The 2025 golf season was a reminder that the momentum in Canadian golf not only continued but accelerated with pace. Driven by wins on and off the course, expanded programming, commercial and philanthropic success, and a passion for the sport that spans coast-to-coast, Canadian golf is in a great place.

Golf holds its place as the number one participation sport in Canada as is evident by another record-breaking year, with 11.2 million scores posted on the Golf Canada App by more than 360,000 Golf Canada members at 1,550 member clubs across the country.

The professional game mirrored the success of recent years as Canadian golf fans were treated to another memorable year. Ask a Canadian golf fan to pick a highlight from 2025 and they would probably say Brooke Henderson’s win at the CPKC Women’s Open. Henderson’s triumph at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club returned her to the winners’ circle after an incredible performance in front of the home crowd to win her second CPKC Women’s Open title. Henderson’s win further strengthened her position as the most successful Canadian professional golfer in history with her 14th win on the LPGA Tour. She closed the LPGA season with a T7 finish at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. continued his winning ways on the PGA TOUR, taking the Sony Open in Hawaii in January for his fifth career title on Tour. Taylor has won at least once in three consecutive years and all three via playoff, including the historic 2023 RBC Canadian Open in a thrilling four-hole playoff with Tommy Fleetwood. Taylor also added a T19 finish at the Tour Championship in November.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. continues to assert himself as one of the game’s best, earning seven top 10 finishes on the PGA TOUR including a T4 finish at the Tour Championship and his fourth top 10 finish at The Masters. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. added four top 10’s as well as a T5 finish at the PGA Championship in May.

More noise was made by Canadians on the global professional circuits, including 17-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. who turned pro in January and went on to win back-to-back tournaments in September on the Ladies European Tour (LET). The Team Canada member earned her first professional win at the La Sella Open in Spain and followed it up a week later with a win at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France and closes the year ranked no. 114 on the Rolex World Rankings.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont. recorded his first professional win at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in January and finished the year with four top 10’s on the Korn Ferry Tour. The 24-year-old earned his PGA TOUR card for 2026 by finishing 19th in the Korn Ferry Tour season standings and will be the youngest Canadian on Tour next year.

Joining the Canadian contingent will be A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. Ewart earned medalist honours at PGA TOUR Q-School last Sunday. The Team Canada member was joined by Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. who kept his card by finishing T2. Ewart and Svensson bring the Canadian contingent up to seven members on the PGA TOUR in 2026.

Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S. and Leah John of Vancouver, B.C. earned their first professional wins in 2025, with Creighton winning The Wichita Open in June on the Korn Ferry Tour and John earned her first Epson Tour win at the Four Winds Invitational in August. John earned her 2026 LPGA Tour card finishing T10 at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc also retained her status for 2026, joining Henderson and John as the Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour next year.

The amateur circuit brought another banner year for Team Canada, led by 15-year-old Team Canada – NextGen member, Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. In July, Deng won the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship becoming the first Canadian to win the title in tournament history. One month later, Deng followed up her historic performance and captivated the crowds in Mississauga with a T20 finish at the CPKC Women’s Open, earning the Marlene Stewart Streit Low Amateur Award. Deng also won twice on the AJGA taking the Junior Invitational and Mizuho Americas Open and was later named junior player of the year by the AJGA.

Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. won her second straight Canadian Junior Girls Championship in August and became the ninth multi-time winner and first back-to-back winner since Heather Kuzmich in 1982. Liu added four additional wins in 2025, including the Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. won the 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in July. Both Liu and Xing earned silver medals as part of Team Canada 1’s runner-up finish at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in September with Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. Team Canada 2 represented by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. finished sixth led by Ding, the individual runner up who also added a 2025 win at the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open.

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. earned her second collegiate win for the University of Texas at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and competed in her second consecutive Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. won the Chevron Collegiate in her freshman year at Texas A&M University. Team Canada teammates, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta., Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont. and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. were all victorious in 2025 as well.

Austin Krahn of Christina Lakes, B.C. took home gold at the 2025 Canada Summer Games and added two provincial titles this past year while Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont., a recent addition to the Team Canada program, won the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in August and added four additional wins in 2025.

