Nine members of Team Canada program set to join Brooke Henderson, Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc in 13-player Canadian contingent along with other notable exemptions into the field for Canada’s National Open Championship

CPKC Women’s Open to benefit MacKids through CPKC Has Heart program

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) today announced 13 players that have received exemptions to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Leading the way are nine members of Team Canada, including 15-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. Deng made history last month, becoming the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga. The win was the third of the year for Deng, having previously won two junior titles earlier this season. Deng was victorious at the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open in May where she played alongside then world no. 1, Nelly Korda. Deng will be making her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open and is currently ranked No. 22 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. earned an exemption as the top ranked Canadian on WAGR at No. 17. Kim will compete in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open coming off a strong sophomore season at the University of Texas. Kim captured her second collegiate title at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and earned eight top 10 finishes last season. Kim also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for a second consecutive year, finishing T14 to tie the best-ever Canadian finish at the prestigious championship.

Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. will be competing in her second consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 16-year-old turned professional in January and earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season. Huang has competed in 11 events this season and has earned four top 20 finishes and one additional top 25 finish to date. In 2023, Huang helped Canada win its first-ever World Junior Girls Championship on home soil at Brampton Golf Club, an event where she finished T2 in the individual competition.  

Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. (No. 42 WAGR) will be competing in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 19-year-old recently set the record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship last week at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore. Borovilos also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in May. Borovilos recently completed her first year at Texas A&M University, where she earned her first collegiate title at The Chevron Collegiate along with three additional runner-up finishes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The foursome will join several other Team Canada teammates who earned exemptions through the She Plays Golf Championship Series. 14-year-old Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. won the Golf BC Group BC Women’s Open and 16-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., won The Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Both Ding and Liu will be making their first starts in an LPGA Tour event. Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. booked her spot after winning the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. earned an exemption after finishing atop the Order of Merit standings for the three-tournament series. Cranston will be competing in her fourth consecutive CPKC Women’s Open, while Claggett will be making her debut in Mississauga.

Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. recently earned an exemption for winning the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 17-year-old was the only player under par for the tournament and won the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots. Xing will be making her second consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship after earning an exemption through the She Plays Golf Championship Series last year.

The nine members of Team Canada will join previously announced, 13-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. in the field for the CPKC Women’s Open. Additional Canadian LPGA Tour players competing as part of the 13-player Canadian contingent are Mississauga’s own Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

Joining the Canadian contingent is fellow Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship winner, Yurang Li of Fullerton, Calif., who earned an exemption for winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur title in 2024. Li recently transferred to Baylor University ahead of her junior year after spending the previous two years at the University of Illinois. Li will make her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open.

A trio of international rising stars have also accepted tournament exemptions to compete at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Carla Bernat Escuder of Castellón de la Plana, Spain will be making her professional debut at the CPKC Women’s Open. Escuder won the 2025 ANWA by one shot in her third appearance in the prestigious amateur championship. This season, Escuder has competed in four majors on the LPGA Tour and recently finished T58 at the AIG Women’s Open. She also won five collegiate titles and earned 14 top-fives, and 16 top 10 finishes during her time at Kansas State University.

Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif. will be making her third appearance in tournament history. Davis competed in both the 2022 and 2024 CPKC Women’s Opens and was the low amateur in both tournaments, finishing T39 and T56, respectively. Davis is entering her junior year at Auburn University where she has already won three collegiate tournaments. In addition, Davis won the 2022 ANWA and competed in the 2023 and 2024 tournaments in Augusta, Ga.

Soomin Oh of Ansan, South Korea will also be competing in Mississauga. The 16-year-old earned her exemption after winning the individual title at the 2024 World Junior Girls Championship at the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, right next door to Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga. Oh is currently ranked No. 12 on WAGR and has earned three titles in 2025 after winning five times in 2024. Oh won the Kang Min Koo Cup Korean Women’s Amateur in June for the second straight year and competed in her first ANWA in April.

“We are very proud to add these 13 incredibly talented players into our field for the 51st playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “Our field is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent years and we are excited to offer these Canadian and international rising talents an opportunity to compete alongside the best in the world on the LPGA Tour.”

