VANCOUVER – Brooke Rivers says she’s just focused on playing golf at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open. But she still stopped to sign an autograph for a young girl as she crossed over from her front nine to the back nine.

That quick pause in her round came as she was one of the early leaders on Thursday morning at the Canadian women’s golf championship. The 18-year-old Rivers, a collegiate player set to start her first full year of university this fall, finished her round at 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for 13th.

Rivers’s round had the lowest score of any amateur at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.

“I think it’s very similar to any other tournament,” said Rivers after her first-ever round of professional golf. “I’m just trying to do the best that I can, and this is to me like any other tournament.

“So I’m staying in the moment. Not too many nerves. I’m just here to play golf.”

That said, Rivers doesn’t get asked for many autographs at amateur tournaments.

“Yeah, a little bit different,” Rivers said with a laugh. “It’s fun just to kind of inspire the younger generation.”

Rivers, from Brampton, Ont., started at No. 10 and had two birdies in her first five holes before firing an eagle on the par-5 No. 15.

“In the practice round I wasn’t close enough to go for the green on 15, but today I was full send going for the green and ended up in a good place,” she said, grinning. “Short-sided myself, but hit a perfect chip and went in.”

Although she had four bogeys after the eagle, Rivers recovered with a birdie on the par-5 No. 7 to finish the round on a high note.

“I’m missing my first week of college to be here,” said Rivers, who will play for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons starting this fall. “Worth it, but it’s just about golf. It’s not about the tournament or who is in it.

“I’m here to play golf and hit the shots that I want to hit.”

Rivers is one of 15 Canadians in the field at the Women’s Open. Ten of those players are amateurs, as Golf Canada works to develop a new generation of professional golfers.

Kevin Blue, the national governing body’s chief sport officer, said that it was important to give more amateurs an opportunity to play in their first professional event because it would help them better visualize their development targets.

“It allows them to understand viscerally and emotionally how their games measure up to a field like this, which is featuring the vast, vast majority of the top 100 players in the world,” said Blue. “We obviously hope that they’ll play well and make cuts and do those things, but primarily, the objective this week is for our players to learn as much as possible about areas where there’s still gaps between them and a world-ranked player.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian on Thursday, shooting a 3-under 69 to sit in a group tied for third.

“It’s amazing to see all the young kids here. I get older, they get younger it seems like,” said the 42-year-old Sharp. “They have a lot of talent and Golf Canada has done a great job with the program and giving these girls opportunities to play in events like this.

“It’s a huge experience builder for them. It’s great to see them all here.”

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., was tied for 31st at 1-over 73, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was 3-over 75, and amateur Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., was 4-over.

Epson Tour player Sarah-Eve Rheaume of Quebec City and amateurs Ellie Szeryk of London, Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C., and Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos were grouped at 5-over 77. Like Rivers, Ellie Szeryk was happy to be playing in her first-ever professional event.

“It was a little frustrating with the greens. I’m just not used to how the LPGA plays them,” said Ellie Szeryk, the younger sister of Tour professional Maddie Szeryk. “I’m used to the balls slowly rolling out like two, three yards and they’re rolling out quite a bit more but you can’t leave them short because they stick.

“So that was a pretty big adjustment, but it was cool.”

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., was 6-over 78 and amateur Victoria Liu of Vancouver was 7-over 79. Amateurs Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., and Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., were 8-over 80.

Amateurs Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Victoria’s Sonja Tang, and Angela Arora of Surrey were grouped at 9-over 81.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Yuka Saso had a big second nine to shoot a 6-under 66 and take the first-round lead Thursday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson struggled while playing in glasses for the first time on the LPGA Tour.

Even par at the turn at tree-lined _ and mosquito-infested _ Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Saso birdied Nos. 1-4 and 6-7, playing her second nine in 6-under 30. The 22-year-old Japanese player won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open for her lone LPGA Tour title.