Some familiar names also added national championships to their trophy cabinets this year. Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C. won her third Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. claimed her fourth Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Charles Fitzsimmons of King, Ont. won his third Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. won her fifth straight Canadian All Abilities Championship. The UBC Thunderbirds claimed the men’s and women’s Canadian University/College Championship in convincing fashion once again.

Beyond the professional and amateur ranks, the future of golf in Canada shrines bright. The sport has welcomed a new wave of participants with grass roots programming that has introduced golf to more youth and women annually.

First Tee – Canada posted its highest participation numbers in 2025, with more than 106,000 youth taking part in programs across the country, a 25 per cent increase from last year. Since its inception in 2021, First Tee – Canada has reached over 276,000 young Canadians.

In addition, 481 locations offered programming across schools, community centres and golf facilities, supported by nearly 350 coaches, both increases from last year. First Tee – Canada continues to be a leader in youth programming with a focus on strengthening diversity and equity in the sport. In 2025, 74 per cent of partnered schools and community organizations served underrepresented communities with close to 60 per cent of programs delivered at no cost to participants. Through the efforts of six First Tee chapters nationwide, youth participation is becoming more reflective of Canada’s diversity with 42 per cent of on-course participants identifying as female and 36 per cent as BIPOC. The program’s growth was backed by strong donor support with the Golf Canada Foundation raising more than $10 million for the sport in 2025, including $4.5 million for First Tee – Canada.

First Tee – Canada was also the proud charitable beneficiary of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and First Tee – Alberta received nearly $200,000 through it’s partnership with the Rogers Charity Classic in 2025. In keeping with golf’s charitable giving, the CPKC Women’s Open continues to leave a meaningful legacy in each host city through its CPKC Has Heart program, this year donating a record $4.5 million for MacKids and Trillium Health Partners, supporting pediatric and cardiac health.

For the first time, the Youth on Course program was available in every province across the country. The program allows Golf Canada members between the ages of 6 to 18 to play subsidized rounds for $5 or less at participating courses during designated times. In 2025, Youth on Course members played nearly 50,000 subsidized rounds across Canada, marking a record high season and a 51 per cent increase over rounds played in the previous year. The program also drove strong engagement, with 4,470 new members joining Golf Canada to access these affordable playing opportunities.

She Plays Golf expanded in 2025 with the addition of a week-long festival in Atlantic Canada in the fall complimenting stops in Vancouver, Calgary and the Greater Toronto Area. The She Plays Golf Championship Series once again aligned with week-long festivals and provided four exemptions into the CPKC Women’s Open.

She Plays Golf featured 24 events across 19 golf facilities and engaged with more than 800 women and girls. Across all festivals, over 700 participants were new to the game and took part in beginner friendly activities led by close to 90 women coaches and volunteers.

Feedback remained overwhelmingly positive, with 97 per cent of participants sharing that the event(s) provided an atmosphere that made them feel comfortable and welcome, and 88 per cent indicating they are very likely to continue participating in golf following their experience.

In addition, 23 girls-only Try Golf clinics were delivered through RBC Community Junior Golf, reaching 275 girls.

Bolstered by another record-breaking year for scores posted, the Golf Canada App received a major update in 2025. New enhancements included group score posting, making it easier than ever to record scores for your playing partners during group rounds. The introduction of smartwatch support for Android wearables brought on-wrist GPS yardages and digital scoring to a wide range of devices, while upgraded GPS tools now provide precise front, middle and back-of-green distances to support smarter club selection and on-course strategy. The update also introduced a Golf Canada membership referral program and a new achievements system, along with enhanced privacy controls that allow users to choose whether their scores appear in their friends’ feeds.

An exciting new chapter for the RBC Canadian Open was written in June, as TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. became the 38th course in tournament history to host Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. Fans were treated to a thrilling finish as New Zealand’s Ryan Fox beat Sam Burns in a four-hole playoff. The 115th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will return to TPC Toronto in 2026.

During tournament week a new initiative, Birdies for Trails was created in collaboration with partners at TPC Toronto and WM. Every birdie at The Rink Hole (no. 14) directly contributed to raise $29,500 for the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation and the development of the Credit Valley Trail, a passageway stretching 100 kilometres in length, linking Orangeville, Ont. with Port Credit (Mississauga), Ont.

