Any trace of inclement weather from the previous day was erased with clear skies and beaming sunshine as the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario concluded at Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club in Smiths Falls, Ont. The 36-hole competition finished with a pair of Team Canada members emerging victorious – Young Pro Squad member Rebecca Lee-Bentham claimed the title while Jennifer Ha earned low amateur honours.

Lee-Bentham opened the day in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard. The National Team Young Pro Squad member distanced herself from the pack and secured the victory by shooting the low round of the day – a 2-under 69. “I went out with a really relaxed mindset which helped me to concentrate on each shot more and not worry about results. I think that’s what helped me today,” said the Toronto native when asked about her combined 2-under 140 performance.

With the victory, Lee-Bentham not only takes the $10,000 winner’s share of the tournament’s $60,000 purse, she has also secured an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be played August 17-23 at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. “It’s good knowing that I secured the spot. The CP Women’s Open is probably my favourite stop on tour, so just to have the opportunity to play in it again this year is a blessing,” reflected the Team Canada member.

Lee-Bentham’s Young Pro Squad teammate Brooke Henderson returned to her home course and finished one shot shy of the winner. The 17-year-old registered a bogey on her first hole, but finished the round without another to go with two birdies. The two Young Pro Squad members’ under-par rounds were the only ones of the tournament.

Brittany Henderson, the elder of the two Henderson sisters, finished in a five-way tie for third place. The rookie on the Symetra Tour carded a second-round 73 and completed the competition at 4-over 146.

Joining Brittany Henderson for a share of third was National Team Amateur Squad member Jennifer Ha. The Calgary native was one of four players to notch back-to-back 73s; the only difference is that the Ha was the lone amateur to do so. “It was an up and down sort of day,” said Ha of her round. “I hit the ball well and overall, I’m pretty happy with the way I played. Winning low amateur has made this event extra special.”

Ha sees the honour as a stepping stone as she heads into an important summer. “It gives me a lot of confidence going into the season. It’s going to be a big year for me as I get ready to become a professional. It gives me a boost knowing that I can finish high at a professional event. Hopefully this trend continues and I can build upon the success I found here.”

For a second day in a row, the Canadian National Team contingent fared well. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished in a four-way tie for eighth with a score of 5-over. Thornhill, Ont., native Elizabeth Tong equaled her first-day 74 for a share of 12^th place while London, Ont., product Maddie Szeryk was T14 at 7-over. Of the 23 amateurs in the field, the four National Team Amateur Squad members finished at the top.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham joins Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., as the winners of the first two legs on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour. The Tour’s third and final stop, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, will be contested July 20-22 at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont. In addition to the exemptions awarded to the Tour champions, the top two competitors on the Jocelyne Bourassa Order of Merit, who are not otherwise exempt will join the trio at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, provided they have played in at least two of the three Tour events.

The five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will also be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

Additional Information on Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario can be found here.

The second stop on the 14^th Canadian Women’s Tour saw rains come and go, but when play resumed following a three-hour delay, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Seul-Ki Park and Jennifer Greggain took to the course and conquered the wet conditions at Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club to take the lead.

Dark skies and heavy rains clouded the morning and allowed for just the first 10 groups to tee off on-time before unplayable conditions delayed the remainder of the field of 84. The downpour subsided and gave way to brilliant sunshine to mask the wet conditions on the course. Seul-Ki Park opened with a pair of birdies on her first four holes, but the Northbrook, Ill., native couldn’t maintain her quick start. She concluded her round with a bogey on hole 18 to finish at even par.

“My tee shots kind of cost me today, but I was able to make three birdies to even out my three bogeys,” said Park, when asked about her round. “I think if I tighten up a little bit, I can position myself a little bit better. But obviously, it’s not over until the last shot.

