History is set to unfold once again at the CP Women’s Open as superstar Brooke Henderson looks to defend her title at Magna Golf Club.

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LPGA star Nelly Korda meets two of her superfans alongside their dad Gerry Dee ⛳️

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Setting the stage for Thursday’s opening round at the CP Women’s Open from Magna Golf Club.

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AURORA, Ont. – The CP Women’s Open is more like a family reunion than an LPGA Tour event for Anne-Catherine Tanguay.

Tanguay, Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Brittany Marchand and Jaclyn Lee have forged a tight bond on the LPGA Tour this season, and that circle will expand to a total of 15 Canadians at the national championship this week. Tanguay spoke on Wednesday about the sense of community Canada’s elite female golfers have developed across the sport’s amateur and pro ranks.

“It’s huge. We’re really, rea–lly tight,” Tanguay said. “I mean, to have five Canadians full time on the LPGA this year, it was big. We play our practice rounds together. We go out to dinner. We really try to support each other in every way we can.”

That community spirit has centred around Lee after she had to pull out of the CP Women’s Open with an injured wrist before the final field was announced. The Calgary native is in attendance at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., to cheer on her friends.

“I just had a conversation with her about that injury,” said Tanguay. “We’re trying to support her and be there for her.”

Other Canadians in the field include Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Megan Osland, Maddie Szeryk and Valerie Tanguay from the Symetra Tour, former LPGA golfer Lorie Kane and Casey Ward, who earned a sponsor exemption after Monday qualifying and sometimes plays on the PGA of Canada.

There’s also a strong amateur contingent with Celeste Dao, Brigitte Thibault, Michelle Liu, Mary Parsons and Emily Zhu.

“It’s very nice to see a lot of Canadians playing in the field this week,” said Sharp. “There are a lot of Canadians doing really well on the Symetra Tour. I know that they’re working hard to get out here, and I think golf in Canada is on the rise.”

Tanguay believes that Canada’s burgeoning women’s golf scene is due in part to a culture of mentorship with older golfers taking younger players under their wing.

“It’s just been really, really cool having some role models,” said Tanguay. “Like I try to be a role model for the younger girls, but I’ve been fortunate to have Alena that was there and Lorie Kane that came before me and did that for me.

“I’m happy to do it too for the younger girls.”

The other major factor is the success of Henderson, the 21-year-old phenom who won last year’s CP Women’s Open to end a 45-year Canadian title drought at the national championship. This year, she set a record for most wins by a Canadian professional golfer with her ninth career tour victory.

“There are a lot of young girls that aspire to be just like her,” said Tanguay. “So I think she’s also helping to grow Canadian golf and have like more young girls involved in the game.”

Henderson often cites Sharp as her mentor, although Sharp insists their mentor-protege relationship has morphed into a friendship.

“I’m not shy to ask her about advice on things about a shot or something,” said the 38-year-old Sharp. “It’s blossomed into a nice friendship. The four of us, (caddies) Sarah Bowman and Brittany Henderson as well.

“We all get along really well and have a good time together. So it’s nice to have that on tour.”

Wednesday Pro-Am’s are a traditional part of professional golf on the TOUR and Tour associates worldwide, but there are none better than the LPGA.

Notorious in golf circles for superior pro-partner involvement, the reputation of the LPGA at the CP Women’s Open holds perfectly true. Nelly Korda, one of the stars of the game, and World Number 10, was all smiles from the very first tee early this morning. Nelly, and fellow Floridian caddy Jason, instantaneously and genuinely shook the hands of both am-players and caddies, as well as the starters and marshalls on the tee.

After ripping a drive down the middle to the “wows” of the amateurs, the rest of her nine holes were filled by her remarking “great shot” and “nice putt,” praising her playing partners, and going above and beyond to ask them about themselves, what they do, their families, the whole time with a smile on her face and genuine interest in her voice. This is her time to practice for the tournament, but her willingness and understanding about the necessity that is the pro-am experience, and fan involvement, is certainly at the forefront of her mind. You can tell she genuinely cares about the product she’s presenting, and takes it really seriously.