Following the tournament, RBC and the PGA TOUR announced a multi-year extension of the bank’s title sponsorship of the RBC Canadian Open. RBC, a long-time supporter of professional and amateur golf in Canada had been the proud title sponsor of the Men’s National Open Championship since 2008.

As the outdoor season drew to a close in most parts of the country, Golf Canada launched a comprehensive off-course golf strategy to enhance the year-long golf experience. Golf has evolved into a 12-month activity, and the strategy is supported by the Just Swing campaign, highlighting the benefits and different forms of off-course golf. The strategy also focuses on Provincial Golf Associations and their partnership with Golf Canada in launching a new facility membership offering, specifically designed for off-course operators to promote their operations to Canada’s largest and most engaged golf audience.

As Canadian golf continues to write exciting new chapters, one will end in early 2026. Glen Abbey Golf Club has been the home of Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame since 1977. In February 2026, Golf Canada will move its operation to the new home for Canadian golf at TPC Toronto.

The new home for Canadian golf will also be home to First Tee – Canada along with a 30,000 square foot 18-hole community putting course that is free and open to the public. For more information on the home for Canadian golf, please click here.

In February, three new members were inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, including accomplished amateur golfer, Richard Scott, former professional golfer Jerry Anderson and renowned course architect Charles Blair Macdonald. Elements of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame are proudly weaved into the main clubhouse, locker rooms and accommodation villas at TPC Toronto. Memorabilia highlighting Canadian golf legends and significant moments in Canadian golf history are also being showcased across the property.

Canadian golf couldn’t happen without the many wonderful people – volunteers, club staff, superintendents, PGA of Canada professionals, operators, media, and other industry stakeholders – whose efforts are paramount to the success of the sport. Closer to home, Golf Canada is proud of its staff for their efforts to advance the sport and who once again earned the organization its Great Places to Work designation.  

With the holiday season upon us and the book on 2025 drawing to a close, one thing is certain, Canadian golf has never been stronger. The momentum continues and it brings the promise of more great moments that lie ahead.

Even two of the greatest golfers in Canadian history say they were still learning on the course in 2025.

Brooke Henderson and Nick Taylor both won at the highest levels of golf this past year and said they were still working on their games more than a decade into their professional careers.

“I think that’s something that every golfer learns, is that you can never perfect it. You’re always trying to grow and to learn,” said Henderson, who won this year’s CPKC Women’s Open for a second time. “Every day is a challenge, new challenges, old challenges, but every day is definitely a challenge. 

“You’re just trying to better yourself. Every day you just get up, and you try to learn something new.”

Henderson won the Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship and only LPGA Tour event north of the border, on Aug. 24 by a stroke at Mississauga Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. It was the 14th win of her storied LPGA Tour career.

Taylor started the year off on the right foot, winning the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 12. It was the fifth win of his PGA Tour career and, impressively, his third consecutive playoff victory.

“I think I was most proud of the level of play that I kept up, even after a win, not really settling or being satisfied, that I kept pushing, trying to improve,” said Taylor from his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. “I felt like I kept a level play up that I really haven’t had that consistency, probably, in my career. 

“Although 2023 was obviously a phenomenal year with consistency as well, with the RBC Canadian Open win, I felt like last year was just a slight step above that.”

Taylor’s victory at the Sony Open also moved him up the all-time wins list for Canadians on golf’s top tours. He’s now fifth behind Henderson’s 14 and a three-way tie of eight wins between Winnipeg’s George Knudson, Sandra Post of Oakville, Ont., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont.

“We’re trying to get to a major, to be along with Mike Weir (who won Augusta in 2003), on the men’s side of golf,” said Taylor on his place in the history books. “It feels like Brooke’s on an island of her own with all her success, and it might be untouchable for all of us, but something to admire and work towards.

“But I’m definitely proud of the fact I got to five wins. I didn’t really think about the history side of it, but it’s going to keep me pushing to try to get more.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is one of three Canadians who will have full-time status on the LPGA Tour in 2026. She’ll be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Vancouver’s Leah John, who earned their cards through qualifying earlier this month.

There will be seven Canadians with full rides on the PGA Tour in the new year: Taylor, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont.

