OTTAWA – Lorie Kane patted her heart to thank the hundreds of fans cheering for her as she walked up the 18th fairway at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Behind Kane, her niece Charlotte Jenkins _ who served as her caddie _ waved the crowd on to get the chants even louder. When Kane reached the edge of the green she took a bow to rapturous applause.

The loving tribute was a fitting farewell for one of the most successful and influential golfers in Canadian history.

Kane, who turns 58 this December, had already announced that this year’s CP Women’s Open would be her last. As it was clear she would miss Friday’s cut, fans, officials and volunteers came out to watch her last round ever at the national women’s golf championship.

“It’s very humbling,” said Kane about the ovation. “I love to entertain, but when it’s directed totally at you, it’s really ? it’s uncomfortable.”

That instinct to entertain lasted right through her final two holes.

On the hockey-themed No. 17, Kane pulled on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, wearing a mischievous grin as chants of “Lorie! Lorie!” turned into boos and calls of “Go Sens!” and “Anybody but the Leafs!” She stopped to fist bump only one fan at that hole, pointing at his Maple Leafs windbreaker before tossing him a keepsake.

“I just played golf to put smiles on people’s faces,” said Kane. “I know the Leafs jersey didn’t go over quite as well as I would have hoped, but it was fun.”

After the rousing ovation on her approach on the 18th hole Kane missed her first putt. As the crowd groaned she made an exaggerated shrug to laughs before tapping in her final shot, finishing 28 over.

Kane thanked Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith, her playing partners on Friday and Saturday, as she grinded out her final two rounds at the CP Women’s Open.

Sharp shot a 1-over 72 to finish the day tied for 57th at 3-under par when play was called due to darkness. She said it was an honour to play alongside Kane, who had been such a positive influence on her career.

“I grew up watching her and then playing with her out here on the LPGA Tour, it’s great. She’s a legend,” said Sharp. “It’s cool to be part of (Kane’s final rounds).

“With all of her successes I think it gave everybody inspiration to play well. You can win on the LPGA Tour.”

Kane, from Charlottetown, won on the LPGA Tour four times. She won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press’s female athlete of the year in 2000. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2006 and has been inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Maddie Szeryk (68) of London, Ont., was the low Canadian after two rounds. She had her second consecutive bogey-free day to sit in a tie for 13th at 7 under.

“I just played really solid. I hit a bunch of greens and putted it OK,” said Szeryk, who had back-to-back bogey-free rounds for the first time in her career.

Brooke Henderson, from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 3-under 68 to sit at 5 under in a tie for 32nd. Amateur Lauren Zaretsky (71) of Thornhill, Ont., also made the cut, tied with Sharp at 3 under.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham was through 15 holes and sat at 4 under when the horn sounded. She will resume her second round early Saturday morning, looking to stay below the 2 under cutline.

Several Canadians missed the cut on Friday. Selena Costabile, also from Thornhill, Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Valerie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., will not play in the third or fourth rounds.

Amateurs Vanessa Zhang, Michelle Liu and 12-year-old Lucy Lin, all from Vancouver, will not play the weekend rounds. Amateurs Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Sarah-Eve Rheaume of Boischatel, Que., and Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., also missed the cut.

From all of us who have been lucky enough to have witnessed your career, thank you.

You are the superlative ambassador for @CanadianPacific, @GolfCanada, the @LPGA & all of ??.

WE are the lucky ones. pic.twitter.com/RLqRHoVlHb

— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) August 27, 2022

OTTAWA – LPGA Tour rookie Narin An hasn’t won in North America yet but she’s put herself in a good position to at the CP Women’s Open.

An shot a 6-under 65 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead, 13 under overall, at the Canadian women’s golf championship. The 26-year-old from South Korea’s lead was safe as second-round play was suspended due to darkness.

“I don’t have experience winning in the U.S., but I do have some experience in Korea, so it’s not an unfamiliar feeling right now,” said An of her lead. “I hope to put up good results the next two days just like I did yesterday and today.”