There are four additional tournament exemptions to be awarded during the CPKC Women’s Open Qualifier on Monday, August 18 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

The CPKC Women’s Open through CPKC Has Heart will once again leave a meaningful impact in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. For 2025, CPKC has selected MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for McMaster Children’s Hospital, as the primary charity partner with a goal to raise more than $2.8 million in support of pediatric cardiac care initiatives from newborn to adolescent. In addition, Trillium Health Partners will be the community charity partner with CPKC generously matching donations up to $250,000 in support of Trillium Health Partners cardiac program equipment needs, with up to $500,000 expected to be raised.

Tickets for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

Picture this: on a bright Sunday at the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, as the final putt drops and the crowd erupts in applause, RCMP Staff Sergeant Carolyn Shaffner stands tall in her red serge, trophy in hand, ready to honour the champion. This moment, set to take place this August, will be more than ceremonial for Shaffner – it will mark a full-circle return to the game that shaped her, a tribute to the sport that taught her patience, perseverance, and purpose.

Born and raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Carolyn’s journey began on the fairways of Ken-Wo Golf Club. Introduced to the game by her father, she quickly found herself immersed in junior tournaments, eventually earning a spot on the provincial team and competing in national championships across Canada. “Golf taught me how to lead,” she reflects. “Even though it’s an individual sport, representing your province with a team of young women… that builds something deeper. It teaches you how to show up for others.”

But Carolyn’s path wasn’t confined to the course. After university, where she played varsity basketball, she took on a grassroots role as a Future Links coordinator with the Nova Scotia Golf Association. Driving across the province, she introduced golf to children who might never have had access to it otherwise. “It was such an incredible experience,” she says. “These kids didn’t have the resources to join a club or take lessons. Being able to give them a taste of the game that gave me so much was powerful.”

That spirit of service eventually led Carolyn to the RCMP. “I’ve always been proud to be Canadian. I wanted to help people and represent my country in a meaningful way.” From rural Newfoundland to Fort McMurray and now London, Ontario, Shaffner’s career has spanned the country. And through it all, the lessons from golf have stayed with her.

“Golf taught me patience — and I needed that,” she laughs. “Especially in this job. You deal with high-pressure situations, and keeping a cool head is everything. I used to be a bit of a firecracker, but golf helped me manage that aspect of myself. It taught me to lead with calm and confidence.”

As a woman in uniform, Shaffner understands the power of representation, not only in the impact she has on others, but in the inspiration she’s drawn from those who came before her. As a young golfer, she looked up to provincial champions like Leanne Jeffcock, and throughout her RCMP career, she’s been mentored by senior female officers who helped shape her path. Now, she finds herself on the other side of that dynamic. Whether mentoring young officers or teaching firearms training, she’s often reminded of that influence: “I’ve had women come up to me and say, ‘I never thought I could do this until I saw you doing it.’ Sometimes, that’s all it takes — seeing someone who looks like you doing something you never imagined for yourself.”

That’s why her role at the CPKC Women’s Open means so much. “I’ll have to try hard not to fangirl,” she jokes. “These women work so hard. They’re not just athletes — they’re trailblazers. When I was growing up, we didn’t see women’s sports on TV. Now, there’s this momentum, and I’m so proud to have a small part in it.”

Shaffner’s message to young girls watching the tournament is rooted in belief and possibility: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Believe in yourself. Set no limits. You never know who might be watching, and who you might inspire just by being you.”

From fairways to the force, Carolyn Shaffner’s story is a testament to the transformative power of sport — and a reminder that leadership, like golf, is built one swing, one step, one act of courage at a time.

—

Witness live history this summer as the best female golfers in the world take on the fairways of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club at the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, August 20–24 in Mississauga, Ont. As part of tournament week, Golf Canada and CPKC will host the eighth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 19, at Toronto’s Boulevard Club — a powerful gathering of leaders and changemakers celebrating the advancement of women in sport, business, and beyond.

For more information, tickets, volunteer opportunities, and corporate hospitality, visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

Tillie Claggett has had a tremendous summertime stretch and now she’s as eager as ever to put a tidy exclamation point on things with a start at the CPKC Women’s Open in August.  

Claggett earned her spot in Canada’s National Women’s Open at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club via her incredible seven-shot victory at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series.  

An incoming senior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., who shot a second-round 63 to push her to what turned out to be an insurmountable lead, also had a runner-up result at the Texas Women’s Amateur Championship in June and a semi-final appearance at The Women’s Amateur in Scotland. 