Park’s two co-leaders needed time to re-focus following the delay, but settled down as the round progressed. Chilliwack, B.C., product Jennifer Greggain finished the front nine with a bogey to fall to 2-over par, but a pair of birdies on the 13^th and 17^th holes drew her back to even.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Rebecca Lee-Bentham needed a moment to gather herself, but quickly regained her form to take a share of the lead. The Toronto native went bogey-free on her final 12 holes and added a trio of birdies, including one on her final hole, to move into the tie for first.

Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad fared well to open the competition. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., carded four birdies and sits in a three-way tie for fourth. She and Christina Foster are currently knotted for low amateur honours.

The Henderson sisters, Brooke and Brittany, opened the two-day tournament on their home course with identical 2-over 73 performances. Brooke, the younger of the two, notched birdies on the 1^st and 4^th holes, but succumbed to the difficult course conditions. Sister Brittany found her form and ended her round even across the back nine. The two are part of a six-player tie for seventh alongside National Team member Jennifer Ha of Calgary.

The remaining members of Team Canada – Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., – finished T13 and T15 respectively to put all six National Team members within the top-15 and within four strokes of the lead.

The purse for the tournament is set at $60,000 with $10,000 going to the champion.  The tournament winner will join Canadian Women’s Tour – Alberta champion Michelle Piyapattra in receiving a prized exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open taking place August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, the concluding event on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour, is set to be hosted at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont., from July 20-22. In addition to the three winner exemptions, the top two competitors on the Jocelyne Bourassa Order of Merit, who are not otherwise exempt will join the trio at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, provided they have played in at least two of the three Tour events.

The five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will also be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

The final round of Canadian Women’s Tour – Ontario is slated to get underway at 8 a.m. before the final threesome tees off at 10:10 a.m.

For full results and additional information, please visit the tournament’s official website.

Coquitlam, B.C. – Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) have announced that defending champion So Yeon Ryu will headline a list of seven past champions who have confirmed their intention to challenge for the US$2.25 million purse at the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Currently ranked No. 7 on the Rolex World Ranking, Ryu played near flawless golf last August at the London Hunt and Country Club to capture the inaugural Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. A three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Ryu’s 23-under tournament total in 2014 set a new event scoring record in relation to par.

Also confirming her intention to compete for Canada’s National Women’s Open title will be two-time champion Lydia Ko (2012 & 2013), the current World No. 2 who made history at The Vancouver Golf Club in 2012 when she captured her first LPGA Tour victory as a 15-year old amateur.

In addition to Ryu (2014) and Ko (2012 & 2013), other past champions set to compete include World No. 5 Suzann Pettersen (2009), World No. 8 Brittany Lincicome (2011), World No. 12 Cristie Kerr (2006), World No. 14 Michelle Wie (2010) and Katherine Hull (2008).

“We’re two months away from the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and we are very pleased with how our field is coming together,” said Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Tournament Director, Brent McLaughlin. “We are fortunate to have a terrific history of champions and I know it will be especially exciting for Vancouver golf fans to welcome Lydia Ko back to The Vancouver Golf Club for the first time since her amazing win in 2012.”

Golf Canada also confirmed that 17-year old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. has been granted an exemption to compete in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.  Henderson, a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad and currently the No. 51 ranked player in the world, will be making her fourth consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. In her first year as a professional, the former World No. 1 ranked amateur has amassed $317,470 in LPGA earnings including $132,725 for her tie for 5^th finish this past weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Brooke Henderson (David Cannon/ Getty Images)

“Brooke has had an outstanding start to her pro career and it comes as no surprise that she has earned an exemption to compete in Canada’s National Women’s Open for the fourth time,” said McLaughlin.  “She’s a special player and a terrific ambassador for Canadian golf and I’m sure she’ll be fan favourite once again at The Vancouver Golf Club.”

Henderson will lead a Canadian contingent that also includes four-time LPGA Tour winner and Canadian Pacific ambassador Lorie Kane of Charlottetown as well as LPGA Tour players Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto.

Additional Canadian and international exemptions into the National Women’s Open Championship will be announced in the coming weeks. A field of 156 competitors will vie for the  US$2.25 million purse when the CP Women’s Open makes its return to The Vancouver Golf Club.