An has played most of her golf on the LPGA of Korea Tour until this season. She believes her experience on that tour will translate well to this continent.

“I don’t think there’s that big a difference between Canada, the U.S., and Korea,” she said. “There’s different environments here, so I need more time to adjust to each one.”

Fellow Korean Hye-Jin Choi (63) sat in a tie for second with American Nelly Korda (64) and first-round leader Paula Reto (69) of South Africa at 11 under overall. Sarah Schmetzel (64) of the United States and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (67) were tied for fifth at 9 under.

Reto had rocketed up the leaderboard on Thursday when she fired a course-record 9-under 62. She said her putting wasn’t as sharp in the second round, which is why the lead slipped away from her.

“My speed on the greens was a little bit off. I was ramming the putts by, so my lines and speed didn’t match, so I just didn’t make any putts,” said Reto. “I had a couple close looks but they didn’t go in because of that.”

Play was suspended for two hours due to heavy rain and lightning around Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club on Friday morning. That delayed the tee times for the afternoon wave, with many of them having to finish their second rounds early Saturday morning.

“I thought rain would continue to come and I’m glad it didn’t,” said An. “I definitely had to focus more in the event that it would rain again.”

Maddie Szeryk (68) of London, Ont., finished her round just before darkness fell on the course. She had her second consecutive bogey-free day to sit in a tie for 13th at 7 under and was the low Canadian after two rounds.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done that before,” said Szeryk of the two mistake-free rounds. “I just played really solid. I hit a bunch of greens and putted it OK.

“I hit it well, so I wasn’t ever really in a lot of trouble. It’s pretty cool. I definitely don’t think I’ve done that before.”

Brooke Henderson, from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 3-under 68 to sit at 5 under in a tie for 32nd. The horn sounded to suspend play due to the weather just as she putted for birdie on her second hole. As the horn echoed around the course her putt dropped in the cup.

“I hit it and I was startled because I heard the sound, so it was nice to see it go in,” said Henderson. “My brother-in-law was calling me Michael Jordan for the buzzer beater.”

Amateur Lauren Zaretsky (71) of Thornhill, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (72) also made the cut. They were tied for 57th at 3 under when play was called.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham was through 15 holes when the horn sounded and sat at 4 under. She will resume her second round early Saturday morning, looking to stay below the 2 under cutline.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Lorie Kane of Charlottetown played her 30th and final round at the CP Women’s Open. She missed the cut.

OTTAWA – Hundreds of fans followed local hero Brooke Henderson around Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, even as her five-year-old course record was falling elsewhere.

South Africa’s Paula Reto fired a 9-under 62 to rocket up the leaderboard for a two-stroke lead in the first round of the CP Women’s Open on Thursday. That topped Henderson’s 8-under 63 in 2017 when the Canadian national women’s championship was last held in Ottawa.

Reto wasn’t even aware she was making history until she came off the ninth green, having started her round on No. 10.

“I didn’t know it was the course record, so kind of finding out after my round takes the pressure off,” said Reto, who learned about her new record from an LPGA official as she approached reporters for a post-round interview.

“I’m happy about it. You know, I’m hoping to do some more good rounds coming here.”

Reto set a blistering pace in her first nine holes with six birdies to start her day. A birdie on the par-5 No. 9 to finish her day clinched the record.

“Usually when I make two, three, birdies I feel like it’s going to be a good day whether I either make a few more or not,” said Reto. “Under par is always good but to go low is fun and to have no bogeys.”

South Korea’s Narin An sat in sole possession of second after a 7-under 64. Americans Robyn Ree, Lilia Vu, and Emma Talley were tied for third at 6-under 65.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., were the low Canadians, finishing the day tied for 16th at 4-under 67. Amateur Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., had a hole-in-one to finish her round in a group tied for 30th.

“I just came in with no expectations, really,” said Sharp. “Just wanted to get a good feel on that first nine, make good decisions and hit some good shots, and putts went in.”