John, Ewart and Yellamaraju will all be rookies on golf’s top circuits.

“What a great couple of months for Canadian golf, right? Sudarshan, AJ, Leah, all getting their rookie cards,” said Paul Perrier, who was named Golf Canada’s new chief sport officer on Dec. 3. “I think it speaks to the global competitive momentum that Golf Canada has.

“The high-performance pathway was designed to create this exact process where we’re providing opportunities, resources, coaching for our next superstars to really jump into these tours, to help them be in this position and be in the best position to succeed and perform at this level.”

Perrier also confirmed that Golf Canada is still committed to its strategic plan of having 30 players on the PGA and LPGA Tours by 2032, a goal set by his predecessor, Kevin Blue, in February 2022.

The raw materials are certainly in place, as Golf Canada reports that recreational play across the country again grew in 2025. 

Their last national survey was in 2024, when nearly six million Canadians played golf. However, more than 11 million scores were posted to Golf Canada’s app in 2025, up six per cent year-over-year and 54 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.

Golf Canada’s annual report also says that more than 200,000 young people now engage with programming through golf courses, schools, and community centres. Also, more than $12 million has been raised since 2020 to support equitable access, coach training, and youth curriculum provided by the national sport organization.

“It’s a sport of connection, and it’s something that really invites everyone to participate in,” said Perrier. “When you’re in a country like Canada, where typically you’re not able to get outside all the time, when you do get that opportunity, you want to find activities that are challenging, that will allow you to be social and around people.”

Henderson said the growth of recreational golf in Canada has been amazing.

“To think that I may have played a small part in that is really exciting to me,” said Henderson, who started playing as a three-year-old. “I think it’s an incredible game that you can play your entire life, and you can really build friendships and relationships, really network. 

“I feel like it just teaches you so many great life lessons, especially as a kid. Honesty, perseverance, integrity, just so many good things come from it.”

PGA TOUR

A.J. Ewart birdied three of his final six holes to finish atop the leaderboard and become one of five players to secure the PGA Tour cards for next season at the PGA Tour Q-School. The Team Canada member secured membership on the PGA Tour on his first appearance at the final stage. Ewart, who made a hole-in-one in round two to vault him to the top of the leaderboard, had three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour Americas this past year, which secured him a spot in the second qualifying stage. He advanced to the final stage after finishing in a tie for fifth at the event in Arizona. Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson had five birdies and a bogey in the final round to climb 10 places and finish runner-up, retaining his card for another season and improving his status heading into 2026. Svensson finished 167 in the FedEx Cup standings this year and was in danger of losing his status after his exemption for winning the 2022 RSM Classic had expired. Ben Silverman birdied three of his first four holes in the final round to climb seven places and be among the top five to secure a Tour card. In the past, the top five and ties would have been safe, but this year, a hole-by-hole playoff was needed to determine the final recipient. Dylan Wu made a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to claim the final card, leaving Silverman with conditional status and a chance to improve his standing through the first 14 events of the season. The remaining Canadians will have conditional status through the first reshuffle, which will take place after the sixth event of the season, and all have membership on the PGA Tour Americas. …This is the first time since 2014 that Adam Hadwin will not be a full-time member on the PGA Tour.

NEXT EVENT: Sony Open (Jan 15)

LPGA TOUR

Andrew Novak made three straight birdies on the back nine, and Lauren Coughlin made a birdie putt on the final hole as the duo captured the Grant Thornton Invitational by a record three strokes. Novak and Coughlin, who teamed up for the first time in this modified four-ball event, broke the tournament scoring record at 28-under 188. It is Novak’s second team event win after claiming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans earlier this year. Novak and Coughlin each earned US$500,000 for the win, the largest payoff for Coughlin, who won twice on the LPGA last year. The teams of Nelly Korda / Denny McCarthy and Jennifer Kupcho / Chris Gotterup finished tied for second, with Korda missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have given them solo second place. …Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners, playing as a team for the third time in this event, finished in a tie for fifth. They had previously finished second and fourth.

