe I should have. But that’s really exciting going forward knowing that my ball striking is in a good spot and in four days I get to try again and tee it up again in Boston and hopefully make some putts and go low there.”

Michelle Xing, an 18-year-old amateur from Richmond Hill, Ont., was 6 under after her front nine Sunday and went 3 under in the tournament.

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and 16-year-old amateur Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., both finished 3-over par. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 4 over.

The 2027 CPKC Women’s Open will be at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.

CALGARY – Steve Alker of New Zealand beat South Korea’s Y.E. Yang in a one-hole playoff Sunday to win the Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.

Yang carded a final round of 7-under 63 to take the clubhouse lead before Alker shot 65 to tie him for the 54-hole lead at 16 under.

The pair then went back to the 18th tee for the playoff. After Yang finished with a bogey on the par-5 finishing hole, Alker rolled in a seven-foot putt for birdie to win his second PGA Tour Champions event of the season and the 12th of his career.

Earlier, Alker had a chance to win the tournament on the final hole, but he missed a lengthy birdie putt with Yang looking on from the clubhouse.

Alker had two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine of the par-70, 7,086-yard course before getting hot with five birdies in a six-hole span from the 11th to the 16th hole.

Yang had one birdie on the front nine before adding six more on the back, including a tap-in on the final hole to take the lead.

Americans Jerry Kelly and Zach Johnson, who shot 63 and 65 respectively on Sunday, finished in a tie for third at 15 under, two shots ahead of a group of four golfers that included defending champion Richard Green.

Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., carded his second-straight round of 66 to finish as the top Canadian at 11 under.

After watching Steve Flesch chip in for eagle from behind the green on the par-5 18th hole, Weir tried to replicate his playing partner’s shot from almost the same spot.

“Almost,” said Weir after his eagle chip came up just short.

Nonetheless, he tapped in the birdie putt to move into a six-way tie for 14th place, which is his best showing at the tournament since finishing in a tie for ninth in 2021.

“It was a good finish to birdie 17 and 18 to finish off the week,” said Weir, who had five birdies and one bogey in his final round. “I played well enough to be really in contention this week, just the flat stick was a little cold.

“Overall, I played solid. It was my best finish of the year so far, so it was very encouraging. A lot of good things to take away from this week.”

Weir will play in next weekend’s The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.

“Next week’s a home game kind of for me,” he said. “My family’s real close by, only an hour away. I have a lot of friends and family there, too.”

Weir will then take a week off before taking part in his favourite event of the season, the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links from Sept. 18 to 20.

Fellow Canadian Stephen Ames had a good start to his round on Sunday with four birdies in his first six holes on his way to shooting 65 to get him to 8 under.

“I’m glad he played well today,” said Weir of his fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer. “He got off to a slow start (at the tournament), but good for him today.”

Calgary’s Wes Martin shot 71 on Sunday to finish well back of the leaders at 3 over.

SPRINGFIELD, Man. – Étienne Papineau continued his strong run of form on Sunday at the PGA TOUR Americas Manitoba Open, finishing tied for fifth after closing with a 2-under 68 at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native carded rounds of 69, 67, 67 and 68 to finish the week at 9-under-par, five shots behind leaders Daniel Svärd and Adam Duncan, who finished tied at 14-under and advanced to a playoff. Svärd ultimately claimed the title.

Papineau’s performance was built on remarkable consistency. The Quebecer did not record a single round over par throughout the week and steadily climbed the leaderboard over the final three rounds to secure his place among the tournament’s top finishers. He shared fifth place with Gunnar Broin, Charlie Crockett and Harry Lord.

The result comes at an important stage of the season. Winner of the Osprey Valley Open in July, Papineau continues to collect valuable points with only four events remaining on the PGA TOUR Americas schedule. The top 10 players on the season-long points list will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2027.

Papineau appears well-positioned to cap off one of the best campaigns of his professional career. After earning his first PGA TOUR Americas victory earlier this summer at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, he adds another strong result to his resume with a tie for fifth in Manitoba.

Other Canadians to make the cut included Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C. (T28), Thomas Giroux of Georgetown, Ont. (T39), Brendan MacDougall of Calgary, Alta. (T39), Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man. (T56), and fellow Quebecer Joey Savoie (T56).

EDMONTON – Barring a collapse, or an amazing final round by a challenger, Miyu Yamashita of Japan is poised to win the CPKC Women’s Open at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club later today.