“I don’t know what happened the back nine,” Saso said. “I started hitting some good second shots and having short putts for birdies, giving myself a lot of chances.”

Henderson, the 2018 winner at Wascana in Regina, Saskatchewan, opened with a 75. Playing in the afternoon, she had four bogeys and a birdie.

“I just wasn’t sharp today,” Henderson said. “Hopefully, just go out tomorrow morning early, get off to a quick start, make more birdies.”

She has long worn worn glasses off the course, but hadn’t played in them.

“At least I could see my ball in the bush, which was kind of a good thing, I guess,” Henderson said.

Saso tried to be patient with the mosquitoes.

“The bug spray helped a lot,” she said. “The wind, too.”

Linn Grant was second after an afternoon 67. The 24-year-old Swede rebounded from a bogey on the par-5 11th with birdies on the next four holes. She won the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title.

“I didn’t feel very confident with my swing going out,” Grant said. “But I managed to kind of find something. You know, golf is golf. You got to just kind of go with what you have.”

Canadian Alena Sharp was at 69 with Rose Zhang, 2019 winner Jin Young Ko, Weiwei Zhang, Sei Young Kim and Danielle Kang.

“To be honest, the start was a little shaky,” Sharp said. “I was a little nervous. You got to kind of put your blinders on out here. Fairways are narrow.”

The 20-year-old Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open in June at Liberty National in her first professional start.

“You can never be too comfortable, especially on this golf course,” Zhang said. “Every day the conditions are going to be changing.”

Nelly Korda topped the group at 70.

“It’s really tight off the tee,” Korda said. “Really small greens. And a side of a lot of mosquitoes.”

Canadian amateur Brooke Rivers had a 71. The 18-year-old will be a freshman at Wake Forest.

“I’m feeling good.” Rivers said. “Stuck to the plan and hit some good shots.”

Three-time winner Lydia Ko shot a 72. She won at Vancouver Golf Club in 2012 and 2015. Race to CME Globe leader Lilia Vu also had a 72.

Lexi Thompson opened with a 76. She’s No. 157 in the Race to CME Globe and in danger of losing her LPGA card without having to use a one-time career money exemption.

Defending champion Paula Reto shot 78.

Canadian sisters Maddie and Ellie Szeryk were paired together, with Maddie shooting a 73 and Ellie a 77.

Shaughnessy was originally set to host the event in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed it by three years.

St. Andrews, N.B. –  The Algonquin Golf Course 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 finished at 10-under to capture the 2023 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title on Friday, presented by BDO.

Starting his day tied for first, Deraney of Belden, Miss., got off to a hot start by making a birdie on the par-4 first hole. From there the 40-year-old never looked back, recording a total of six birdies for the day, shooting a final round 4-under 68.

“It’s so hard to win, it’s nice to be able to fall back on your experiences a couple times but its just always difficult to win. Getting out there today I hit a great first shot on the first hole to about two feet and got off to a quick start by making a birdie. I steadied the ship and made a solid 15-footer on four for birdie, then really just had a lot of good quality golf shots. I got another birdie on nine, about a five-footer and so I was able to just grab a lead, there were some struggles on six and seven for some of the other guys, so I knew I was able to grab a two-shot lead. I played really solid on the back, three par fives and I thought with that I’d be able to hoist the trophy. I made a really solid birdie on 13, I three putted eleven, but I made a great par on ten which is by far the hardest hole out here. I didn’t look at too many of the leaderboards, but I felt like some of the guys were creeping back up on me, so I got a little fire under me and hit a couple more really good golf shots, then looked back and saw I had a four-shot lead, so I cruised on in,” said Deraney.

Deraney won by three strokes over Ryan Terry who also shot a final round 4-under 68 to place second. This is Deraney’s third time winning the Men’s Mid-Am with having captured the title in 2018 and 2019.