NEXT EVENT: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (Jan 29)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Jayden Schaper made an eagle on the first playoff hole to defeat Shaun Norris in the weather-shortened Alfred Dunhill Championship. It is Schaper’s first European Tour win. Norris birdied four of his last six holes and appeared on his way to successfully defending the title he won a year ago until Schaper finished with two birdies over his final three holes to force the playoff. Schaper found the fairway bunker with his tee shot on the first extra hole but made a spectacular approach to set up the winning eagle putt. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes after rain left the course unplayable on Saturday.

NEXT EVENT: AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (Dec. 18)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Team Canada member Yeji Kwon was among the qualifiers to advance to the final stage of Ladies European Tour Q-School after finishing a tie for 19th at the qualifying event in Morocco. Ashley Chow failed to advance after finishing in a tie for 32nd at a separate event in Morocco, missing the cut line by four strokes. Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Kwon will be among the 155 players in the final stage, with the top 65 and ties after four days of play advancing to the final round, where the top 20 and ties will earn a card for the 2026 season. Those finishing 21 to 50 will get conditional status.

NEXT EVENT: LET Q-School-Final Stage (Dec. 16)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Yeji Kwon, Maude-Aimee Leblanc

MOBILE, Ala. – Leah John is heading to the LPGA Tour, while Maude-Aimee LeBlanc will be returning after finishing inside the top 25 at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala. on Tuesday.

John, a Team Canada member from Vancouver, B.C. finished T10 with total score of 8-under. John led following an opening round of 8-under 64 and followed up with rounds of 72-69-73 to earn her card for the 2026 season.

John has competed in two LPGA Tour events in her career including the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta. and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Hartford, Wis.

This past season on the Epson Tour, John earned her first professional win at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Ind. in August. Jaohn finished 22nd in the Race for the Card points rankings just outside the top 15.

LeBlanc from Sherbrooke, Que. finished T17 at 6-under following rounds of 70-68-72-70 to retain her tour card for 2026.

This past season, LeBlanc competed in 10 events on the LPGA Tour, and her best finish was T20 at the CPKC Women’s Open at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. LeBlanc first joined the LPGA Tour in 2012.

The field of 115 faced delays throughout the final stage of qualifying. Opening round play was delayed and eventually suspended for the day due to unplayable course conditions on Friday. Weather played a factor again on Sunday forcing the third round to resume Monday morning, followed by the start of round four. The tour decided to reduce the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying to a 72-hole event, finishing on Tuesday afternoon.

For the final standings from the 2025 LPGA Q-Series, final qualifying stage, please click here.

It would have made all the sense in the world for Brooke Henderson to take a week off.

After all, Henderson won the CPKC Women’s Open on Sunday, fending off Australia’s Minjee Lee for a one-stroke victory at the Canadian national women’s golf championship. 

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history and very much the face of the Women’s Open, doing media appearances, meeting with sponsors, and signing hundreds of autographs all week while also holding her own against the best female players in the world.

But after celebrating her 14th victory on the LPGA Tour, Henderson decided to put her nose back to the grindstone and fulfil her commitment to play in this week’s FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.

“Right after I won on Sunday I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. It was such a huge week for me. I was very busy and just emotionally took a lot out of me,” Henderson said at a news conference on Wednesday. “I knew this event was a great event and I was excited to have the opportunity to come play here, so just decided just to try to keep things going. 

“Felt like it would be good for me to get back into, not reality, but get back to work and focus in on the things that I need to focus on.”

The victory — Henderson’s second Canadian championship — also salvaged what was shaping up to be her worst season since turning professional in 2015.

Winning at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club elevated Henderson from 53rd to 26th on the Race to CME Globe rankings, the LPGA Tour’s points list. It also meant she will join the World Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in late October and play in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in late November.

“I think the big thing for me was my mindset and just mentally being in a good frame of mind. I feel like I’ve been working diligently on that, so to see it all work out last week was great in the heat of the moment and under pressure in contention. That was huge for me. 

“All parts of my game I was just trying to improve and be a little bit more consistent and get back to where it needed to be to be at the top of the leaderboard.”

Henderson is in the marquee group in the first and second round at TPC Boston, playing with Lee and Nelly Korda of the United States in Thursday’s morning wave. Henderson is the lowest-ranked of the trio, with Korda sitting seventh and Lee second.