This year will mark the CPKC Women’s Open debut for Claggett, a member of Team Canada’s National Team. It will not be, however, her LPGA Tour debut. She received a sponsor invite into the Volunteers of America Classic in 2020.  

Claggett has always been an athlete growing up as a star swimmer before beginning to take golf lessons with her dad. She went to a sports school in Calgary which accommodates the schedule of high performing athletes before moving to Texas in Grade 9. She did club swimming there for a year but living in Texas she was obviously able to practice golf more, she says, and the schedule of balancing both sports became too much.  

“Honestly, when I was doing both, I was so afraid of the day I had to choose,” she explains. “But the choice kind of made itself. I loved golf so much and there was so much more longevity in it. There was a lot more joy in it. I kept swimming in high school, but I chose golf from there pretty quickly.”  

Claggett says she went to a “few” different post-secondary camps but with a laugh she explains, the way recruiting works now, she was able to send a lot of emails to coaches, but they are not allowed to respond. Alas, she kept her options open but quickly fell in love with the Vanderbilt campus, the coaches, the team environment and the city of Nashville and yet again, her decision was made quickly.  

Growing up an athlete, Claggett says she’s always hit the ball awfully far which has helped her grow as a competitor as she’s notched five top-10 finishes across the last two seasons at Vanderbilt. Claggett says, even though her swimming days are behind her, she still “loves” the gym, working out upwards of six times per week.  

“And when my putter gets hot, it’s hot. (At the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship) with the win, I was gaining two shots a round with the putting. Mainly my style is just that I like to play aggressive – I want to take advantage of my distance. It’s just how I play the game. It’s my style and it pays off more often than not,” Claggett says.  

The plan now, Claggett explains, is to get her degree (in communications) that’s she’s worked so hard for and then will turn professional after that.  

One more year of school, and one very special opportunity at Mississaugua to come.  

SHE PLAYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES QUALIFIERS  

The She Plays Golf Championship Series began in 2024 at The Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary and features =three enhanced $60,000 54-hole championships.  

Katie Cranston: Cranston received an exemption due to her finishing first in the Order of Merit at the conclusion of the She Plays Golf Championship Series. The Team Canada member went T2-T9-T9 in the trio of events.  

Clara Ding: Ding, a member of Team Canada NexGen, won the first event of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in B.C. with a dramatic final-hole birdie. Amongst those Ding defeated was Cranston – they were two of three golfers to share a piece of the lead in the final day.  

Shauna Liu: Liu won the Peloton Glencoe Invitational, the first event of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in a come-from-behind effort. It was the fourth win of the year for the 16-year-old and another Team Canada NexGen member. 

When the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club welcomes the best golfers in the world for the CPKC Women’s Open in August – including the game’s No.1-ranked player in Nelly Korda plus past champion and CPKC ambassador Brooke Henderson amongst so many others – it will join a special group of golf clubs in this country that have hosted all of the CPKC Women’s Open, RBC Canadian Open, Canadian Women’s Amateur, and Canadian Men’s Amateur.

But the club, which will, later this summer, become just the eighth course in the country to host the fabulous foursome of events, has had its fair share of magical moments already.

Established in the early 1900s, the course was revised in 1919 by Donald Ross before Stanley Thompson made some more changes in 1927 before hosting the Canadian Open in 1931.

From then until now – nearly 100 years – the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club has seen lots of history. And as it looks ahead to the next century, the club and its members are extremely excited about what’s to come.

Before the first-ever CPKC Women’s Open at Mississaugua here’s a little walk down memory lane at the iconic layout.

1931 – RBC Canadian Open

How about this start as a Canadian Open host venue? Walter Hagen, one of the game’s biggest – and first – global superstars – won in dramatic fashion. Hagen topped Percy Alliss in a playoff. It marked his second win of the season and 38th on the PGA Tour.

1938 – RBC Canadian Open

Another Canadian Open and another playoff – this time won by another giant of the game. Sam Snead took down Harry Cooper (denying him from winning the Canadian Open in back-to-back years).

It was the first of four Canadian Open triumphs for Snead.

1942 – RBC Canadian Open

Two-time major champion Craig Wood (he won both the Masters and the U.S. Open the year prior) won by four shots, finishing at 13-under 275 for the week. At the time, it was the lowest winning score in tournament history.

His 13-under effort would end up being the lowest-ever score at a Canadian Open at Mississaugua.