Community Impact…

The 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is proud to support BC Children’s Hospital as the 2015 charity beneficiary of this year’s event.

Funds raised this year will be dedicated to the pediatric cardiology research program.

As part of its community investment program CP Has Heart, CP is matching all online donations through www.bcchf.ca/cphasheart until August 23. Fan and player favourite, Birdies for Heart, also returns this year with CP committed to donating $5,000 for every birdie made on the 17th hole. In 2014, Birdies for Heart raised more than $320,000 for charity during tournament week.

Free Admission for Juniors…

Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17 and under. In addition to free admission for juniors, parents can take advantage of discounted tickets by visiting www.cpwomensopen.com/tickets and using promo code “junior”.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Additional information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2015 or 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.

COQUITLAM, B.C. – Lorie Kane is primed for a busy summer on home soil.

The Charlottetown golfer will compete in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at Vancouver Golf Club in August, but before that she will represent her country at next month’s Pan Am Games in Toronto.

“I’ve been joking that I might be the oldest chick in the (athletes’) village,” said the 50-year-old Kane. “I get excited when the Olympics roll around, be it winter or summer. We as Canadians, that’s what we learn to watch.

“Now to have an opportunity to be a part of that, it’s going to be really exciting.”

At the Pan Ams, Kane will team up with Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., who tied for fifth this past weekend at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and has been making waves in the golf world.

“We have one goal and that is to win as many medals as we possibly can first and foremost,” Kane said after Monday’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open media event. “Brooke and I will do the best to represent the best we can.”

Kane has made just two starts this season, missing both cuts, but was encouraged by her performance at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ont., earlier this month.

“It may shock people if I say that (my game is) probably the best its been,” said Kane. “People judge by results and I do too, but I saw a lot of good things happen at Manulife. I just need to get into some more tournaments. Unfortunately my (ranking) isn’t great, but we will get some tournaments coming up here.”

Apart from the thrill of trying to win a medal for her country, Kane said that playing at the Pan Ams will hopefully get her in good form heading to the national championship at Vancouver Golf Club.

“The Pan Ams will be great for me,” she said. “That will be four rounds that I can play and really test things and see how I’m doing. I’d like to be peaking in August. I really think I can still challenge to win and that’s my ultimate goal.”

Kane has earned nearly US$7 million in her career, but has not won an LPGA event since 2001. She has been amazed at the rise of players like Henderson and 18-year-old Lydia Ko, who won the Canadian title in 2012 as an amateur at Vancouver Golf Club and will return in 2015.

Ko also won the 2013 Canadian title at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton.

“You can’t hold them back,” said Kane. “They’re old beyond their days. Ya they have no fear, but they’re very tactical in what they do and how they play the game.

“The tour is so deep that any player can win on any given day.”

RYE, N.Y. – Brooke Henderson has been working hard at earning money on the LPGA Tour to earn her playing privileges for 2016.

On Monday, the 17-year-old Henderson and older sister Brittany, who is playing on the developmental Symetra Tour this season, will turn to raising money for others.

Team Henderson will host the fund-raising Magenta Mortgage Pro-Am in their hometown of Smiths Falls at the Smiths Falls Golf and Country Club where the sisters developed their emerging talents.

The pro-am will feature pros from the Canadian Women’s Tour who will be competing in their second of three tournaments in Smiths Falls on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The money raised will be used to help Smiths Falls Bears hockey player Neil Doef, who suffered a spinal cord injury while playing at the World Under 17 Championship, and his family, the Lanark County Support Services (where the Hendersons’ mother Darlene worked) and the Team Henderson 110% Club.

“We always think it’s important to give back and to do what we can to help others. It’s very important and a value of our family,” said Brooke after completing her third round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Saturday.

“It’ll be a fun day and there will be a lot of exciting things will happen. It’ll be nice to give back to Neil Doef his family and also to my mom’s work, Lanark County Support Services and help with a new program that they are trying to build and also to help my sister and me out on the road, as well.