 “I think after the first round I made too many bogeys, so really, how you win championships on difficult golf courses, is that you don’t make bogeys. I kept reiterating to myself that, if you make four birdies and no bogeys that’s four-under so I really stated playing more cautious. I was swinging aggressive but picking lines that were fifteen feet away from the flag, opposed to right at it, which always leads to success on difficult golf courses,” added Deraney.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, Deraney has received an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2024 Men’s Amateur Championship.

“Winning this championship helps a lot, there’s no doubt about it. I didn’t play a ton in the summer, as I have three young kids and so with them being out of school we hang out and do the family stuff. This is the first event of six in kind of a nine-to-ten-week span and it’s perfect. This tournament is four days, allows me to get my feet wet and swinging well. Match play can be a little different when you catch a guy that’s just hot that day but its always nice to go into one of the biggest events of the year we have with a win and feel like you’re swinging well, handling the pressure, and closing out the victory when you need to. I’m looking forward to hopefully a really good fall, a few more W’s in there and just a lot of solid golf,” Deraney added.

Derek Meinhart of Mattoon, Ill., came into the final round tied for first and finished with an even par- 72 to place third overall. Meinhart got off to a tough start with a bogey on the par-4 sixth hole and a double bogey on the par-4 seventh hole. He didn’t let that stop him though, as he pushed through and carded a total of four birdies to finish 6-under for the championship.

Canadians Mike Landry of Fredericton N.B., and Derek Dalziel of London, Ont., finished tied for fourth at 5-under.

Deraney also won the Mid-Master division with Meinhart placing second. Rob Couture of Celina, Tex., placed third in the Mid-Master after shooting a final round 1-under 71, finishing 4-under for the championship.

On Tuesday, Team Ontario defended their inter-provincial title, securing the Bruce Forbes Trophy for a record 17th time in the 29-year history of the competition.

For the final standings in the 2023 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, please click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, CPKC, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist, FootJoy and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Opening Round pairings and tee times available

Thursday’s opening ceremonies set for 6:45 a.m. PT on the 1st Tee

Download the Golf Canada App for your full CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Experience; Media Guide & Player Performance Guide available.

THREE-TIME CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN CHAMPION LYDIA KO ON RETURNING TO VANCOUVER…

“I had my first LPGA win in Vancouver, and I think it’s where everything kind of started. Who knows, if I didn’t win or play that event maybe I might have not got the opportunities along the way. Yeah, it’s always going to be a very special place for me. I said maybe like if I win like a fourth time I would be like an honorary Canadian by then.”

ROSE ZHANG ON COMPETING ON THE LPGA TOUR…

“There are no words to describe how blessed and thankful I am to be able to be on this stage and playing the sport that I love. If anything, it makes me want to go out there and not only do my best on the golf course, but even off the golf course. Making sure that I’m doing everything that I can to become my best self. Be someone that other people can look up to and feel encouraged to play this game. That’s all I really want. I realized that the LPGA Tour, being on this platform and seeing so many other veterans do the same thing, it really humbles me and wants me to become better.”

STACY LEWIS ON PLAYING SHAUGHNESSY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB THIS WEEK…

“I think it’s a good golf course. I think it’s a little bit tricky. Some of the lengths of holes are playing for the firmness of greens, I think you’ll see the officials hopefully move some of the holes up just to -some of the greens just aren’t made for 5s and 6-irons. They’re made for a little bit shorter clubs. Hopefully officials will adjust there a little bit and make it a little bit more playable, because it’s just one of those courses you can hit a good shot and it hits on a downslope and goes over the back. It’s going to be a great test.  Nothing crazy under par is going to win this thing. You look back at the history here, it was single digits under par.  I think you’ll see more of the same.”

GABRIELA RUFFELS ON BEING A SPONSOR INVITE AND RETURNING TO VANCOUVER…

“Yeah, it’s great.  I was super excited to get the invite.  I know this is one of the bigger events on the LPGA schedule, so I was super excited when I found out that I was going to come here. I was here a couple months ago for my U.S. Women’s Open qualifier actually, which I got through, I qualified, so I have good memories from Vancouver and it’s nice to be back.”