1951 – RBC Canadian Open

Australian Jim Ferrier became just the third golfer in tournament history to successfully defend his title at the Canadian Open, having won at Royal Montreal in 1950 after a tidy 17-under 271 total and a three-shot win. Ferrier came to Mississaugua and finished at 7 under and topped a pair of golfers by two shots.

Ferrier won 18 times on the PGA Tour including the PGA Championship.

1965 – RBC Canadian Open

The longest time had passed between Canadian Opens at Mississaugua and Gene Littler won – his first PGA Tour title in three years. But it was the man who finished runner up that made headlines as Jack Nicklaus lost by just one to Littler. It was Nicklaus’ first of a record seven runner-up finishes at the Canadian Open.

1974 – RBC Canadian Open

In the last Canadian Open hosted by Mississaugua, it was Bobby Nichols who captured the title after finishing runner up 13 years’ prior. Nichols won by four shots over a pair of golfers.

2006 – Canadian Men’s Amateur

A member of Team Canada at the time, young standout Richard Scott won his third Canadian Amateur title which cemented his status as one of the country’s most dominant amateur golfers. As a very special wink to the setting of his victory, Scott will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame later this summer at the club.

2016 – World Junior Girls Championship

Mississaugua welcomed 48 girls to its storied layout for the World Junior Girls Championship nine years ago including current top-ranked golfers on the LPGA Tour in Hae-Ran Ryu (South Korea’s top golfer), Maja Stark (winner of this year’s U.S. Women’s Open), Esther Henseleit (Olympic medalist), and winner Yuka Saso.

Saso, who was 15 at the time of her win at Mississaugua, would go on to win the 2021 U.S. Women’s pen just five years later. She has since added another U.S. Women’s Open title to her resume.

The team from the Philippines also won the team competition, of which Saso was a part.

Canada’s National Women’s Open returns to the City of Champions for the first time since 2013

CPKC Has Heart to leave meaningful community legacy in support of pediatric heart health

EDMONTON, Alta. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced today that the historic Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta. will host the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.

The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton will be held on August 17-23, 2026, the 52^nd playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

The 2026 tournament marks the return of the National Women’s Open to Royal Mayfair for the third time and first since LPGA Tour star and three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko won the 2013 event at Royal Mayfair as a 15-year-old amateur. Ko won back-to-back events as an amateur in 2012 and 2013 and would go on to win her third Canadian title in 2015. Royal Mayfair also hosted the championship in 2007, an event won by LPGA Tour legend Lorena Ochoa.

The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open will mark the eighth time that Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has been contested in the province of Alberta.

“In partnership with CPKC, we are very pleased to confirm that the CPKC Women’s Open will return to the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in 2026,” said Golf Canada Chief Operating Officer Garrett Ball. “Edmonton is a passionate golf community and Royal Mayfair is an outstanding venue to challenge the world’s best players. We extend our thanks to the membership and staff at Royal Mayfair as well as the City of Edmonton who will once again prove to be fabulous hosts for our National Women’s Open Championship.”

The CPKC Women’s Open through the CPKC Has Heart program will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. Since 2014, CPKC has raised more than C$23 million for pediatric heart health in the communities that have hosted the CPKC Women’s Open through the company’s tournament sponsorship and the CPKC Has Heart program. 

“We are very excited to bring the CPKC Women’s Open back to Edmonton and once again back to our home province of Alberta,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. “For more than a decade, this tournament, through our CPKC has Heart community investment program, has helped build stronger communities across Canada by investing in the heart health of our young people. We look forward to continuing that legacy next summer in Edmonton.”

The CPKC Has Heart community partner will be announced in early 2026.

For more than a century, Royal Mayfair has been recognized as one of Western Canada’s premier golf facilities. Shaped by legends such as Stanley Thompson and Les Furber as well as a Doug Carrick renovation in recent years, the club is consistently ranked within the ScoreGolf Top 100. The club celebrated its centennial in 2022 and is one of 17 clubs to have hosted both the Women’s and Men’s National Open Championship. In 2023, Royal Mayfair completed an extensive clubhouse renovation with modern amenities for a premier member and championship experience.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors along with our membership, management and staff, we are thrilled to be named host of the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Royal Mayfair Golf Club President Daniel Kickham. “We look forward to once again welcoming the many golf enthusiasts from within our city, surrounding communities and across the province to one of Canada’s premier sporting events. We are equally excited about partnering with CPKC and Golf Canada in raising critical funds for local children’s charities.”