“It’ll be a great day and hopefully we’ll raise a lot of money.”

Doef was paralyzed below the waist after being hit at the U17 Championships. Through extensive physiotherapy he has regained some feeling his legs.

There has been an outpouring of support across Canada for the popular player.

“He’s a really close friend of mine. He’s an awesome guy and his family is incredible, super nice people,” said Brooke. “As much as the town has done for him and the local area and all of Canada, is really amazing. We’re hoping to just be a little part of that.”

The Canadian Women’s Tour is in its 14^th season and will offer five exemptions into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Aug. 17-23 at the Vancouver Golf Club.

The winner of each of the three events will be given an exemption and two other exemptions will be awarded to the top two finishers on the Tour’s Order of Merit not otherwise exempt.

There is a total of $180,000 up for grabs while the winner of each 36-hole event wins $10,000.

Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., won the first leg at the Glencoe Golf and Country Club near Calgary in May with a 4-under par total of 140, three shots better than Seul-Ki Park.

Piyapattra also won the first even on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour.

The Women’s Tour has also been important in providing a stage for players like Brooke Henderson to hone her skills.

She won last year’s Ontario event and the 2014 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

The final 2015 event will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, conducted in partnership with the PGA of Canada, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont., July 20-22.

The top five finishers on the Order of Merit also earn direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying.

HARRISON, N.Y.  – Inbee Park won her third consecutive Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday – and accomplished a whole lot more.

Park also regained the No. 1 ranking in the word, surpassed idol Se Ri Pak for the most majors by a South Korean player with six, tied the LPGA Tour record for the lowest score in a major in relation to par at 19 under and, in her own mind, cemented a place in women’s golf history.

“Obviously, putting my name alongside like Annika Sorenstam or Patty Berg, legends of golf, just being a part of history of this golf tournament, I feel extremely honored, and I can’t believe that I just did it,” Park said.

The 26-year-old Park closed with a bogey-free 5-under 68 at Westchester Country Club, finishing the season’s second major five strokes ahead of 22-year-old compatriot Sei Young Kim. Park had 22 birdies and only three bogeys in 72 holes.

“I played great the last three days,” she said. “I couldn’t believe myself. I made no bogeys for three days.”

Park and Sorenstam (2003-2005) are only players to win the event previously called the LPGA Championship three consecutive years. It also was Park’s fifth victory in the last 12 majors.

Park won the previous two years in playoffs in Pittsford, New York, taking the 2013 event at Locust Hill and the 2014 tournament at Monroe Golf Club.

Park birdied the par-5 final hole. She chipped her third shot to 5 feet, then sank the putt and threw her arms in the air as a fan yelled “Three-peat!”

It was her 56th consecutive hole without a bogey.

Kim, a two-time winner this season as a rookie, started the day two strokes back. She bogeyed the third and the fourth holes, then reeled off four consecutive birdies, holing a long putt on the eighth to pull within a shot of the lead.

That was as close as she would get.

A three-stroke swing on the ninth hole put Park in charge. She made a birdie putt, then watched as Kim three-putted for double bogey. Kim finished with a 71.

“Everything fell apart at the ninth hole,” Kim said through an interpreter.

Lexi Thompson was third at 12 under after a 66. She had eight birdies on her first 13 holes.

Thompson pulled within two strokes with her birdie on the 13th. But she missed a chance on the par-5 15th hole, hitting her tee shot well right and scrambled to make par. She then bogeyed the 16th to end her chances.

“(I) just take a lot of positives from it knowing that I can pull off a round on Sunday here,” Thompson said. “It means a lot and I’m going to take a lot of confidence going into my upcoming tournaments.”

Brittany Lincicome, the winner of the first major of the year at the ANA Inspiration, finished fourth at 11 under. She birdied the final hole for a 68.

Seventeen-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson tied for fifth with Morgan Pressel at 10 under. Her $132,725 check will help in Henderson’s bid to earn a tour card for next year. She needs to either win a tournament or finish with the equivalent of the 40th player on the money list to avoid qualifying school after being denied an age exemption.

Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp signed for a final round 76 to finish tied for 65th.

The shot of the day came from Hyo Joo Kim with a hole-in-one on the 149-yard 14th hole. She finished with a 71 to tie for ninth at 8 under.

With No. 1 Lydia Ko missing the cut for the first time in 54 tries, No. 2 Park needed to finish just 29th or better to retake the top spot she last held in February. It will be her third stay at the top of the rankings. She was to the No. 1 for 59 weeks in 2013.

Park earned $525,000 for her third LPGA Tour victory of the season and 15th overall.

She joined Sorenstam, Pak, Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Wright as the only players to win the event at least three times. Wright won it four times.

“I think I always dreamed myself being a part of history, leaving my name, even before I die, there is my name on this trophy” Park said. “There’s a name on the U.S. Open trophy. There’s my name on great championships.”

HARRISON, N.Y. – South Korean stars Inbee Park and Sei Yong Kim added another chapter to their friendly rivalry on Saturday.

Park shot a 7-under 66 and overtook Kim on the final hole to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Kim, a rookie who came into the day with a one-stroke lead, shot a 69. The two had battled all afternoon each went into the final hole at 13-under par. But Park, who needed just 28 putts Saturday, made her seventh birdie of the day on 18, and Kim missed a 4-foot putt for par.

The 26-year-old Park said her experience in winning this tournament each of the last two years may give her a bit of an advantage Sunday over her 22-year-old countrywoman. Kim has won twice this season, but will be looking for her first major championship on Sunday.

“It feels like the first time is always hard, always hard to do and it puts extra pressure on yourself,” Park said. “But when you’re trying to do the second, third time in a row, it just feels like you’ve done your homework already. So you feel a little bit more relaxed and you kind of know how it feels like and how it’s going to play like.”

Kim said she plans to use the bogey on the 18th as “medicine” on Sunday to help her get better.

She also has a recent history that should give her some confidence. Kim beat Park at the Lotte Open in Hawaii by chipping in to force a playoff and holing out from 154 yards on the first sudden-death hole.

“Well, that’s a past story,” Kim said. “I want to write a new story tomorrow.”

A win here could allow Park to catch top-ranked Lydia Ko in the rankings. Ko missed the cut on Friday, ending her streak of 53 consecutive made cuts.

Park could also tie Annika Sorenstam (2003-05), who is the only golfer who has claimed this title in three consecutive years, an accomplishment Park would list among the most impressive in her career.

“I have to say it would be pretty close to winning three majors in a row,” she said. “That was my biggest accomplishment ever in my career, but if I’m able to do this tomorrow, I think that will definitely be like tied for first.”

Kim and Park will go into Sunday with some separation from the rest of the pack. Suzann Pettersen and 17-year-old Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson each shot a 71. They ended tied with Hall of Famer Karrie Webb for third place at 8-under par, six strokes back of Park.

Henderson is attempting to become the youngest winner of a major championship. She is also looking for a win that would assure her a spot on the Tour next year after being denied an age exemption.

“This year is definitely a learning experience for me,” she said. “It’s a year where I’m trying to play my best and get my card for next year … whether it’s the money list or the win this year, or go to Q-School. My goal is to have full status next year.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Webb. The 40-year-old is attempting to become the second-oldest winner in the 60 year history of the event. Webb was in second place to start the day, but had to overcome bogeys on her first two holes to shoot a 72. She will be trying to win her eighth major.

“If I had told you I was going to shoot 1-under today, I wouldn’t have thought I was going to be six behind,” she said. “It’s going to take a big round tomorrow from me and probably some help from the leaders.

Pettersen is on a hot streak after winning last week in Ontario, for her 15th tour victory, her first since October 2013.

Morgan Pressel is in sixth place. She went 5-under on the back nine to finish a round of 69, including an eagle after on 18.