“I’m definitely tired, but I’m looking forward to getting some good rest later this afternoon and tonight,” said Henderson. “It’s an early tee time tomorrow, so I’ll go to bed pretty early and try to recover as much as I can.

“I feel like last week was a huge week it just took so much out of my whole team mentally, physically, emotionally, so I think it’s really important just to try to recover that going into tomorrow.”

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is the only other Canadian in the field at the FM Championship. She’s grouped with Alex Pano of the U.S., and South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai in a group that tees off in the early afternoon.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., is the highest ranked Canadian on the Fortinet Cup standings heading into this week’s CRMC Championship. He’s 23rd heading into the play at Craguns Legacy Course at Brainerd, Minn. There are a total of 11 Canadians in the field.

Brooke Henderson has won on the LPGA Tour 14 times but winning the CPKC Women’s Open a second time is on another level for her.

Henderson shot a 4-under 67 to pull ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee by a stroke in Sunday’s final round to win the Canadian national women’s golf championship. The win ended a drought that spanned more than two years, adding extra lustre to the title for Henderson.

“This one I think might be the longest in between victories, so for that reason it makes it super special,” said Henderson. “To be able to win the Canadian Open, the CPKC Women’s Open, for the second time is so special.”

Henderson also won the Women’s Open in 2018 at Wascana Country Club in Regina. That made her the first Canadian in 45 years — since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1973 — to win the national championship.

She’s now accomplished the feat twice in seven years.

It also added another win to her career tally, already the most by a Canadian professional golfer.

“This week was beyond special. To be able to finish it off and hoist the trophy again is extremely cool. It feels super surreal still,” said Henderson. “When I won in 2018, I woke up Monday morning thinking I still had to play the final round, so I’m wondering if that nightmare will happen again tomorrow.”

Henderson and Lee finished Saturday’s third round tied for first at 11 under, three strokes ahead of the field. 

Between Henderson’s popularity in Canada and Lee’s star quality — she has 11 LPGA Tour wins in her career, including this year’s Women’s PGA Championship — the tournament’s final pairing had massive crowds following them around the river-valley course.

“Today was really tough actually because there was just so many people,” said Lee, who had a 3-under 68 round to move up to second in the LPGA Tour’s points list. “I was very mentally strong today and I just tried to focus on, obviously, myself and the things that I could do to get the score lower.

“That’s pretty much what I did and what I tried to focus on. I think overall I did a fairly good job.”

Henderson’s last win was the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. She said that although she always put a positive spin on her victory drought, she still had her doubts.

“There were some dark times, for sure. I feel like my family was so supportive and just said to keep going, just keep working hard, it’ll come around,” said Henderson, whose sister Brittany Sepanik is her caddie and her father Dave Henderson is her coach. “I’ve been telling everybody for like a long time, it’s close, it’s close, it’s close. 

“To finally break through again is just so exciting.”

Those struggles saw Henderson sink to 53rd on the Race to CME Globe points list and 58th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She’s projected to move up to 26th on the LPGA Tour’s points list, putting her in a position to join the World Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in late October and play in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in late November.

“I’m excited for the rest of the season. I’m excited for what’s coming next,” said Henderson. “I’m super pumped about International Crown, and with this win I think I’ll guarantee my spot into the CME, which was a little bit in jeopardy before this.”

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, who had four LPGA Tour wins in her Canadian Golf Hall of Fame career, was at both of Henderson’s Women’s Open wins. She said that she hoped Canadians would give the 27-year-old Henderson more recognition for what she’s accomplished.

“I thought back automatically to 2018, when we’d been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for years, and that was surreal,” said Kane, standing greenside as Henderson submitted her scorecard. “This is now 14 wins. The first 13, we haven’t given this kid enough credit for.

“I certainly hope that this is something that keeps people talking about how good she is, rather than what’s wrong.”

Fifteen-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary had a 2-over 73 round to finish in a tie for 20th as the tournament’s low amateur.

Aphrodite Deng almost stole the show at her first-ever CPKC Women’s Open.

The 15-year-old from Calgary shot a 2-over 73 in the fourth round to finish 4-under overall as the low amateur at the Canadian national women’s championship. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., won the title on Sunday, but Deng was in contention to start the day in a four-way tie for seventh.