GOLF CANADA CEO LAURENCE APPLEBAUM ON THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN …

“It’s an incredible golf province, incredible golf locale, one of the special ones in our country.  The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will be our greatest commercial success in the history of the Canadian Women’s Open. For us to have a title sponsor like CPKC, a new elite partner like BDO and our other vast partnerships, everyone from Audi to Levelwear, we will have our greatest commercial success. And as many of you know, as the National Sport Federation we take everything we do and drive it back into our performance program, participation program, and our membership services, so we’re thrilled that we could have such an amazing result here in Shaughnessy.”

PAIRINGS AND TEE TIMES FOR OPENING ROUND OF CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

Click here for pairings and tee times for the opening round of the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday, August 24.

BROADCAST TIMES

Round 1

Thursday, August 24   TSN, RDS, Golf Channel  3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT

Round 2

Friday, August 25        TSN, RDS, Golf Channel      3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PT

Round 3

Saturday, August 26   TSN, RDS, Golf Channel     4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT

Round 4

Sunday, August 27     TSN, RDS, Golf Channel       4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

FIELD FOR THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

St. Andrews, N.B., – It’s tight atop the leaderboard heading into the final round of the 2023 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, with Joseph Deraney of Belden, Miss., and Derek Meinhart of Mattoon, Ill., sharing the lead.

Deraney shot a 2-under 69 in Wednesday’s third round to jump up the leaderboard from being in a three-way tie for fourth place after yesterday. Deraney carded a total of four birdies and one bogey in today’s round to sit atop the leaderboard, tied with Meinhart at The Algonquin Golf Course.

“The day was beautiful; the weather has been nice the past couple of days. Yesterday was breezy and today nice and sunny with not as much wind, the greens have dried out so they’re a bit firmer. You just had to be a little more patient today as some of the pins were a little more tucked and the greens firmer, harder to get to. Other than that, I just drove it well, missed two fairways and hit 17 green and my putting was pretty solid. I took care of the par 5’s, made one bogey on 10 and outside that no other bogeys and hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a few putts to fall,” said Deraney.

Champion of the Men’s Mid-Amateur in 2018 and 2019, Deraney adds “Canada’s a beautiful country and I have been very fortunate to go to places like Victoria and now all the way over to St. Andrews so it’s a good way to see the country, compete and bring my life up here. These are special places; the Canadian people are so welcoming and nice.Mid-Amateur golf has been really special to me, the comradery and all the Canadians know each other. Theres a big group of guys that just like the fellowship, golf, and like to compete so ill always go where that’s welcome.”

Both Deraney and Meinhart have shot consistent rounds in the 2023 Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship with Deraney recording scores of 72, 69, 69, and Meinhart at 72, 67, 71.

Deraney and Meinhart are also tied for first in the Mid-Master division, Rob Couture of Celina, Tex., is in third after shooting a 2-under 70 during round three.

Meinhart came into round three in a three-way tie for first place after shooting a 5-under 67 in yesterday’s round. He continued the heat into round three by shooting a 1-under 71 and for the second day in a row his round got off to an ideal start by carding three birdies on the front and added two more on the back.

“Going into today my goal was getting to three-under on the day and for the week I think my goal is ten-under. I fell a little short on that today with one-under but overall hit it pretty solid on the front. The conditions got a little firm and faster on the back, I struggled a little bit, didn’t really make the adjustment I wanted,” said Meinhart.

Meinhart added “I’m really excited heading into tomorrow and playing with Joe, him and I have played a lot of golf together. We’ve traveled a lot together and so we have a good banter, we want to beat each other for sure which is a little extra motivation to get the win. I’ve played with Charles in practice rounds over the years, today was actually the first competitive round I’ve played with him. We definitely have a great relationship and good comradery, I think that a testament to Golf Canada and the Canadians that play here, Charles has always made me feel very welcome. So, it was a great day today and I’m sure he’ll be there trying to chase me down to get his third Canadian Mid-Am.”