Nelly is one of the stars of the LPGA, has been for years, so her effort to make her pro-am partners feel comfortable on the course means the world to them, it’s almost like they don’t expect it, but are so happy to be wrong. After the nine, I asked one of the participants how he was enjoying it, to hear the answer, “It’s just wow, I’ve done other pro-ams before but this is by far the best experience. Nelly was so gracious and so kind with her time, I’ll do this again in a heartbeat.”

That’s the attitude that Commissioner Mike Whan is selling to his players, to sell to the public. It’s working too.

Whan is celebrating his tenth year in the position this year, and you need to look no further than the numbers to see the success that he has had in the role. Whan’s a marketing expert by trade, and when he came onto the LPGA Tour in 2010, he turned the management not towards pin placements and putting stats, but sponsors and corporate engagement. Better sponsors equal more money, more money equals better purses, better purses equal better players, better players equal better golf, better golf equals a better product, and a better product equals better sponsors. The positive-feedback loop is in full force.

Ten years after Whan started these wheels in motion, the LPGA now boast an All-Star Roster of title sponsors, including Rolex, KPMG, Evian, and Canada’s own, CP Women’s Open this week.

Whan has also steered into the international nature of the Tour’s players, almost doubling the number of international championships, including an international major. Total purse money is also closing in on doubling it’s 2009 total. And viewership on the Golf Channel (TSN included this week), has also seen a massive spike, with over 90% of the coverage on live TV, and viewership growing exponentially every year.

People love the LPGA. The fan’s love the LPGA. It is, after all, because they’ve created a superior product on both a macro and micro level, which make any LPGA event, but specifically the CP Women’s, the best fan experience in golf.

This photo says it all.

Nelly Korda took these two young superfans, Emelia and Eliana, inside the ropes with her to show them how the game looks from on top of the tee decks.

Nelly, one of the star players in the game, and on the Wednesday before a tournament, goes out of her way to interact with the fans above and beyond her mandated “fan interaction guidelines.”

Bringing these young golf-pro hopefuls onto the fairways with her, explaining the plush animals hanging from her bag, how she marks her golf balls, and asking them about their own golf games, (Eliana finished 2nd at the Pinehurst World Junior Championship), is all part of the overall product that make the LPGA so fantastic.

Commissioner Whan has the ability to bring the corporate sponsorship, and promote the Tour from a top-down level; and the players, like Nelly, like Fassi, like Pernilla, like Lexi, all bring the game to the fans and the participants in such a wonderfully engaging way.

It’s exciting to be a part of.

In what other game does the World No. 3 athlete, Lexi Thompson, get to watch you putt, laugh at your jokes, and give you tips on your swing. In what other sport, do you get a high-five from young superstar Maria Fassi, as she grinds over 6-foot birdie putts so YOU can win the pro-am and brag to your buddies at the office Monday.

In what other game, can two kids be brought onto the field of play, taken to a level of inspiration to be the next Korda, the next Henderson, the next Creamer.

How can you not come to this championship? Magna and the CP Women’s Open beckons the fan to walk with the best players in the world, talk to them, cheer for them, as they talk to you, cheer for you, and see how amazing we can make this game we all love, together.

AURORA, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum, is already thrilled with how tournament week has unfolded at Magna Golf Club and the 2019 CP Women’s Open hasn’t even officially begun.

On Wednesday, Applebaum and LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan spoke with media, and the pair were full of praise for Canadian golf fans and tournament partners, so far this week.

“This is a week we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Applebaum. “Ever since Brooke (Henderson) hoisted our national championship trophy a year ago at Wascana, we knew we’d be coming to a spectacular golf club (this year), with an amazing turnout for the week ahead, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch Brooke as well as all our 15 Canadians who are in the draw along with 96 out of the top 100 LPGA Tour players.

“We’re so thankful the LPGA Tour has made this such an important stop on their global tour.”

Whan, who played in the Championship Pro-Am Wednesday alongside Applebaum in a group with Golf Canada Young Pro Squad member Maddie Szeryk and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho, said the experience at the CP Women’s Open this week at Magna Golf Club has been nothing short of spectacular.

“This is elite. It has been elite for a long time,” Whan said of the CP Women’s Open. “I can just tell you from flying up here with some players, it’s a different feeling. People are excited before they get here. A lot of it is just they know Golf Canada does it right, but what they do here in terms of how they treat the players, how they treat the caddies, how they treat the fans, it’s unique and it sets itself apart, and as a result we get the best of the best every year.”