Yamashita, who turned 25 earlier this month, takes a six-shot lead into the final round. American Gina Kim and Yuri Yoshida of Japan are tied for second at 13 under, with American Jennifer Kupcho in fourth at 12 under.

Yamashita set a tournament record with her three-round total of 191, and tied a tournament record for the largest lead after 54 holes. She has had three consecutive rounds in the 60s, including yesterday’s 5-under 65.

Teenager Aphrodite Deng of Calgary tied a personal best score of 63 and is tied for sixth at 10 under.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is in an eight-way tie for 15th at 7 under. Anna Huang of Vancouver is also at 7 under.

EDMONTON – Miyu Yamashita increased her already healthy lead and Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng vaulted up the leaderboard Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Japan’s Yamashita turned in a 5-under-par 65 in the third round to get to 19 under for the tournament at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

Her 14-under 126 in her first 36 holes was a tournament record. The 25-year-old gave nothing back Saturday. 

Yamashita took a six-stroke lead into Sunday at the US$2.75-million event seeking the fourth LPGA win of her career and her second this season.

Gina Kim of the U.S. posted a 6-under 64 and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida carded a 66 on Saturday to trail Yamashita at 13 under.

The 16-year-old Deng from Calgary, who was the tournament’s low amateur last year in Mississauga, Ont., shot the day’s lowest round of 63 to get to 10 under and tied for sixth.

“It felt really great, but I wasn’t really counting how low I was shooting,” Deng said. “I was just trying to learn from my first two days and make the least mistakes as possible.”

Deng was among four Canadian women aged 18 and under to make the cut in the CPKC Women’s Open, which was a tournament first.

 

 

 

 

 

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Vancouver’s Anna Huang and Deng’s fellow-amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., continued playing into the weekend.

Huang, 17, shot an even 70 on Saturday to be 7-under par. The 18-year-old Xing posted a 71 at 1 under. Lin, 16, carded a 72 to be 2 over.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., recovered from three-putting the ninth to be 1-over at the turn with three straight birdies on her back nine. She shot a second straight 68 to be 7 under.

“I feel like I didn’t get out of my round what I really should have,” said Henderson, who hit 16 greens in regulation. “It just came down to a few putts I missed. I missed quite a few inside six feet today actually, which I haven’t been doing, so it was a little bit unusual.

“I might hit a few putts here after the round just to get a feel for it again. I feel like I gave myself a lot of good looks. That’s all you can ask for. Hopefully I’ll do the same tomorrow, but make the putts.”

The 28-year-old, who won the tournament both last year in Mississauga and in 2018 in Regina, trailed Yamashita by 12 strokes.

“She’s playing really well and she has a substantial lead on most everybody,” Henderson said. “At this point I’m just trying to get a really good finish for myself, so seeing if I can go low tomorrow just so I can feel really good about how I played the last four days.”

‘Deng was born in Calgary and was four years old when her family moved to the United States.

The teen, who is on Canada’s NextGen team, appreciated the cheers that increased in frequency and volume Saturday as she rattled off a bogey-free round. 

“I’m so grateful for all the support,” she said. “Every time I play this event, there’s so many people out here supporting me.”

Deng’s tee shot on the 18th was under a tree, but she calmly hit out of trouble to put her second shot on the green for a par.

“When I was missing today, I ended up saving it,” she said. “The only putt I missed was on 18, so yeah, it was pretty good.” 

Her caddie is 19-year-old University of Florida student Benjamin Reed, who was on her bag when she won the 2025 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

“That’s where I won, so I just kept him for most of the tournaments,” said Deng, who went even par at this year’s U.S. Open to tie for 17th.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 72 to sit 1 over. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga was 3 over after a 74.

The forecast for Sunday’s final round is 26 C with some forest fire smoke before giving way to thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

EDMONTON — Miyu Yamashita rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-4 18th to take a six-stroke lead Saturday in the CPKC Women’s Open in a bid for a wire-to-wire victory.

Yamashita shot a 5-under 65 in calm conditions to get to 19-under 191 at Royal Mayfair, the tree-lined layout — and mosquito hot spot after record summer rain — tucked in a bend in the North Saskatchewan River.

The 25-year-old Japanese player — one of professional golf’s shortest players at 4-foot-11 — won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June in Michigan after taking the Women’s British Open and Maybank Championship last season as the rookie of the year.