Henderson, from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., and Selena Costabile of Thornhill were tied for 51st at 2 under.

Despite an underwhelming first-round result, the 24-year-old Henderson remained the star of the show. As the winningest professional in Canadian golf history _ regardless of gender _ and a local hero, she drew fans wherever she went around her home course.

“It was unreal. It’s so cool to have that much love and support,” said a smiling Henderson. “They’re happy even when I bogeyed the last hole. They were still cheering for me.

“It’s just an amazing feeling and I can’t wait for hopefully a better day tomorrow, and just can’t wait to hear some bigger roars.”

Henderson had a hot start, with three straight birdies to open her round to the delight of the large gallery that followed her around the course. However, a bogey on her fifth hole and then two more on her 16th and 18th holes submarined her day.

The 12-time LPGA champion seemed relaxed and confident despite the disappointing finish.

“I was hitting the ball well, playing pretty well, too. I feel like the score doesn’t show as well as I played,” said Henderson. “I was just trying to embrace the fans and enjoy the moment.”

The CP Women’s Open has not been held since 2019 because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in back-to-back years.

Many people have a childhood memory of reading through the Guinness World Records, finding out who had made record-setting marks in their favorite sport or held some obscure “World’s Most” title. Now, six LPGA Tour players have added their names to the Guinness files.

On Tuesday at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, two groups of three LPGA Tour players took to the par-3 17th hole in search of their place in Guinness World Record history. The goal? Make the most pars or better on a hole, set to at least 160 yards, in 3 minutes. LPGA Tour and Golf Canada Rules Officials were on site to ensure each hole was completed, not to mention an official Guinness World Records observer making sure the event met Guinness regulations. 

First up, the trio of Megan Khang, Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Pauline Roussin, playing alternate-shot format, flew around 17 to complete five holes and set the Record.

“We realized by the green that it was a pretty long hole, so we were just trying to come up with a strategy. We were like, okay, maybe we can do this probably, I would say four, five times,” said Khang. “Then I think it kind of hit. The pressure hit when it was like, okay, the horn blew and we were like, okay, we got to go, we got to go.”

Five holes was a short-lived mark, as A Lim Kim, Jennifer Kupcho and Alison Lee bested them with six completed holes and the official Guinness World Record. All six players will receive official plaques and recognition from Guinness World Records for their feats. 

“We lost the coin toss and so we had to go first, and I would like to think that we helped Alison, Jennifer and A Lim kind of see how to play the hole,” Khang joked. “But no, it was a ton of fun out there. There was some trash talking out there for sure. I mean, you don’t realize how quickly three minutes goes.”

Watch video footage below.

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On Tuesday, August 23, the Ottawa Infinity Centre played host to the CP Women’s Leadership Summit.

Now in its fifth year, the Summit brought together influential leaders across business and sports with impactful speakers lending diverse perspectives regarding diversity of thought and women in leadership.

The conference was hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton and included segments on Power, Passion, & Perseverance, Women of Impact, Women of Colour in Golf, and wrapped up with a fireside chat with keynote speaker and serial entrepreneur Arlene Dickinson.

Watch the full conference below.

OTTAWA, Ont. – When Michelle Liu qualified for the 2019 CP Women’s Open at 12 years, 9 months and 6 days old, it was a record that many thought would last for the foreseeable future.

Then came Lucy Lin.

On Monday, Lin earned a spot in the 2022 CP Women’s Open via a 3-for-1 playoff in the Final Qualifier at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. and when she tees it up at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club on Thursday at the age of 12 years, 7 months and 12 days, she will become the youngest female ever to qualify for Canada’s National Women’s Open.

The Vancouver, B.C., native scrambled out the gates, making two bogeys and a double on her opening four holes. Five pars followed as she steadied the ship before shifting it into high gear. On the back nine, Lin, who finished as the runner-up in this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, rolled in four birdies to get into a playoff.