“When I got to the 18th tee and I saw that the tee was moved up a little bit, plus it was downwind, I said to my caddie, I said definitely we can get there today if we hit a good drive and I did,” she said.

Brittany Lincicome, who won the first LPGA major of the year at the ANA Inspiration, moved into contention and a three-way tie for seventh place.

After dropping two strokes the first eight holes, she made five consecutive birdies on the ninth through 13 holes. The 29-year-old American picked up a sixth on the 15th hole and had a birdie putt lip out on No. 17. She finished with a 69.

“I always like to be coming from behind,” she said. “I don’t like leading after two or three rounds because it makes me more nervous, I have to do more interviews and there’s more attention, so if I’m coming from behind and chasing people, it seems to be more of my comfort zone.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 2-over 75 and is tied for 47th entering Sunday. Sharp is 2-over for the tournament.

HARRISON, N.Y. – Sei Young Kim of South Korea has already won twice in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour.

Now the 22-year-old is taking aim at a major title, making an eagle on the 15th hole for a 5-under 68 Friday and a one-shot lead after the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Kim overtook Hall-of-Famer Karrie Webb, who birdied the 18th for a 71. Kim, who turned pro in 2010 and played on the LPGA of Korea Tour, shot bogey-free golf to finish at 8-under 138 at the Westchester Country Club.

“My goal for this year is to become top five,” Kim said through an interpreter, “and if I win a major, I could be one step closer.”

Two-time defending champion Inbee Park (68) joined Webb a stroke back.

Suzann Pettersen rallied with seven birdies for the best round of the day at 66 and tied Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson (73) at 6 under. Overnight leader Jenny Shin (75) and third-ranked Stacy Lewis (71) were three shots behind the leader.

Pettersen improved her score from the opening round by eight shots, making seven birdies from No. 5 to No. 15. Coached by Butch Harmon, Pettersen was coming off a win in Canada.

“I felt my speed of the greens was a little bit off yesterday. But stuck to the game plan,” she said. “I didn’t practice much after. I’m right where I want to be.”

Top-ranked Lydia Ko (76) missed the cut, which was 2 over, ending her streak of 53 consecutive made cuts. She had a double bogey on No. 2 to start her day and finished with four bogeys and three birdies.

“I just made a double and just couldn’t get anything turned around,” said the 18-year-old from New Zealand. “I missed a lot of 9-footers. I made two good putts the last two holes; it was already kind of too late.”

Kim won LPGA Tour events in the Bahamas and Hawaii this year. She said she likes the West Course, and watched a talented male pro play on the longtime home of the PGA Tour event now called The Barclays.

“I was inspired by Tiger Woods, how he was able to make shots and shot-making,” Kim said.

The 40-year-old Webb had three birdies and a bogey on the par-3 16th on another steamy day with temperatures in the 80s, which helped dry the greens. She hit her pitch shot within 5 feet on the par-5, 525-yard final hole.

“Nice to finish with a birdie on the last,” Webb said. “It was a little bit more difficult today. I think the greens really dried out a little bit. It was still quite challenging to get the ball close to the hole.”

The 17-year-old Henderson had five birdies and five bogeys in an up-and-down round with her father Dave as caddie. After three-putting on her final hole Thursday to finish a shot behind Shin, she bogeyed two of the first five holes on Friday.

She hit her approach shot at No. 17 within 8 feet for a possible birdie putt and a tie for the lead, but it ran past on the right.

“I didn’t have my A game,” said Henderson, playing in her fourth major. “I hit a lot of shots just really close to being really good but would just roll off the back because the greens. Just one of those days you have to learn from and move on.”

Henderson, who turned pro in December, is playing on a sponsor exemption because she is below the LPGA Tour’s age requirement of 18.

“It’s really exciting seeing my name up there with Stacy Lewis and Karrie Webb and all the big names,” she said. “It’s awesome. I think I just have to stay patient, stay consistent and keep working on my game and I think good things will happen.”