Tied for fourth are Mark Carragher of Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Charles Fitzsimmons of King City, Ont. Carragher played an incredible round helping him jump eleven spots up the leaderboard. In todays third round Carragher shot a 6-under 66 leaving him at 5-under for the championship.

“I wanted to stay patient early, just kind of hung in there and made my birdie chances when I had some. I made some really nice birdies and putts and carried it throughout the day,” said Carragher.

Looking ahead to Thursday’s final round Carragher plans to relax for the rest of the day, “I have some family and friends in town so just going to hangout with them and relax. I’m really looking forward to the challenge tomorrow,” he added.

Charles Fitzsimmons shot an even-par 72 during round three to drop down into a tie for third.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2023 champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2024 Men’s Amateur Championship.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, CPKC, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist, FootJoy and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

St. Andrews, N.B. – Team Ontario captured the Bruce Forbes Trophy as the Inter-Provincial team champions at the 2023 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. Team Ontario continued their tradition of dominance in the Inter-Provincial team competition, capturing the title a record 17 times in the 29 year history of the competition.

The trio of Russell Bowie of Mississauga, Ont., Phil Arci of Woodbridge, Ont., and Simon McInnis of Crystal Beach, Ont., combined for a total score of 4-under par to edge Nova Scotia by three strokes on Tuesday at The Algonquin Golf Course.

“To win this in New Brunswick with Russell and Phil was an honour, I couldn’t have asked for better guys to be on the team with me. Tough conditions today, but we all worked really hard. I don’t think that there were too many low rounds today, but we did our job, and we did enough today to obtain the tile,” said Team Ontario Captain McInnis.

All three Team Ontario team members head into round three with safe scores on the individual leaderboard.

“We’ve seen the golf course in two very different conditions, so we don’t really know what were going to get tomorrow but I think we’re all pretty well prepared for tomorrow as we have played the golf course with the winds high today, so we feel good,” McInnis added.

Team Nova Scotia shot a total score of 1-under to place second in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship. Team New Brunswick placed third after shooting a total score of 1-over.

Derek Meinhart, Charles Fitzsimmons, and Nick Hofland are tied for first place after round two, all sitting at 5-under for the championship. Meinhart of Mattoon, Ill., shot a 5-under par 67 during round two to jump 17 spots up the leaderboard. Coming out of round one Meinhart shot an even-par score 72 and was sitting T17.

“I hit it really good the first round, I kind of continued the ball striking really solid through the first nine holes and made a few putts there early. I got some momentum and kind of cleaned up on the par 5’s a little bit but the course is really drying out and getting a little firmer which is helping to make more putts,” said Meinhart.

During round two Meinhart’s round got off to an ideal start by carding four birdies on the front nine and continued with two more on the back for a total of six on the day.

“I’ve had a great experience every time I’ve come up to Canada, the people have been great to me. I’ve always had great groups and have enjoyed a lot of it, when I was scouting this tournament out, I looked at The Algonquin venue online and now being here I think it’s really lived up to it,” Meinhart added.

Meinhart also leads the Mid-Master division of the championship. in second place Joseph Deraney of Belden, Miss. is in second place sitting at 3-under for the championship.

Fitzsimmons of King City, Ont., shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday. The 36-year-old got off to a tough start with a bogey on the par-3 third hole and another two on the back nine. He carded a total of three birdies and bogeys for the day.

“It was a battle out there today. I mean it just got windier and windier as the day went on. Everything just wasn’t quite as sharp as it was yesterday so I just had to keep kind of battling and seeing what I could get out of it. I got a couple of good bounces, was happy to take advantage of them and make the most of the day,” said Fitzsimmons.