 “Honestly, I was just trying to hit every shot the best I can. [I] was a bit nervous, but I tried to just stay patient,” said Lin. “I had a rough start, but I had to come back.”

In the playoff, the 12-year-old made par on No. 7 at The Marshes to advance to her first ever LPGA Tour event.

“I had driver and then like a 128-yard shot and it was dark out, so I couldn’t see really well, but I just tried to do my swing and I tried to make my putt, but it was close,” said Lin.

In the end it didn’t matter. The champion of the NextGen Western Championship’s tap in par booked her ticket to the CP Women’s Open.

Lin says she thinks her mom, who follows her at every tournament, will be on the bag come Thursday and says she looks forward to “seeing those great players and having a great experience.”

The aforementioned Liu also advanced to her second CP Women’s Open with an even-par 72, author of the lowest score of the day along with Gianna Clemente, a 14-year-old from Estero, Florida. Canadian Vanessa Zhang posted a one-over par 71 to clinch her spot at the national championship.

“Just knowing how the overall experience works, I know that’s definitely something that will make the environment a little less foreign to me,” said Liu, who previously held the record as the youngest female to ever qualify for the tournament. “Having the experience of playing in an event where there are spectators and there are camera people, it not being the first time I’ve been in this situation will definitely, I hope, be advantageous to me.”

At the mere age of 12 in 2019, Liu, for obvious reason, found herself far back in the fairway from her older competitors. That is something she figures will change this time around.

“Over the three years from 2019 to today, you know, I hit my driver further, I think I’ve had a lot of experience because I’ve played in other events that really mattered, so I hope that can all coalesce into something that will help me play better.”

The CP Women’s Open takes place August 25-28 at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) announced today the final field of competitors set to challenge for the 2022 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22-28 at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

After winning the event in 2019, current Rolex Rankings world no. 1 Jin Young Ko will look to defend her title after two years of cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 13-time LPGA Tour winner leads a stellar field that includes 82 of the top-100 players on the CME Globe standings including 18 of the top-20.

Canadian sensation and CP ambassador Brooke Henderson from nearby Smith’s Falls, Ont., who won the event in 2018, is sure to be crowd favourite once again at Canada’s National Open Championship. The 24-year-old honorary member at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club is a 12-time LPGA Tour champion and two-time major winner—the most accomplished Canadian professional golfer in history.

Joining Henderson (2) and Ko (10) among the top-20 CME Globe standing competitors are Minjee Lee (1), Jennifer Kupcho (3), Lydia Ko (4),  In Gee Chun (5), Atthaya Thitikul (6), Lexi Thompson (7), Nasa Hataoka (8), Celine Boutier (9), Hye-Jin Choi (12), Madelene Sagstrom (14), Ayaka Furue (15), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (16), Ashleigh Buhai (17), Danielle Kang (18), Xiyu Lin (19), and Hannah Green (20). Other global stars set to compete include Rolex World No. 3 Nelly Korda, No. 12 Sei Young Kim, No. 14 Jessica Korda, No. 25 Anna Nordqvist and No. 31 Charley Hull.

The field will include 14 in-year winners including all five 2022 LPGA Tour Major winners as well as seven past CP Women’s Open champions – Jin Young Ko (2019), Brooke Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), Lydia Ko (2012, 2013 & 2015), So Yeon Ryu (2014) and Cristie Kerr (2006).

Henderson will also headline a field of 15 Canadians competing in the 48^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship alongside fellow LPGA Tour players Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. and LPGA Tour veteran Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. The group will be joined by Team Canada Young Pro athletes Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., and Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. Reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., who finished runner-up last week at the US Women’s Amateur will be joined by fellow Team Canada members Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and Sarah-Eve Rhéaume of Boischatel, Que., as well as Katie Cranston Oakville, Ont. and Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont. Also receiving an exemption to compete in the 2022 CP Women’s Open is Valerie Tanguay of Saint Hyacinthe, Que. as well as Team Canada member Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., who recently turned professional.