A stroke ahead Thursday after an opening with a course-record 62, Yamashita had a 64 on Friday afternoon to open a five-shot lead.

Gina Kim (64) and Yuri Yoshida (66) were tied for second at 13 under, a shot ahead of Jennifer Kupcho (64) and two ahead of Somi Lee (65).

Aphrodite Deng, the 16-year-old amateur who won the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior, was the top Canadian, shooting 63 to get to 10 under. She was born in Calgary.

American Kiara Romero (69) also was 10 under in her first event as an LPGA Tour member. The 20-year-old Romero is the second player to earn LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad last year.

Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2025 champion, was 7 under after a 68.

Top-ranked Nelly Korda shot a 69 to get to 4 under. Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, was 2 under after a 69.

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Rob Couture wins Men’s Mid-Master division; Team Manitoba won Inter-Provincial Team Championship on Wednesday

BRANTFORD, Ont. – Garrett Rank came from behind to win his fifth national championship at the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO by one shot at Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ont. on Friday.

Rank of Waterloo, Ont. entered the final round two shots behind Evan Nachtigall of Brandon, Man. Rank birdied hole no. 1 to get within one shot of Nachtigall, on the third hole Nachtigall bogeyed to sit tied with Rank. From there Rank and Nachtigall exchanged the lead back and forth throughout the round.

“I was just trying to get off to a good start, I hit two good shots on hole one and made birdie, I was able to kind of close the gap there through first four holes and it kind of flip flopped a little there in the middle,” said Rank.

Rank and Nachtigall were tied at 18-under heading into the final hole.  Rank’s par coupled with a bogey from Nachtigall, secured Rank’s fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

“He hit in in the left bunker on 18, so I figured birdie was probably going to win, I hit it down the right side and didn’t have a great lie in the rough, but I was able to advance it near the green,” said Rank. “I was trying not to fool around with the bunker short so I was trying to hit it a little closer than I did but as soon as I saw my ball was on the back of the green, I knew it was a good time for lag putt to try and two putt, and luckily enough I was able to make the six footer at the end to win,” added Rank.

Rank finished the final round with a 3-under 69 to finish the tournament at 18-under. With the win, Rank earned his fifth national championship closing with rounds of 64-68-69-69-270, carding two eagles and 22 birdies through four rounds. Nachtigall shot an even par 72 to finish at 17-under with rounds of 64-67-68-72-271.

“I think just staying patient, I was trying to hit solid approach shots and give myself a look on the greens, I hit good drives on the par 5’s and wasn’t able to capitalize with birdies but I kind of just stuck with it, it wasn’t pretty golf all day but it was fairly efficient.

“It probably didn’t feel as good as the round yesterday or the day before but it was the same score so that is the secret sometimes, just being able to put a good score on the board when you don’t have your best stuff,” added Rank on what the key to success was throughout the final round.

Rank’s previous Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship wins came three years in a row from 2014-2016.

“It’s a huge honour, winning a golf tournament is never easy, to do it four times is pretty special, I think it’s been 10 years since I last did it so to do it close to home in a place like Brantford is something that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he added.

Along with four Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships, Rank also won the 2012 Canadian College / University Individual Championship. Throughout Rank’s golf career he has acquired a lot of experience through many high-performance events.

“I’ve played in some big events before, I played a couple PGA TOUR events, I played in the U.S. Open and have won the national championship before so I definitely think that was an advantage in knowing that I have the pedigree to kind of lean on those experiences, it definitely helped in the end.”

Along with winning the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship trophy, Rank also receives an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. from September 26 – October 1, as well as a spot in the field for the 2027 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2027 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both presented by BDO.

Rob Couture of Celina, Texas won the Mid-Master title after finishing 10-under through four rounds to win by one shot over Alex Large of Dead Mans Flats, Alta. This is Couture’s second Mid-Master division title, after winning in 2016, He also won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion in 2011.

On Wednesday, Team Manitoba won their first Inter-Provincial Team Championship since 2005, beating Team Alberta by four strokes. Team Manitoba was represented by Nachtigall (Brandon, Man.), Jordy Lutz (Winnipeg, Man.), and David Spurr (Oakbank, Man.).

Team Manitoba finished with a score of 15-under through two rounds, while Team Alberta finished second at 11-under, and Team Quebec finished third at 7-under.

To view the final leaderboard from the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

EDMONTON – Anna Huang did more than make the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open for the first time in her career.