Nick Hofland of Ancaster, Ont., recorded an impressive round on Tuesday, shooting 3-under 69 to sit tied atop the leaderboard. Hofland carded a total of seven birdies and four bogeys to jump two places up the leaderboard from yesterdays round where he sat tied for fifth place.

“The golf course is fantastic; I’ve really been enjoying it out there. The wind was blowing today but it was a great finish to get into the final paring with two accomplished Mid-Amateurs so I’m really looking forward to that. Its just very different than Am golf, all the guys are talkative and everyone’s having a good time, very serious but fun,” said Hofland.

Hofland added “I love the little town of St. Andrews; I wake up every morning with the window open and smell the sea air, its lovely out here. We’re do for some good weather, and we’ve been lucky. I went to a nice coffee shop before my afternoon tee time, it’s been nice to take it all in and enjoy it out here.” 

There is three-way tie for fourth, Ryan Were of Redcliff, Alb., McInnis and Deraney, sit at a total score of 3-under, two strokes behind the leaders.

After Tuesday’s second round, the field was cut to the low 70 players and ties, which included 15 Mid-Masters.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2023 champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2024 Men’s Amateur Championship.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, CPKC, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist, FootJoy and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Opening Round pairings and tee times now available

Download the Golf Canada App for your full CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Experience

CHAMPIONSHIP PRO-AM DAY AT CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

Wednesday, August 23 is Championship Pro-Am Day at the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The event will see professional golfers entertain a field of amateurs as part of the LPGA Tour’s ‘Nine and Nine’ Pro-Am format, where amateur participants will play nine holes each with a pair of LPGA Tour professionals. Click here for pairings and start times for Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am.

BROOKE HENDERSON ON PLAYING IN THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

“Yeah, this week is a big deal. It’s the highlight of my year pretty much every year.  It’s exciting to get to be so close to so many fans, and regardless of where we are in the country, the fans and the crowds come out to watch. Just to feel that kind of love and support, it’s really special. I try to do my best and try to sign a bunch of autographs and take pictures, but also trying to make sure that I give the right amount of time for myself to really prepare and get the right amount of rest so I can go out and perform on Thursday through Sunday. Winning this championship back in 2018 is definitely the highlight of my career, so I would love to be able to do that again someday.”

PAULA RETO REFLECTING ON LAST YEAR’S WIN AND DEFENDING HER TITLE…

“It was such a dream for me to win. Every tournament I go into I’m thinking about that moment, all the good stuff that happened and everything that worked out. We strive for that and I still strive for that every day.  But just knowing I can do it and able to do it here in Canada was amazing. And then I know it’s probably the hardest thing to defend your title, but I’m enjoying everybody here, the atmosphere, and just that stuff makes me a little bit more calmer, a little bit more easy and having to play. But such great vibes, and I’m so lucky to have won and I really want to do it again.

Reto is trying to become the third player in tournament history to successfully defend the championship and would join Lydia Ko (2012 & 2013) and Pat Bradley (1985 & 1986).

TWO-TIME MAJOR WINNER LILIA VU ON BEING THE WORLD NO. 1 RANKED GOLFER…

“I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like I deserve that, but I know I’ve put in a lot of work, and I found that my game works best when I’m having fun and just doing my thing and not thinking too much about it. Just playing one shot at a time and knowing that I can win.”

PAIRINGS AND TEE TIMES FOR OPENING ROUND OF CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

Click here for pairings and tee times for the opening round of the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday, August 24.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN – MEDIA GUIDE & PLAYER PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Below are links to the CPKC Women’s Open Media Guide as well as the all-time Player Performance Guide:

2023 CPKC Women’s Open Media Guide

CPKC Women’s Open – All-Time Player Performance Guide

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

FIELD FOR THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

Download the Golf Canada App for your full CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Experience; Media Guide & Player Performance Guide available.