CP ambassador Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, P.E.I. will be in Ottawa competing in her record 30^th and final career appearance as a player at the CP Women’s Open. A member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Canada Sports Hall of Fame, Kane made her debut at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship in 1991 and has played in each of the 29 tournaments since.

“The field is set, and we are extremely proud to the welcome the world’s best players back to our Nation’s Capital for the 48^th playing of the CP Women’s Open,” said Ryan Paul, Tournament Director of the CP Women’s Open. “After two years of cancelation because of the pandemic, we know that Canadian golf fans and event enthusiasts are excited to join us at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club for the celebrated return of the LPGA Tour to Canada.”

The final four exemptions into the 2022 CP Women’s Open will be awarded on Monday, August 22 at the Monday Qualifier played at The Marshes Golf Club.

A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2022 CP Women’s Open is available online here.

The field of 156 competitors will vie for the $2.35 million USD purse with the champion taking home $352,500.

2022 CP WOMEN’S OPEN TICKETS
One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CP Women’s Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour. General admission tickets, starting at just $20 for early week access, provide access to the grounds to get an up-close look at the stars of the LPGA Tour. Tournament rounds for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are just $50; a Sunday final-round ticket is $60; and a weeklong, fully transferable badge is $120. A specially priced youth ticket (13-17 years old) is also available while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long. A full list of ticket packages and pricing is available online at www.cpwomensopen.com/tickets.

CP HAS HEART CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE CHEO FOUNDATION:
Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada are proud to support the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2022 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 15 at Ottawa Hunt with $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CP is also proud to support a community beneficiary in the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation in support paediatric cardiac care. In the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, more than $13 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.
 
CP WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OF TOURNAMENT WEEK:
Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific will host the fifth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 23 at the Infinity Convention Centre as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2022 CP Women’s Open. The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit, which will be headlined by renowned Canadian venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson as the keynote speaker, will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week. For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including panels, tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.  
 
2022 CP WOMEN’S OPEN WELCOME “THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE:
Golf Canada is pleased to introduce the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience to the CP Women’s Open for the first time. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17^th hole at Ottawa Hunt.
 
CP WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST:
The 2022 CP Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel. For the first time ever, the CP Women’s Open will also be broadcast on US network television with Sunday’s final round coverage on CBS. A full schedule of TV Times and on course activities can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com

GOLF CANADA MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE
Spectators at Ottawa Hunt will experience the CP Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on their iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, mobile ordering, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and unique events. Golf enthusiasts can also use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance their everyday golf experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

ABOUT THE CP WOMEN’S OPEN 
The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CP Women’s Open from August 22-28, 2022, at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario. Through its CP Has Heart program, title sponsor CP will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the Perth and Smith Falls District Hospital Foundation and the CHEO Foundation. The 2022 CP Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CP, Audi, RBC, Levelwear, Coca-Cola, Hilton, Ace Beverage Group, Cub Cadet, Titleist, FootJoy, Matt & Steve’s, JOURNIE Rewards, Recipe Unlimited, theScore Bet, BDO Canada, Sleeman Breweries, Johnsonville, STALK&BARREL, Masi Wines, Ottawa Tourism, Transitions, Celebrity Cruises, and the Government of Canada. For information visit www.cpwomensopen.com.

After two years of the CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by ICON being a virtual affair, there is a ton of excitement to have the event return to an in-person setting this summer in Ottawa.

And it promises to be a day of inspiring stories, laughter and fun.

Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton, the summit is taking place on Tuesday August 23^rd, at the Infinity Convention Centre – just a short distance from the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit has quickly become a can’t-miss event for business leaders in the community, with an unparalleled opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, senior leaders from a variety of industries, and the chance to hear from some of the biggest names in Canadian business and sport.

The key takeaways from the summit will be gender equity, representation, and seat-at-the-table conversations.