The Board of Royal Mayfair has also appointed longtime Edmontonians and Royal Mayfair members, Marilyn Cox and Don McGarvey as Host Club Tournament Co-Chairs.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events and a signature stop on the LPGA Tour, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open was named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year at the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards. The CPKC Women’s Open also earned the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year award in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023.

“Edmonton boasts a rich legacy of exceptional women’s sporting events, teams, and heroes across various sports, and we are thrilled to welcome the world’s finest women’s golfers back to Alberta’s capital city,” says Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “This event not only highlights our passion for sports but also inspires the next generation of athletes in our city while bringing our community together.”

“Explore Edmonton is thrilled to welcome the world’s top golfers to our city to compete in the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Traci Bednard, President and CEO of Explore Edmonton. “This event further showcases our commitment to supporting women’s sport in our city. We are excited to host thousands of visitors from around the globe to experience the best of Edmonton next August and work with our valued partners to help maximize the impact of this incredible event.”

The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will take place August 20-24, 2025, at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for MacMaster Children’s Hospital, has been selected as host charity for this year’s event with Trillium Health Partners serving as a community beneficiary.

For information about tickets, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality, please visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

MISSISSAUGA – James Hutchison is as eager as ever for the spotlight to shine bright on the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

“We know it’s a great club,” Hutchison explains, “and this will cement us as one of the very top clubs in the country.

“Personally, I’m excited for the public in general to see the club the way that we see it every day.”

Hutchison has been at Mississaugua for nearly 10 years and currently acts as the Director of Instruction. With the CPKC Women’s Open just around the corner, there is a palpable buzz amongst both the staff and the membership – and with plenty of big reasons.

The biggest, perhaps, is that when the first ball is in the air in late August, Mississaugua will join an elite group of clubs that have hosted all of Canadian Men’s Amateur, Canadian Women’s Amateur, RBC Canadian Open, and CPKC Women’s Open. With Mississaugua’s inclusion, that number will be just eight.

The latest to join the group was Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in 2023.

Hutchison said it was a “fairly quick” timeline to lock in the LPGA Tour at Mississaugua, which was originally founded in 1906. This will be the first time since 2019 that the championship will be contested in the Greater Toronto Area.

“Hosting this wonderful tournament at our historic club gives us the opportunity to not only showcase our championship golf course but proudly share Mississaugua with the rest of Canada and the world,” said Rodger Leslie, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club President, at the time of the announcement that the club would play host.

“The Members of Mississaugua are thrilled to welcome the very best LPGA Tour players to the Club for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.”

The field is already set to be one of the finest of any event on the LPGA Tour schedule, and Hutchison said the key for a players’ success will be around the greens. Off the tee Mississaugua is fairly generous, he says, but it will come down to ball-striking and who can make putts. If they get the greens rolling fast, he explains, the greens and the green complexes are the challenge of the course.

While the course has hosted the RBC Canadian Open six times previous, the last was in 1974 (won by Bobby Nichols). Sam Snead and Walter Hagen are also past champions. Hutchison says days of hosting the PGA Tour are likely gone, as he knows the club isn’t long enough – nor would it be able to handle “the kind of crowds” the RBC Canadian Open now gets. Total attendance at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley this summer was, for example, upwards of 100,000.

But having the CPKC Women’s Open is “the” event for them to host, Hutchison says.

And he, along with the rest of the team at the iconic club, couldn’t be more excited.

“It’s the top of the top,” Hutchison says. “If we can continue to host this, and the other top amateur events, that would continue to keep us in the conversation as a top club.

“I think everyone is just excited to put the course on showcase.”

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Wearing a blueberry-coloured power suit, Claire Welsh confidently walks to the podium at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and addresses a room of dozens – her first official public appearance as the new tournament director of the CPKC Women’s Open.

There’s confidence and grace. And there’s joy and excitement. The event is set to be big – it’s returning to the Greater Toronto Area for the first time in more than a half a decade, and Welsh gets to announce that the game’s top player, Nelly Korda is returning to the field. The Rink is back, too, and Mississaugua will become one of just a small handful of clubs to host the Canadian Men’s Amateur, Canadian Women’s Amateur, RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open.

It’s all happening. And Welsh is at the helm.

“What a privilege,” she says.