At one point in the third round, Henderson and Deng were first and second on the leaderboard.

“That was really amazing,” said Deng of keeping pace with the best women’s golfers in the world. “I wasn’t really expecting anything coming into this week.

“I was just trying to make the cut, for it to end up like this is really cool.”

It’s the latest accolade in an eventful summer for the high school student, who became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on July 19. That victory helped earn her an exemption into the Women’s Open at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Deng will continue to play in junior tournaments to close out the competitive golf season and, of course, return to school.

She said the highlight of the Women’s Open was all the cheers she heard from Canadian fans during the week, especially as she walked up the fairway to the 18th green in Sunday’s final round.

“It’s so nice to know that I have so many people supporting me,” said Deng. “It was really cool.”

Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said he was impressed with her composure throughout the week, especially when she bounced back from tough stretches on the course.

“She showed that on this big of a stage, she’s got the game to be right there,” said MacDonald by the 18th green after Deng finished her round. “I think that’s going to give her a lot of momentum going forward, just being in the last few groups on a Sunday.

“It’s just great experience.”

Matt Sim, a seven-time club champion at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and former collegiate player at the University of Waterloo, was Deng’s caddie for the tournament.

“It was unbelievable what she can do and how she gets the ball around this golf course,” said Sim, who only met Deng on Monday. “Her game is absolutely unbelievable, and it’s going to take her to the next level.

“No question what she’s done this year and what she did this week is just a statement of what junior golfers can do.”

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 3-under 68 to move 17 spots up the leaderboard to tie with Deng and six others at 20th. The solid performance will move Leblanc up the Race to the CME Globe points list to 141st.

Epson Tour rookie Monet Chun (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 36th at 2-under overall.

Amateur Katie Cranston (74) of Oakville, Ont., finished in a tie for 71st in her fourth Women’s Open appearance and the first time she made the cut at the national championship. She’ll return to Auburn University’s Tigers this week to start her senior year.

A last minute call and the chance to bet on herself is paying off for Monet Chun.

Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is in the midst of her rookie season on the second-tier Epson Tour and had planned to play in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan., this week. But a phone call on Sunday inviting her to play in the CPKC Women’s Open, the Canadian women’s golf championship, near her hometown at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club was an opportunity she just couldn’t miss.

“I was pretty committed to Kansas because I wasn’t going to make my flight for the Monday qualifier, but I just really enjoy the CPKC a lot,” said Chun, who had family and friends following her around the course wearing “Team Monet” shirts.

“I wanted to come home, especially for being on the road for so long, so little parts of everything.”

The 24-year-old Chun has been a model of consistency on the Epson Tour this season. She’s made the cut 13 times at the 16 events she’s played in, with a tie for 11th at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship on July 10 her best showing.

Chun is ranked 64th on the circuit’s points list, earning a total of US$21,000 this season. Playing for a share of the purse at the Women’s Open, a minimum winnings of $4,953, could be lucrative for her.

“I’ve been making a lot of cuts on Epson, but I would say the financial part is hard out there,” said Chun, who like all professional golfers is responsible for her own travel and accommodation when on the road. “Being out here and having a good week will definitely help.”

Chun had a 1-over 72 on Saturday to sit at even par after three rounds in a tie for 46th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 6-under 65 to share the lead with Australia’s Minjee Lee. They were at 11 under, three shots clear of the field.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary shot a 3-under 68 to crack the top 10, sitting in four-way tie for seventh at 6 under.

“It’s been incredible with all the people out here supporting me and it’s been really fun,” she said after submitting her score.

Henderson and Deng were briefly Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the leaderboard. Deng said it would have been really cool to have an all-Canadian final pairing at the national championship.

She said that she had a simple plan for the fourth round of her first professional tournament.

“Play my own game and play to my standards,” said Deng.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc (70) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied for 37th at 1 under and amateur Katie Cranston (75) of Oakville, Ont., was tied for 69th at 4 over.

Akie Iwai took a three-stroke lead into the weekend in the CPKC Women’s Open in her bid to win for the second straight week.