“We couldn’t be happier to have this year’s CP Women’s Leadership Summit back in person in Ottawa,” says Golf Canada Chief Marketing Officer and featured speaker Lisa Ferkul. “The line-up of speakers is one of our best yet, and with a ton of momentum behind the return of the CP Women’s Open, we know this year’s Women’s Leadership Summit is going to be a special one before the best golfers in the world take on Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.”  

This year’s keynote speaker is Arlene Dickinson, the General Partner of District Ventures Capital and of course, the star of the award-winning television series Dragons’ Den.

Dickinson’s venture capital fund has a laser-like focus on marketing, funding, and growing entrepreneurs and their companies in the food and health space. She has been on Dragons’ Den for 12 years, and is a best-selling author, podcaster, and public speaker, plus a member of Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame. Her keynote address will be one of the most talked-about in Ottawa all year, with plenty of important insights from one of Canada’s top business minds.

While Dickinson’s keynote will be the highlight of the day, the panelists that make-up the balance of the day are some of the country’s biggest movers and shakers.

Alongside Ferkul, who has been a senior leader in the Canadian sports marketing space for more than a decade, attendees will also hear from gold-medal winning athletes, top-tier managers, and inspiring communicators.

The other panelists include:

• Cassie Campbell-Pascall (Two-time Olympic gold medalist in hockey)
• Steph Labbe (Olympic gold medalist in soccer)
• Tracy Schmitt (A quadruple amputee in the Canadian Hall of Fame)
• Caroline Lavallée (Senior Director of Communications & Marketing at MNP)
• Pam Arpin (VP and Chief Information Officer at Canadian Pacific)
• Karen Myers (Executive Director of Corporate Communications at the R&A)
• Clemmie Perry (Founder and Director at Women of Colour Golf)
• Tina Skeir (Member of Black Lives Matter Golf)

Hamilton, a long-time host of some of the biggest events on TSN along with SportsCentre anchor, will return to lead the day in person.

The last CP Women’s Leadership Summit to take place in person was in 2019 when the CP Women’s Open was played at Magna Golf Club, just north of Toronto. Attendees were treated to an inspiring keynote address from the LPGA’s chief brand and communications officer Roberta Bowman who spoke on the Tour’s new #DriveOn marketing campaign – developed by an all-female creative team.

This year’s summit begins at 9 a.m. EST, and while there will be a live broadcast, there is nothing like the opportunity to network in person, with colleagues or friends you may not have seen in awhile. Not to mention the chance to connect with some of our panelists, too!

Purchasing a table includes a three-course lunch, full access to the keynote address and panel discussions, and an exclusive takeaway gift.

While golf fans across the country will be thrilled to see the action unfold again come Thursday at the CP Women’s Open, the in-person return of the CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by ICON on Tuesday of tournament week is set to be just as exciting.

Be sure to get your tickets today!

OTTAWA, Ont. – Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), announced today the names of 14 players that have earned tournament exemptions into the 2022 CP Women’s Open, August 22-28, at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Lorie Kane headlines the list of 11 Canadians who have earned exemptions into the 2022 championship. The CP ambassador confirmed in late June that her record 30th career appearance will also be her final go around as a player at the CP Women’s Open. A member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Canada Sports Hall of Fame, Kane made her debut at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship in 1991 and has played in each of the 29 tournaments since. In 2019, the Charlottetown, P.E.I., native broke the record previously held by World Golf Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner for the most all-time appearances at the event.

Joining Kane in the nation’s capital in late August will be LPGA Tour veteran, Alena Sharp. The Hamilton, Ont., native recorded a top-10 finish at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in mid-July. Sharp will be making her 17th appearance at the National Open Championship where she posted a career-best 4th place finish in 2016.