Welsh has made a big-time return to Canada after a decade with the Royal and Ancient, where she served as director of player relations for the R&A, with a focus primarily on the AIG Women’s Open and The Open Championship.

Prior to that, she spent six years working for Golf Ontario.

Golf Canada was, of course, looking for a new tournament director after Ryan Paul moved over to take the reins at the RBC Canadian Open, with Bryan Crawford moving on to become commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League.

Welsh had taken a year of and ended up getting a call from someone at Golf Canada encouraging her to apply for the role.

“My husband and I were travelling, and we weren’t really looking in Canada – we were just trying to figure out what we wanted to do next,” Welsh says. “When I saw the opportunity, I thought, ‘OK, this is something really interesting,’ and it was the catalyst for us moving home.

“That felt like all the cards had fallen into place.”

The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the most impressive sporting event properties in the entire country. It won back-to-back “Tournament of the Year” titles in both 2022 and 2023 at the LPGA Tour’s year-end awards.

At the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards, it was also named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year.

“Coming home to help shape the next chapter of our national women’s open feels incredibly special, especially at a time when women’s sports are experiencing remarkable growth and recognition,” Welsh said at the time of her hiring. “I know how important this historic event is for golf’s top players, and I’ve also seen its ability to inspire communities right across the country.”

Welsh is also aware of how important a north star the event has in Brooke Henderson. Henderson, who won the event in 2018, is also a CPKC ambassador, along with being a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Welsh had some history with Henderson after following her while she was at Golf Ontario. The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., was “tenny tiny” and just following in her sister Brittany Henderson’s footsteps.

“To be around to watch that journey and see her become this incredible woman that she is today – it just feels so amazing that she is the face of the event and being a CPKC ambassador and everything she does with them,” Welsh says. “There’s awe. There’s admiration. And how lucky are we to have such an amazing ambassador for women’s golf in Canada?”

Welsh was also quick to heap praise on Mississaugua. The course will have a modified routing for the tournament as golfers will go from Nos. 1 through 10, and then Nos. 11 through 18, for the split-tee starts, with No. 10 being The Rink hole for 2025.

Welsh had a front-row seat to the importance of venues when she was at the R&A, and how giving women priority for the best venues mattered as they reviewed the championship rota for The Open. When Welsh was at the R&A, the AIG Women’s Open was contested at Royal Troon (2020) and Muirfield (2022) for the first time, for example. The Open Championship also visited Royal Portush (2019) and Northern Ireland for the first time in more than half a century.

Welsh knows it’s different for the CPKC Women’s Open as it moves across the country, but golf has been her passport to the world, and now she says she’s thrilled with the opportunity to do it at home.

“For me personally, I’ve seen the world and seen amazing golf courses, but now I get to do it in Canada. I was out in Banff a few weeks ago, and I was like, ‘This is amazing.’ Seeing iconic courses – this is a privilege,” Welsh says. “How cool is this?”

A cool opportunity, and a wonderful return home.

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – Two-time LPGA major champion Brooke Henderson has some advice for fellow Canadian Savannah Grewal as she prepares for a hometown start at the CPKC Women’s Open: Have fun with it.

The 23-year-old Mississauga native will tee it up at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club when the national women’s championship comes to town next month.

Henderson knows the pressure of playing close to home, having twice competed in the national women’s championship at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, about an hour from her hometown of Smiths Falls, Ont.

“She’s a great player and she has been playing well on tour,” Henderson said Monday at a press conference to promote the 51st edition of the CPKC Women’s Open, Aug. 21-24. “It will be fun for her.

“But it is really different playing at this tournament so close to home. I was about an hour away, and Savannah will be even closer. But it’s such an amazing opportunity to have your friends and family out there, to feel the crowd and the energy as the hometown person. It’s really, really special.”

The 27-year-old Henderson claimed the 2018 CPKC Women’s Open, the first Canadian to accomplish the feat since Jocelyne Bourassa won in 1973. 

Henderson’s results at Ottawa Hunt were mixed, with a tie for 12th in 2017 and a tie for 49th in 2022.

“(Playing at home) definitely comes with you wanting to perform well, there’s a little bit extra pressure and things like that. But if (Grewal) can really soak it in, really enjoy the moment, and focus on what she’s really trying to accomplish, I think that’ll help.”