The 17-year-old from Vancouver was the top Canadian heading into Saturday’s third round of the LPGA tournament in Edmonton.

Huang posted a second-round 68 on Friday to get to 7-under par and into a tie for seventh.

“Going into this week, making the cut was my biggest goal,” Huang said. “So now that I’ve got that down, I’m just going to try to chase up the leaderboard this weekend.”

Japanese leader Miyu Yamashita followed up her course-record 62 opener with Friday’s 64 to top the leaderboard at 14 under.

“I’m really happy about this result, and with two rounds to go (I) just want to focus on my game and keep playing like this,” Yamashita said.

She held a five-stroke lead on Kiara Romero of the United States, South Korea’s Soo Bin Joo and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida, who were all at 9 under.

Meanwhile, defending champion Brooke Henderson had a lot of work to do, and limited runway to do it.

The 28-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., seeking a third career win in Canada’s LPGA tournament, also shot 68 on Friday to sit nine strokes off the lead at 5 under.

“We’ll see what the damage is after today, but it’s only half over at this point, so I just have to go low myself,” Henderson said.

Romero was contending in her LPGA debut as a pro.

“I feel like this course really fits my eye, so when I’m out there I’m playing pretty aggressively with my iron shots and just trying to make as many birdies as possible,” the 20-year-old said.

Joo, 22, and Yoshida, 26, both sought their first LPGA Tour wins.

“I was a little bit nervous before starting this tournament because I couldn’t make the cut six tournaments in a row, first time in my career,” Yoshida said. “I’m happy to play on this weekend.”

Huang, who became the youngest player to win four European Tour tournaments after claiming the London Championship in early August, missed the cut in Canada in 2024 and 2025.

Huang was working on a bogey-free round Friday until the 18th when she put her tee shot behind a tree and three-putted for the double.

“Everyone makes mistakes and I think just the last hole is just a bad hole and a bad drive,” Huang said. “I’m just going to move on from that and try to work on my putting today and see how things go.”

Starting on No. 10, Henderson was 7 under before a pair of back-nine bogeys. Her second-last tee shot drifted left and struck a spectator.

Henderson apologized to the woman and gave her a signed golf ball.

“Through about 14 holes, I was feeling really nice,” Henderson said. “I was unfortunate to drop a couple shots coming in, but happy to save par on nine. I feel like that was really clutch to kind of save some momentum going into tomorrow.”

“I feel like my game is in a pretty good spot. Maybe try to be a bit more aggressive and see if we can climb.”

Sun and an afternoon breeze Friday hardened the 6,452-yard, par-70 Royal Mayfair Golf Club for later starters. The mosquitoes remained out in full force.

“I like this golf course. I love Canada. It’s so pretty. All the trees are so pretty and I’m enjoying it, except for the mosquitoes. Gosh, it’s so bad,” Joo said.

Henderson proved earlier this summer she’s capable of a late surge.

She within a shot of her third major win with five eagles, including an ace, over her final two rounds at the Amundi Evian Championship in France. 

Henderson started the final round there seven shots off the lead.

“That was really fun a few weeks ago in France,” Henderson said. “It gives me some confidence to know that I can come back from behind.”

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, who was the Canadian tournament’s low amateur last year in Mississauga, Ont., shot 67 to get to 3 under. 

The 16-year-old undid the damage of a triple bogey on her 14th hole by finishing with back-to-back birdies.

“I knew that I was playing good the whole day, and it was just that one hole, so it’s not really like skill. It was just course management,” Deng said. “It was too bad it happened, but I’m able to make the birdies coming in.”

The top 65 players and ties made the cut at the US$2.75-million event. 

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., made the cut.

Xing was 2 under, Grewal and Leblanc both 1 under and Lin was even par heading into Saturday.

EDMONTON — Miyu Yamashita opened a five-stroke lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open on the tree-lined course tucked in a bend in the North Saskatchewan River.

A stroke ahead Thursday after an opening 8-under 62, the 4-foot-11 Yamashita shot 64 in the afternoon to get to 14 under at Royal Mayfair.

“I’m really happy,” Yamashita said through a translator. “With two rounds to go, I just want to focus on my game and keep playing like this.”

The 25-year-old Japanese player won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June after taking the Women’s British Open and Maybank Championship last year.

“Rather than focus on the score, I’m thinking about how I can make birdies,” the 2025 LPGA rookie of the year said.