Iwai followed her opening 7-under 64 with a 69 on Friday to get to 9-under 133 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

The 23-year-old Japanese player won the Portland Classic on Sunday to join twin sister Chisato as a rookie LPGA Tour champion. She’s trying to keep it simple and not get ahead of herself.

“No change mind. No change swing. Just focus my golf,” she said.

Jeeno Thitikul, the Thai star making her first start since taking the No. 1 spot in the world from Nelly Korda, had a 70 for a share of second place with Minjee Lee (67) and Leona Maguire (70).

Slumping Canadian star Brooke Henderson rebounded from an opening 71 with a 66 to get to 5 under. The 2018 champion won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in January 2023.

“I’m right there,” Henderson said. “Just got to keep going, put two more solid rounds together.”

She played alongside Thitikul and Lottie Woad, the Women’s Scottish Open winner who shot 75-69 to miss the cut by a stroke. Defending champion Lauren Coughlin also dropped out, shooting 74-70. She won last year in Calgary.

Akie Iwai, a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour, is playing in Canada for the first time. On Friday on the tree-lined course, she played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. She birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 17th on the second nine.

“Today, also I gave many birdie chances, but I just didn’t get,” she said. “I left putts short.”

Chisato Iwai, the winner at Mayakoba in May in Mexico, also missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 75 and 69.

Korda was 4 under after her second 69. She had a double bogey on the par-3 third.

Aphrodite Deng, the 15-year-old Canadian amateur who was tied for

A cluster of friends and family started cheering for Katie Cranston as she walked out of the scorers’ room in the clubhouse of the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and up to the spectators’ area.

The 21-year-old from Oakville, Ont., had done it: she made the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Cranston, who begins her senior year at Auburn University next week, shot back-to-back even-par 71s in the first two rounds of the Canadian national women’s golf championship to become one of five Canadians to see the weekend. Making the cut on Friday ended years of frustration for Cranston.

“I’m very happy because it’s my fourth time playing, and last year I definitely was closer, so I’m just really excited to get the chance to just go play free on the weekend,” said Cranston, who missed the cut by two shots at last year’s Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. “Being so close to home and having so many people come out, it’s so much fun.”

Cranston birdied on No. 12 to get to even par on Friday, but then bogeyed on the par-4 16th hole to move up to 1 over. Around the same time, the projected cut line moved from 1 over to even par, putting her in danger of missing the cut. 

She recovered with a birdie on the par-4 17th hole and parred No. 18 to finish her day.

“I had no idea. I kind of thought in my head it would be 1 over,” said Cranston, covering her mouth in surprise at how close she had been to not playing the third round. “Once I made that birdie, I felt pretty good. I definitely left myself a bit of a tester on 18, too.”

As the afternoon wave went out on the course the projected line again moved to 1 over, giving Cranston a bit of a buffer. Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s women’s head coach, said that Cranston had grown as a player.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve seen out of Katie this year, in general, is a lot of maturity,” said Mussani, who was in the group of friends and family waiting for Cranston outside the clubhouse. “You could see in the last two days that she’s in control of what’s going on here. Nothing really got away from her. She managed her emotions. 

“She bogeyed 16 today, followed it up with the birdie on 17. She went from plus 1 back to even, and then hit a great shot into 18 and gave herself an opportunity.”

There were 16 Canadians in the field, 10 of whom were amateurs and six of those players were juniors. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian after shooting a 5-under 66 on Friday to rocket 33 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth at 5-under overall, four shots back of leader Akie Iwai of Japan.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng, from Calgary, shot a 2-over 73 to drop into a tie for 15th at 3-under overall. Monet Chun (68) of Richmond Hill, Ont., was tied for 29th at 1 under. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (68) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied with Cranston for 49th at even par.

Mussani said having five Canadians make the cut was a sign that women’s golf in the country is in a very healthy spot.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls coming up the pipeline, which is obviously exciting for me, because they’ll eventually get to our program,” said Mussani. “Whether it’s (the growth of recreational golf during the COVID-19 pandemic), or it’s Brooke Henderson, or just participation in women’s sports in general, it’s exciting for us.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Vancouver’s Anna Huang and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., didn’t make the third round.

Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Calgary’s Tillie Claggett, Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill and Joline Truong of Mississauga also missed the cut.