After shooting a bogey-free, 7-under 66 Thursday for a one-stroke lead after the opening round, Shin needed nine more shots on Friday. The 22-year-old Shin, who is seeking her first major, started on No. 10 and eagled the par-5, 525 yard 18th hole. But she had bogeys on Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 8, with a birdie on No. 7, to finish the front nine at 39.

“I wanted to shoot under par and try to get away from everybody as much as possible and do the Jordan Spieth and win by like 10 shots,” Shin said. “But I was so frustrated, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I made so many bogeys.”

Lewis recovered from a double bogey on No. 2 with consecutive birdies on the sixth and seventh holes and capped her round with a tap-in birdie at the 18th.

“I think the officials didn’t quite like the 7 under they saw yesterday, so the golf course was set up a lot tougher,” said Lewis, a two-time major winner. “It played more like a major, which I like.”

Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, and British teenager Charley Hull were in a group at 4 under. Hull, tied for the lead at 8 under at the 12th, bogeyed four of the last six holes to finish at 74.

Michelle Wie, bothered by ankle and hip injuries, birdied the 18th for a 72 to make the cut.

Canadian Alena Sharp shot a 1-over-par 74 today to make it to the weekend. Rebecca Lee-Betham shot a round of even par today but missed the cut along with fellow Canadian Sue Kim.

The 14th Canadian Women’s Tour continues with its second stop of the season heading to Smiths Falls, Ont. at the Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club from June 15-17.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brooke Henderson – the highest ranked Canadian professional – and her older sister Brittany will headline the competition to be contested at their home club. The younger Henderson is the defending champion of the Canadian Women’s Tour’s Ontario stop, having won last year’s event as an amateur in Niagara Falls. The 17-year-old went on to claim the Tour’s finale at the 2014 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

This year’s event will open with the sisters’ inaugural charity Pro-Am – the “Magenta Mortgage Pro-Am presented by Mike Fair Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac Ltd. in support of the Team Henderson 110% Club” on Monday, June 15 before a field of 86 Canadian and international professionals and amateurs tee off for the 36-hole competition on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The purse for the tournament is set at $60,000 with a $10,000 share awarded to the winner. The champion will also receive an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open taking place August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.

“Golf Canada is thrilled to bring the Ontario stop of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour to Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Tournament Director for the event. “We will have a strong and experienced field with a number of players looking to impress friends and family in attendance. With an exemption into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open for the taking, it should be a very exciting tournament on a beautiful course.”

The Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club will test the talented athletes with a variety of elevation changes, well-protected greens and a winding layout through sprawling forests of mature cedar, spruce and evergreens.

Among those in contention will be Corona, Calif., native Michelle Piyapattra, who won the Tour’s first stop earlier this month at Calgary’s Glencoe Golf & Country Club. It was the second consecutive year in which she emerged victorious on the Tour’s first leg. Piyapattra is currently in her rookie season on the Symetra Tour.

A number of former Canadian Women’s Tour champions will be joining Piyapattra and the Henderson sisters, including Jessica Boris née Shepley. The Oakville, Ont., product has registered multiple victories on the Tour and has claimed two PGA Women’s Championship of Canada titles. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C., will also set their sights on returning to the winners’ circle of the Canadian Women’s Tour.

Canada’s national teams will be well-represented at the competition. Joining Brooke Henderson from the Young Pro Squad will be Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., who finished tied for fourth at both the 2011 and 2012 Tour stops in B.C. The four members of Canada’s National Amateur Team – Calgary native Jennifer Ha, Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., and Allen, Tex. product Maddie Szeryk who is coming off a strong freshman year at Texas A&M – will also vie for the prized exemption into the 43rd playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

The final stop on the tour, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, is scheduled for July 20-22 at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont.

The champions of each Canadian Women’s Tour event will earn entry into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Also joining the field will be the top two competitors on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit who are not otherwise exempt, provided they play in at least two of the three events.

The five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will also be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

For more information please visit the tournament’s official website.

HARRISON, N.Y – South Korean Jenny Shin kept moving up the leaderboard, chasing Hall-of-Famer Karrie Webb.