FOUR PLAYERS EARN FINAL SPOTS INTO CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

The full field of 156 golfers competing for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is now set after the final four spots were secured during Monday’s final qualifier at Point Grey Golf & Country Club. 14-year-old Alice Ziyi Zhao (Irvine, Calif.) shot a 3-under, 69 to finish in the top spot. Joining her are Kum-Kang Park (Seoul, Republic of Korea) who shot a 2-under, 70 along with Luna Lu (Surrey, B.C.) and Magdalena Simmermacher (Buenos Aires, Argentina) who both shot rounds of 1-under, 71 to qualify. With Lu’s qualification there will be 15 Canadians competing for the National Open Championship this week at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.

For the final results from Monday’s final qualifier, please click here.

CPKC WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT SET FOR TUESDAY

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the sixth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 22 at nearby Marine Drive Golf Club as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CPKC Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week and participating in clinics.

GOLF CANADA TO HOST CLINIC FOR INDIGENOUS YOUTH WITH SPECIAL GUEST ROSE ZHANG
Golf Canada has connected with its First Tee network in the Vancouver area to provide children with a unique opportunity to join a golf clinic with LPGA Tour global rising star Rose Zhang. The clinic will take place at nearby Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre from 10:00am to 12:30pm with Zhang joining the group from 10:45 to 11:45am to showcase her game and answer questions from the group. Participants will then break up into three groups to develop their golf and life skills through First Tee – Golf Canada’s youth development program providing accessible and welcoming introductions to golf, along with life-enhancing experiences through the sport. First Tee – BC has been delivering programming to youth at the Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre since 2021, as well as golf courses, schools, and community centres across the province.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

FIELD FOR THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

St. Andrews, N.B. – Charles Fitzsimmons of King City, Ont., carded a 5-under-par 67 to lead after the opening round at the 2023 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship presented by BDO, held at The Algonquin Golf Course in St. Andrews, N.B.

Fitzsimmons made a total of six birdies during round one; the lone blemish for Fitzsimmons was a bogey on the par-3 eighth hole. He holds a one-stroke lead over Simon McInnis and Ryan Terry, who remain in a tie for second place after shooting 4-under 68 on Monday.

“I had my putter rolling today, I struck it really nicely and made some important putts at certain times which was very helpful,” said Fitzsimmons. “It’s really nice to be back playing, it’s been a tough season with injuries and stuff like that so to be out here competing feels awesome.”

With having won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022, the thirty-six-year-old is looking to etch his name on the Presidents Cup for the third time.

“I mean the reality is, dealing with the injuries and all, I just started playing again this week so I’m really just going to try and take care of the body and hope it holds up. Beyond that, keeping the pedal on the gas. There are some really good players in this field and it also really depends on the weather we get. If we get weather like we did today that was scorable, then you definitely have to try and score low because there are guys here that are going to be able to do that,” Fitzsimmons added.

With the course in great condition Fitzsimmons shares “St. Andrews and The Algonquin Golf course are both really awesome places. I played here a number of years ago at another tournament, I always make such amazing memories and the place has gotten even better somehow, so its just a true pleasure. I think all the players are really grateful to be here and have such a wonderful host of this championship.”

McInnis from Crystal Beach, Ont., and Ryan Terry from Brentwood, Tenn., are one stroke behind Fitzsimmons. Champion of the 2023 Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur and captain of this years Ontario Provincial Team, McInnis carded a total of five birdies and made a bogey on the par 4- 18th hole. Terry recorded a total of five birdies, three bogeys, and an eagle on the par 5- 13th hole.

“I played with my fellow team members in the practice round and I think we just got a good feel for the golf course. We talked about a lot of stuff, and I think we had a good plan, I stuck to it and committed to targets. It wasn’t too windy so the ball didn’t blow around too much, so I struck it well,” said McInnis.

Phil Arci of Woodbridge, Ont. sits in fourth place after recording a total score of 3-under 69.