Applebaum says the success of the week can be traced back to the relationship between Golf Canada at Magna Golf Club, located just 30 minutes north of Toronto.

He calls the agreement one of the easiest in his tenure.

“This was the fastest, most efficient, most fun collaboration that I’ve had since I took the job for a new golf course to come on to the rotation,” said Applebaum. “Magna was always on our radar.”

Whan said he’s been impressed with Magna’s facilities, the tournament’s organization, and Canadian Pacific in particular.

“I haven’t been this excited to play in a Pro-Am in a long time,” Whan added. “It might be cool to be in Toronto (this week) but 170 countries will also be paying attention to what goes on here, so I really hope the fans come out and create the kind of atmosphere that Magna could really create.”

SHARP TO EMBRACE CANADIAN SUPPORT
As one of 15 Canadians teeing it up this week at the CP Women’s Open, Alena Sharp knows she has a great opportunity to play well in front of throngs of Canadian fans.  But she doesn’t have to do anything special to make them proud of her.

“I always was so nervous,” Sharp said of her first few times playing the CP Women’s Open. “I just wanted to go play well so badly. It’s like when you try and force something it never really works out very well,” “The last few years after the Olympics I had my best finish and played decent last year. I just realized that everybody is here and they’re cheering for you and they recognize you, but they’re proud of you. You don’t have to make them proud. They’re already proud.”

Sharp’s best finish in 2019 came at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, a team event where she was paired with Brooke Henderson. The pair tied for fifth that week and Sharp said while their relationship began as mentor-pupil, it has evolved into a nice friendship.

“I’m not shy to ask her about advice on things about a shot or something. We had a great time playing the team event. It was just really cool,” said explained. “The four of us – Sara and Brittany as well – we all get long really well and have a good time together. So it’s nice to have that on Tour.”

Sharp, who sits 50th on the 2019 Race to CME Globe, tees off at 9:05 a.m. on Thursday. Her best career CP Women’s Open result came at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in 2016, where she finished fourth.

PAST CHAMPIONS RETURN TO THE CP WOMEN’S OPEN
Eight past CP Women’s Open champions are set to tee it up this week at Magna Golf Club, led by defending champion Brooke Henderson.

Three-time winner Lydia Ko (2012, 2013, 2015) is in search of her record fourth title and first win of the season. Other past champions confirmed include Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Katherine Kirk (2008), and Cristie Kerr (2006).

Juli Inkster (who won in 1984) was in the field but withdrew Wednesday citing a sore back.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pettersen’s victory. She is also playing for just the third time this season, as she gave birth to her first child in August of 2018.

“Obviously Canada has always been very kind to me in my golf game and I’ve had some great success,” said Pettersen of her return. “When I was thinking of how I can possibly prepare the best I can for (the Solheim Cup), playing here was very obvious choice, so I’m happy to be here.”

Henderson said, too, it’s always special to defend a title.

She’s become a bit of an expert playing well at events she had success at – she’s won the same event twice three times in her career.

“To be able to win on the LPGA Tour once is really cool. To come back next year and defend your title is really special I think and pretty unique. It doesn’t happen very often with these courses,” Henderson said. “I felt like I had a great game plan and I felt very confident; whereas this tournament we have moved around the courses ever single year, so that is a little bit different feeling coming into this week. But I think you still carry over a lot of positive energy and momentum from last year.”

LEVELWEAR AND GOLF CANADA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP EXTENSION
Golf Canada and LEVELWEAR announced an agreement that will see LEVELWEAR extend their official apparel partnership with the National Sport Federation for golf through 2022.

The multi-year extension will continue LEVELWEAR’s support as Official Headwear and Apparel provider across a multitude of Golf Canada properties and championships. The LEVELWEAR brand will continue as the official headwear and apparel as well as the official volunteer uniform for several of Golf Canada’s properties including the RBC Canadian Open, the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Canadian Amateur Golf Championships and the World Junior Girls Championship.

The partnership will also extend across Golf Canada’s digital network of web, social and golfer engagement platforms.