Also accepting invitations to the championship are a foursome of Team Canada Young Pro Squad members and Epson Tour professionals: Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. and Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. The 30-year-old Lee-Bentham, in the midst of a career resurgence, will be returning to the CP Women’s Open for the first time since 2016. Osland will be making her third CP Women’s Open appearance having recently qualified for the US Women’s Open Championship as well as the LPGA Tour’s inaugural Palos Verdes Championship in April. Szeryk, who has posted five career top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour since her rookie season in 2019, will be making her seventh appearance at the CP Women’s Open while Costabile, who currently leads all Canadians on the Epson Tour money list, will make her debut at the CP Women’s Open.

Some of the brightest young amateur talents on the Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad will also be joining the field in Ottawa. Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., the highest ranked Canadian on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, earned a spot by way of winning the 2022 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., who plays for Clemson University and competed at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, also joins the strong Canadian contingent in Ottawa. Fellow Team Canada athlete Sarah-Eve Rhéaume will join LPGA Tour member Maude-Aimée Leblanc in representing La Belle Province at Ottawa Hunt. The 21-year-old Furman University product won the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada to earn her first CP Women’s Open start.

Team Canada’s National Junior Squad will be represented by a pair of budding stars in Katie Cranston and Lauren Zaretsky. Cranston, 18, of Oakville, Ont., was crowned champion of the 2022 Women’s Porter Cup and will make her first appearance at the professional ranks. A unique consideration for 2022—following two years of event cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic—Golf Canada will honour select exemptions that were previously earned since the last CP Women’s Open was hosted in September of 2019. That leads to Zaretsky, the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, who did not get a chance to play in a CP Women’s Open last year due to the event cancellation. The 18-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., is coming off a T17 finish at the U.S. Junior Girls Championship and will be playing in Canada’s National Open Championship for the first time.

Rounding out the list of early exemptions are 2022 British Women’s Amateur champion, Jess Baker, 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, Anna Davis, and, finally, the no. 1 ranked player on the Epson Tour, Lucy Li.

“Together with CP we are very proud to welcome this exceptional group of Canadian and international athletes to the celebrated return of the CP Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Extending playing opportunities through tournament exemptions has always been an important component of the CP Women’s Open and we are very pleased that these talented amateur and professional players can join us at Ottawa Hunt for the 48th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.”

The Canadian and international players earning exemptions will join a field a stellar field of LPGA Tour stars led by Canadian sensation, two-time LPGA major champion, and honorary Ottawa Hunt member Brooke Henderson, as well as the defending champion and current world no. 1 ranked Jin Young Ko. The pair will also be joined by 87 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Standings including global stars Minjee Lee, In Gee Chun, Jennifer Kupcho, Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, Ashleigh Buhai, Nasa Hataoka, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Charley Hull, Celine Boutier, Hannah Green, Sei Young Kim, Anna Nordqvist and Danielle Kang.

The field will include seven past CP Women’s Open champions, and 13 of 17 in year winners including all five 2022 LPGA Tour Major winners.

The final field including additional exemptions (excluding Monday qualifiers) will be confirmed on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. Four spots will be up for grabs at the Monday qualifier which will be played at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont., on August 22.

CP HAS HEART CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE CHEO FOUNDATION:

Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada are proud to support the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2022 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 15 at Ottawa Hunt with $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CP is also proud to support a community beneficiary in the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation in support paediatric cardiac care. In the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, more than $13 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.

CP WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OF TOURNAMENT WEEK:

Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific will host the fifth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 23 at the Infinity Convention Centre as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2022 CP Women’s Open. The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit, which will be headlined by renowned Canadian venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson as the keynote speaker, will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week. For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including panels, tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.

2022 CP WOMEN’S OPEN WELCOME “THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE:

Golf Canada is pleased to introduce the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience to the CP Women’s Open for the first time. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17th hole at Ottawa Hunt.

CP WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST:

The 2022 CP Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel. For the first time ever, the CP Women’s Open will also be broadcast on US network television with Sunday’s final round coverage on CBS. A full schedule of TV Times and on course activities can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…

Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

GOLF CANADA MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE

Spectators at Ottawa Hunt will experience the CP Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on their iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, mobile ordering, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and unique events. Golf enthusiasts can also use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance their everyday golf experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

When Smith Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson returns to Ottawa for the CP Women’s Open later this summer, she will undoubtedly be greeted with a rock star reception from the hometown crowd.