Grewal, 23, is in her second season on the LPGA Tour. She’s currently ranked 289th in the world, while Henderson has slipped to No. 44 after years as a perennial top-10 performer.

Henderson has made the cut in 10 of 14 events this season, with just one top-10 finish — back in early April — and hasn’t won since January 2023.

She’s also still adjusting to life after eye surgery last fall. Henderson now wears contact lenses instead of glasses on the course.

The 13-time LPGA Tour winner has 83 career top-10 finishes but has slipped to 57th on the LPGA money list.

She hopes to save her season with significant results at the final two majors of the season in the next five weeks at the Evian Championship in Switzerland and AIG Women’s Open in Wales.

Henderson also has her past experiences in Canada to look forward to next month.

“That trophy is special to hold, and I’d like to do it again,” the three-time Canadian Olympian said.

Golf Canada also announced that world No. 1 Nelly Korda will be part of the tournament field, as will three-time champion Lydia Ko.

Ko and Henderson performed and won this event as teenagers. There will be two Canadian teenagers making their LPGA debuts in Clara Ding, 14, of White Rock, B.C., and Shauna Liu, 16, of Maple Ont.

The two youngsters won She Plays Golf Championship series events to qualify.

Mississaugua will become the 17th course to host both the men’s and women’s Canadian Opens, having staged the men’s championship six times.

Like the RBC Canadian Open, there will be a hockey-themed rink-hole. Will Henderson dare to wear an Ottawa Senators jersey to show her colours?

“I might sneak it in,” she said.

Jeeno Thitikul, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang and defending champion Lauren Coughlin join Henderson, Korda and Ko in the field for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

CPKC Has Heart campaign to benefit official charity partner MacKids along with community charity beneficiary Trillium Health Partners

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Golf Canada and the LPGA Tour today announced the early commitments scheduled to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

The list of early commitments features six of the current top 10 and 15 of the top 25 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings. The field also includes six of the top 10, 15 of the top 25 and 66 of the top 100 players on the 2025 Race to the CME Globe Standings. The final field will be announced on Friday, August 15.

Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., will lead a field of 156 golfers that includes current world no. 1 Nelly Korda, three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion and 2024 Olympic Gold medalist Lydia Ko (world no. 3), and current leader in the Race to the CME Globe, Jeeno Thitikul (world no. 2). Other notables include Ruoning Yin (world no. 4), Haeran Ryu (world no. 5) and Hannah Green (world no. 8), along with rising stars Lilia Vu (world no. 11) and Rose Zhang (world no. 44). Minjee Lee (world no. 24) has also committed to compete in Mississauga. Lee recently won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, earning her 11th career win and third major championship.

The CPKC Women’s Open through CPKC Has Heart will once again leave a meaningful impact in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. For 2025, CPKC has selected MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for MacMaster Children’s Hospital, as the primary charity partner with a goal to raise more than $2.8 million in support of pediatric cardiac care initiatives from newborn to adolescent. In addition, Trillium Health Partners will be the community charity partner with CPKC generously matching donations up to $250,000 in support of Trillium Health Partners cardiac program equipment needs, with up to $500,000 expected to be raised.

“The growth and impact of this incredible event, which continues to attract the world’s top golfers, is undeniable,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President & Chief Executive Officer. “Our ultimate goal with the CPKC Women’s Open has been, and always will be, to help the youngest hearts across Canada. We are excited for the community to come together to raise millions of dollars for MacKids.”

Last year, CPKC helped raise $4.3 million for heart health with donations of $3.8 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and $507,000 to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. Since 2014, this tournament, which is the marquee event of the CPKC Has Heart community investment program, has helped raise over $23 million in support of children’s heart health in North America.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among six past CPKC Women’s Open champions competing for Canada’s Women’s National Open Championship including Megan Khang (2023), Jin Young Ko (2019), Brooke Henderson (2018), Brittany Lincicome (2011) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) who will be chasing a record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.

Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will welcome eight LPGA Tour in-year winners, including Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup), Lydia Ko (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Madelene Sagstrom (T-Mobile Match Play), Haeran Ryu (Black Desert Championship), Jeeno Thitikul (Mizuho Americas Open), Jennifer Kupcho (ShopRite LPGA Classic), Carlota Ciganda (Meijer LPGA Classic) and Minjee Lee (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship).