“LEVELWEAR has become one of our most engaged partners and we are pleased to extend their meaningful commitment to Canadian golf across so many foundational pillars of our organization,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “The LEVELWEAR brand represents the highest quality performance for both serious and recreational golfers. Our robust partnership touches many levels of Canadian golf, from amateur to professional, and we are excited to continue working with their talented team.”

For LEVELWEAR, extending and deepening their brand alignment with Golf Canada was a natural evolution to grow a partnership that began in 2017.

“We are proud to be extending our partnership with Golf Canada and their many world-class golf programs, championships and golfer engagement platforms,” said LEVELWEAR President & CEO Hilton Ngo . “Supporting golf at all levels in Canada is a key priority and our collaboration with Golf Canada has done a tremendous job in elevating our brand with Canadian golfers nationally.”

Aurora, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and LEVELWEAR today announced an agreement that will see LEVELWEAR extend their official apparel partnership with the National Sport Federation for golf through 2022.

The multi-year extension will continue LEVELWEAR’s support as Official Headwear and Apparel provider across a multitude of Golf Canada properties and championships. The LEVELWEAR brand will continue as the official headwear and apparel as well as the official volunteer uniform for several of Golf Canada’s properties including the RBC Canadian Open, the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Canadian Amateur Golf Championships and the World Junior Girls Championship. The partnership will also extend across Golf Canada’s digital network of web, social and golfer engagement platforms.

“LEVELWEAR has become one of our most engaged partners and we are pleased to extend their meaningful commitment to Canadian golf across so many foundational pillars of our organization,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “The LEVELWEAR brand represents the highest quality performance for both serious and recreational golfers. Our robust partnership touches many levels of Canadian golf, from amateur to professional, and we are excited to continue working with their talented team.”

For LEVELWEAR, extending and deepening their brand alignment with Golf Canada was a natural evolution to grow a partnership that began in 2017.

“We are proud to be extending our partnership with Golf Canada and their many world-class golf programs, championships and golfer engagement platforms,” said LEVELWEAR President & CEO Hilton Ngo . “Supporting  golf at all levels in Canada is a key priority and our collaboration with Golf Canada has done a tremendous job in elevating our brand with Canadian golfers nationally.”

With the practice rounds underway on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Magna Golf Club, the inspirational CP Women’s Leadership Summit is also taking place.

The Summit’s mission is geared towards empowering women in the workplace, providing a platform for networking, and giving back to the community, a task of which title sponsor CP is going above and beyond with this year.

Hosted by Sportsnet Anchor Evanka Osmak, the day has been a mixture of networking and speeches from successful women figures in business and sports, including RBC CAO Jennifer Tory, and Assistant VP of Investor Relations for tournament sponsor Canada Pacific, Maeghan Albiston. On the sports side, Team Canada Olympians Karina Leblanc (soccer), and Natalie Spooner (hockey) both spoke to their journeys, and what has made them successful both in sports and in life.

The afternoon capped off with a keynote address from Roberta Bowman, the Chief Brand and Communications Officer for the LPGA TOUR, and creator of their #DriveOn campaign. The LPGA product is a fantastic one, the fan experience, the player engagement, and the quality of golf and golf courses is second to none, but it is Bowmans’s job to engage that product with fans, and grow that fanbase while at the same time, inspiring young female golfers to play and compete. The overall goal of this “Series of Summits” is to inspire women to succeed in their chosen field; sport, business and beyond.

“84% of people are interested in women’s sports worldwide,” opens Bowman, “but only 5% of corporate global investment in sports worldwide goes to women’s leagues and teams, something doesn’t make sense there.”

The LPGA’s mission is to change this paradigm for the benefit of all women and women sports, and they hold summits like this one at more than half of LPGA event sites to generate that change. “Sports are an incubator for character and leadership,” says Bowman, “96% of women CEO’s played competitive sports. Where better than in sports than to watch women lead?”

This mission inspired Bowman to the task of rebranding the entire LPGA marketing strategy, which she did with an all-female creative team. The #DriveOn campaign that emerged is truly bigger than golf. “It’s for all the drivers out there, drivers of change, progress, opportunities and optimism. At the LPGA we drive on with passion, courage, and we do it in our very own way.”

“The centrepiece of the campaign,” says Bowman, “is our 45-second video I’m sure you’ve all seen by now.” (But here’s the link if you haven’t.