Jim Born Jr. from Lloydminster, Alb., leads the Mid-Master Division – a separate division for players 40 and over – by one-stroke. Born Jr. shot a 2-under par 70 carding six birdies during the opening round to sit atop of the leaderboard. Edward Reevey of Rothesay, N.B., currently sits in second place after shooting a 1-under 71. Edward Bellrose of Campbell River, B.C., and Darryle Czuy of Warman, Sask., are tied for third shooting an even-par 72 after day one.

Team Ontario owns a five-stroke advantage in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship over New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. McInnis’s 4-under and Arci’s 3-under contributed to the total team score of 7-under 137.

“First off, its an honour to be representing the province, especially with two of my good friends, Russell Bowie, and Phil Arci. They are both really talented guys; Russell had a little bit of a tough start but grinded it out and Phil’s been playing great golf and continued that into today with shotting 3-under. It’s an honour and an incredible place to be playing the inter-provincial at, were just hoping that we can all play well tomorrow and be hoisting some hardware, but we still have some work to do,” said Ontario Team Captain McInnis.

Team New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are tied for second after concluding day one with a total score of 2-under. The team component will conclude following tomorrow’s second round with the winner being awarded the Bruce Forbes Trophy.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2023 champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2024 Men’s Amateur Championship.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, CPKC, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist, FootJoy and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

42 players to compete Monday in Final Qualifier at Point Grey Golf & Country Club for the final four spots into the field of the CPKC Women’s Open

Tournament week kicks off Monday, August 21 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club with Celebrity Pro-Am in support of the Golf Canada Foundation

Four additional Canadians earn exemption into Canada’s National Open Championship

Download the Golf Canada App for your full CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Experience; Media Guide & Player Performance Guide available.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN FINAL QUALIFIER SET FOR MONDAY…

A field of 42 golfers will be competing for the final four spots in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open during Monday’s final qualifier being held at Point Grey Golf & Country Club with a 10:00 a.m. PT start. For tee times in Monday’s Final Qualifier, please click here.

FOUR CANADIAN AMATEURS EARN EXEMPTIONS INTO FIELD…

Canadian amateurs Vanessa Borovilos (Toronto, Ont.), Yeji Kwon (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Sonja Tang (Vancouver, B.C.) have earned tournament exemptions, boosting the number of Canadians competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open to 14.

2023 JUNIOR SKILLS CHALLENGE NATIONAL EVENT CONCLUDED SUNDAY
24 of Canada’s most skilled junior golfers competed in the 14th edition of Junior Skills Challenge on Sunday at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. The juniors competed in a three-part skills challenge consisting of putting, chipping, and driving across six divisions. The event is the culmination of more than 1,300 Junior Skills Challenge participants competing at 100 qualifying events across Canada. For full results click here.

CELEBRITY PRO-AM IN SUPPORT OF GOLF CANADA FOUNDATION…

Tournament week at the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open kicks off Monday with the Golf Canada Foundation Celebrity Pro-Am. 18 groups will tee off in a shotgun format beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT. The field will consist of professionals, amateurs and celebrities with funds being raised for the Golf Canada Foundation.

CPKC WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT SET FOR TUESDAY

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the sixth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 22 at nearby Marine Drive Golf Club as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CPKC Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week and participating in clinics.

GOLF CANADA TO HOST CLINIC FOR INDIGENOUS YOUTH WITH SPECIAL GUEST ROSE ZHANG
Golf Canada has connected with its First Tee network in the Vancouver area to provide children with a unique opportunity to join a golf clinic with LPGA Tour global rising star Rose Zhang. The clinic will take place at nearby Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT with Zhang joining the group from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. PT to showcase her game and answer questions from the group. Participants will then break up into three groups to develop their golf and life skills through First Tee – Golf Canada’s youth development program providing accessible and welcoming introductions to golf, along with life-enhancing experiences through the sport. First Tee – BC has been delivering programming to youth at the Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre since 2021, as well as golf courses, schools, and community centres across the province.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

FIELD FOR THE 2023 CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN…

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.