American Kiara Romero was tied for second in her first event as an LPGA Tour member. She followed an opening 64 with a 67.

The 20-year-old Romero is the second player to earn LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad last year.

“Honestly, I’m just really grateful to be out here,” Romero said. “I just came out here with the mindset to just go out and have fun and just enjoy it and just remember that it’s just golf at the end of the day.”

Soo Bin Joo (63) and Yuri Yoshida (66) joined Romero at 9 under.

“I like this golf course. I love Canada. It’s so pretty,” Joo said. “All the trees are so pretty and I’m enjoying it.”

Ruoning Yin closed with a double bogey for a 67, leaving her 8 under with Nasa Hataoka (69).

Seventeen-year-old Anna Huang was the top Canadian. She was 7 under after a 68.

Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2025 champion, was 5 under after a 68.

“I love this event,” Henderson said. It’s so amazing and such a cool opportunity to be able to play in front of all the Canadian fans. They just show me so much love and support year after year. Even early this morning the fairways were lined with people coming out to watch.”

Top-ranked Nelly Korda shot 70 to remain 3 under. Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, was 1 under after a 69.

This is the final week of qualifying for Americans to make the Solheim Cup team for the Sept. 11-13 matches in the Netherlands.

EDMONTON – Yamashita shot a season-low 62 on the 6,452-yard, par-70 Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton to sit one stroke ahead of her countrywoman Nasa Hataoka and two up on Kiara Romero of the United States.

Vancouver’s Anna Huang, 17, and 18-year-old amateur Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., were three shots off the lead at 5-under-par 65 in a tie for fourth with China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida.

The 25-year-old Yamashita, who won June’s Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Mich., recorded eight birdies.

“It’s been a while since I finished the first round in good position,” she said. “My putting was really nice, so I felt really good.”

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., seeking a third win in her home LPGA tournament, finished with a birdie to go 3 under.

“I feel it was very important and it felt great,” Henderson said. “I really wanted it. I hit it really hard. I’m glad I hit the hole, but to see it go in was really nice.

“The scores are very low out here today, the leaders especially, so just trying to go out tomorrow and make a bunch of birdies and try to catch them.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States was also 3 under.

Both Huang and Xing were positioned to make the cut Friday for the first time in their careers after two tries apiece.

“Definitely making the cut would be a really big goal for me, and then hopefully some good weekend golf,” said Huang, who won four European Tour tournaments in the last 11 months.

“I’m definitely a lot more confident than I was the past few years coming into this event, and then also just all the crowds out there really helped.”

Xing was a late addition to the field with a sponsor’s exemption.

“As an amateur, like that’s one of my biggest goals, is to make the cut at an LPGA event, especially when it’s in Canada,” she said. “It would mean a whole lot.”

The first round was played under mostly cloudy skies, a temperature of 24 C and in occasional clouds of insect repellent.

Edmonton’s 56 centimetres of rain since June 1 made the city a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

“I’m getting annihilated,” said one caddie as she sprayed herself down at the turn.

The majority of women wore long pants and long sleeves, and paid a price if they didn’t.

“Bad. Bad. Look at my arms,” said Xing, wearing short sleeves. “I have gotten bit all on the front side but none on the back.”

All the more reason to stay out of rain-thickened rough that both houses insects and grabs club heads, she added.

“Especially like when it’s going against you, it’s really hard to get a solid club on it, so hitting fairways is crucial here,” Xing said.

Huang said she was bitten through her pants and long sleeves.

“I would wear shorts out here but because of the bugs, can’t do that,” she said.

Henderson birdied her first three holes of the back nine after making the turn at even par. Her tee shot and second shot found rough on the 16th hole, which she bogeyed.

“If you find the rough or you’re not hitting it so well, it can really be penalizing as well, so you’re just trying to stick to the short stuff,” she said. “Every time I made a bogey, I was able to bounce back with a birdie pretty quickly, which is important.

“Three under, definitely going to need a little bit more tomorrow, but a good start.”

Clairey Lin, a 16-year-old amateur from Langley, B.C., shot a 68 in her tournament debut. 

Tour veteran Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., joined her at 2 under. Vancouver’s Leah John turned in a 1-under 69 and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., shot 70.

Lin’s fellow Canadian amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., shot even par, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos was 2 over and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., carded a 78.

Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., shot a 74, Alena Sharp of Hamilton a 77 and Calgary’s Tillie Claggett shot a 78.