Having recently won her second career major at the Amundi Evian Championship, Henderson is now the only Canadian golfer to have captured multiple majors – Mike Weir and Sandra Post both have one each to their names.

While the former Canadian National Team Member led throughout the first three rounds at the Amundi Evian Championship, she did run into a bit of turbulence in the fourth round and had to dig deep to secure her second major.

Despite not playing her best golf in the final round, Henderson stayed composed and was clutch when she needed to be.

“Not the start that I wanted, but I stayed pretty patient, as patient as I could under those circumstances,” she said right after winning at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.

“The saying is that majors are won on the back nine on Sunday, so I just tried to keep that frame of mind, and knew I was still in it if I could have a solid back (nine).”

Heading into the 18th hole, Henderson was tied at 16 under with American Sophia Schubert but she would drain an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole to secure the victory.

“I made some clutch putts and shots down the stretch, which really helped. I’m just super excited to have my second major championship win; 12 wins on tour is pretty cool, too,” noted the Canadian LPGA superstar. “Really excited for what the rest of the season holds.”

Two other big tournaments on Henderson’s radar include the Women’s British Open in early August and the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt Club from Aug. 22-28.

The 24-year-old was home last month for media day and to promote the return of the CP Women’s Open to the nation’s capital. The LPGA superstar spoke about her fond memories from the last time the tournament was held in Ottawa.

“In 2017, when I showed up on Thursday morning, my tee time, I think, was 8 o’clock and I was thinking there’s going to be a couple of people watching. But when I showed up to the first tee there was lines of people on both sides – it was just a phenomenal experience,” said Henderson, who is an honorary member at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum recalls the excitement around the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

“Many will know this story, but Brooke had to make a birdie on her 18th hole in order to make the cut. And what does Brooke do? She makes birdie,” Applebaum recalled.

“She goes out the next day and shoots 63 – a course record. It was a spectacular 24 hours and it was amongst one of most amazing things I’ve ever seen. We have been continually amazed by this athlete over last few years.”

A year later, at the 2018 CP Women’s Open in Regina, Henderson became the first Canadian in 45 years to win Canada’s national open.

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will make its long-awaited return to Canada this year at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Tournament Director Ryan Paul speaks about the excitement building around the return of the LPGA’s best this year.

“Golf fans in this community have gotten behind our National Women’s Open Championship in a major way,” he said. “We can’t wait to get back to Ottawa Hunt and put on a can’t miss summer celebration.”

Henderson will be joined by fellow Canadians Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Maddie Szeryk, Alena Sharp, Jaclyn Lee, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Selena Costabile, Monet Chun, and Lorie Kane—who earlier announced this year will be her last. A number of other Canadians are expected to receive exemptions into the star-studded 156-player field in the coming weeks.

One of the new additions for 2022 is the rink which will be situated on the par-3 17th hole. Having also played hockey as a goaltender growing up, Henderson is eager to test out the hockey themed hole later this summer.

“I was super excited when Golf Canada mentioned that they were going to bring The Rink over to the LPGA Tour. I think the fans are going to be so wild and fired up. It will be super exciting and I’m really excited to seeing what it looks like,” she said during media day in June.

Now with 12 LPGA victories and two majors to her name, the 24-year-old Canadian is arguably – at present – the most successful Canadian athlete across all the major sports.

And she is eager to continue that success on home soil later this summer.

“My sixth major on the LPGA Tour is always this one. This is a huge week for me, for us, and I always want to play my best,” said Henderson about the CP Women’s Open.

Given all the success, there’s definitely and buzz and excitement surrounding her homecoming at the end of August. And the 24-year-old from Smiths Falls is eager to bring her ‘A’ game for the pumped up and energetic Canadian golf fans later this summer.