Henderson, a CPKC Ambassador, made history at the Wascana Country Club in Regina in 2018 becoming the first Canadian since the late Jocelyne Bourassa won Canada’s National Women’s Open 45 years earlier. Henderson will be joined by fellow Canadians with LPGA Tour status, Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

In addition, an important pathway to the CPKC Women’s Open is through the She Plays Golf Championship Series, a three-stop circuit that offers competitive opportunities for elite Canadian players with exemptions into the tournament available. Two Team Canada athletes have claimed the first two exemptions as 14-year-old Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. won the Golf BC Group BC Women’s Open and 16-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., won The Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Both Ding and Liu will be making their first starts in an LPGA tour event. The final stop in the series will take place at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Burlington Golf and Country Club, July 7-10. One additional exemption will be awarded to the player ranked highest on the order of merit for the series, if not already qualified. For more information, click here.

“We are excited to announce the early commitments led by Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko for the 51st playing of our National Women’s Open Championship. The CPKC Women’s Open draws one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour and we look forward to watching these incredible athletes compete in Mississauga,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “We have welcomed nearly 1,000 volunteer registrations, highlighting the excitement to be part of this special tournament. The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the top yearly women’s sporting events in Canada and fans are in store for a very memorable week this August.”

The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will take place on the Treaty 22 territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), on lands that were once home to the Credit River Mission Village. During tournament week, MCFN will share their culture, history, and enduring connection to the land through ceremony, storytelling, and educational elements on-site. This engagement is part of a broader effort to ensure the tournament honours the history of the territory and creates space for learning, reflection, and meaningful community connection.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open is riding continued momentum from being named as the Gold Driver Award recipient for Best Volunteer Appreciation at the LPGA 2024 Gold Driver Awards. In addition, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open was named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year at the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards.

The CPKC Women’s Open also earned the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year award in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023. The 2023 tournament also won additional awards for Best Sponsorship Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Golf Canada and CPKC also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Sponsor Activation in 2019, 2022 and 2023 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the eighth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership summit on Tuesday, August 19 as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open. The summit will be held at the Boulevard Club in Toronto, Ont., and be hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton. The day will bring together like-minded business leaders from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. For more information, click here.

HALL OF FAME DAY SET FOR TUESDAY OF TOURNAMENT WEEK
Golf Canada will host Hall of Fame Day on Tuesday, August 19. Accomplished amateur golfer, Richard Scott, former professional golfer Jerry Anderson (posthumous) and renowned course architect Charles Blair Macdonald (posthumous) will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. For more information on the honoured members, click here. In addition, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. will be inducted into Golf Ontario’s Hall of Fame during the ceremony after previously being announced in March.

“THE RINK” HOLE AND THE FARE WAY FEATURING THE KEG FAN EXPERIENCE RETURNS

Fans of all ages will once again be able to experience the week-long celebration of golf highlighted by The Rink on the 10th hole at Mississaugua, and a variety of food and patio experiences in The Fare Way featuring the Keg.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE

As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under. General admission tickets provide access to the golf course and enjoy fan activations throughout the property and experience the thrill of major professional golf.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE

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

Oakville, ON – Golf Canada and Stalk&Barrel Whisky are proud to announce a multi-year partnership extension that will see Stalk&Barrel remain the official Canadian Whisky partner of Golf Canada and both the RBC Canadian Open and the CPKC Women’s Open.

The new agreement will run through 2027 and will see Stalk&Barrel Handcrafted Canadian Whisky poured exclusively at the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open in hospitality and concession locations at both championships.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with Stalk&Barrel, a premium Canadian whisky as we collectively continue to deliver exceptional experiences for fans at both of our National Open Championships,” said Mark Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer, Golf Canada.

Stalk&Barrel is a handcrafted Canadian whisky, produced locally at a craft distillery in Ontario. Stalk&Barrel’s commitment to a ‘grain to glass’ process offers a small-batch, single malt that is 100% Canadian owned and operated.

“We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with Golf Canada as the Official Canadian Whisky. Over the past few years, this collaboration has grown into something truly special – built on shared values of excellence, integrity, and a deep appreciation for the Canadian spirit. Like a great round of golf, Stalk&Barrel Whisky is all about patience, precision, and celebrating the moment. We couldn’t ask for a better partner to help us toast the best of Canadian sport and culture,” said Karen Lai Drake, Senior Brand Manager, Stalk&Barrel Whisky.

The 2025 RBC Canadian Open takes place June 4-8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will be contested, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.