Shin eventually caught her, shooting a bogey-free, 7-under 66 Thursday for a one-stroke lead after the opening round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.

“I was chasing the leaderboard all day, and I was surprised that Webby was at 6 under at one point,” said the 22-year-old Shin. “I got there and was like `Maybe I can get one more on the 18th hole,’ and I did.”

Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson had a three-putt bogey on her final hole at the ninth to drop a shot back after Shin birdied No. 18 at the Westchester Country Club.

“I hit it well all day, I’m disappointed with the finish on the last hole,” said the 17-year-old Henderson, who was playing on a sponsor exemption.

Webb birdied three of the first four holes and finished at 68. The 40-year-old Webb started her round in hazy conditions at No. 10 and shot a 4-under 33 on the opening nine. She had a bogey-free round until she dropped a shot on the seventh when she missed the fairway left and hit the front bunker.

“I hit a wedge to a foot and a half on 10 and that settled me in,” Webb said. “Hit the green in two on 12 and had about a 15-footer for eagle. I really put some very solid swings on it early on.”

Shin had five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th. She spoke to her sports psychologist on Wednesday night to help calm her nerves.

“I was freaking out for this round, so I tried to play as comfortable as I can, just like any other tournament,” Shin said. “I tried not to think of it as a major and it turned out great. I had a couple of bogey-free rounds last week, so I think I’m on a good run.”

Americans Brittany Lincicome, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis were in a large group that finished four strokes back at 70 in steamy temperatures that reached the mid-80s. Lincicome, the winner of the first major at the ANA Inspiration in April, eagled the par-5 15th and followed with a birdie on 16.

Two-time defending champion Inbee Park shot a 71. Top-ranked teenager Lydia Ko was another stroke back, and Suzann Pettersen, coming off a win in Canada, finished at 74. Michelle Wie, bothered by a hip injury, shot 75.

Shin, who is seeking her first major, had three birdies on the front nine to gain on Webb, a seven-time major winner.

Henderson, who turned pro in December, is below the LPGA Tour’s age requirement of 18. But she made the most of her sponsor exemption.

Henderson birdied No. 10, her opening hole, and added birdies at Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 15. For her eagle on the par-5, 274 yard 12th hole, she hit a 7-wood 204 yards and the ball landed three feet from the cup.

Then came the three-putt on her final hole, where she “tried to hit it a little too hard and had an 8-footer to save par.”

The 29-year-old Lincicome, who is seeking her third major, is one of the longest hitters on the tour. She used a 4-iron from 203 yards out and got within 30 feet for her eagle on the par-5, 497-yard 15th.

“The putt, if I hadn’t hit the hole, it probably would have gone off the green,” she said. “(My caddie) asked if I had dented the cup.”

Park finished with a birdie on 18, one of five on the day along with a bogey. The South Korean has won five majors, including three straight in 2013.

Kerr had a bogey on the par-5, 551-yard fifth hole and four birdies on the West Course that she often plays when in New York. She’s familiar with the sloping greens at the longtime home of the PGA Tour event now called The Barclays.

“The front nine, I had a bunch of chances and a couple putts lipped out,” Kerr said. “I just tried to stay patient and got off to a great start on the back nine.”

Alena Sharp carded a 1-under 72, while fellow Canadians Sue Kim and Rebecca Lee-Bentham both posted rounds of 78.

BIRDIES: Annika Sorenstam, a winner of 10 majors and three Women PGA Championships, said she walked the course. “It’s a tough course, the greens and some blind holes where you really have to commit yourself. The scores are not that low, not many birdies. It will be a typical grinder week.” … Lincicome ran into Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza at the Mets game on Tuesday night and got a picture with him. … Playing with Kerr and Jessica Korda, Lincicome bet $5 for every birdie after a slow start. “Korda birdied the last, so we were tied, unfortunately,” Lincicome said. “We just kind of needed something to motivate us to get back in it. We didn’t let Kerr in because she was already making too many.”