LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that the field for the 75th U.S. Women’s Open Championship is complete with the addition of 28 players who earned their way into the championship through the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. The final major championship of the 2020 golf season will be contested Dec. 10-13 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas. The 156-player field for the championship is composed entirely of exempt players due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The historic 75th anniversary field boasts nine U.S. Women’s Open champions, while 42 players will be making their championship debuts in Houston. The field will also have seven Texas residents, including 2016 champion Brittany Lang, who grew up in McKinney.

The 28 players who gained entry via the Rolex Rankings are: Hae Ran Ryu, Sophia Popov, Ayaka Furue, Yuka Saso, Sakura Koiwai, Na Rin An, Song Yi Ahn, Erika Hara, Yuna Nishimura, Ji Hyun Kim, Anne van Dam, Alena Sharp, Lala Anai, Eri Okayama, Cristie Kerr, Pornanong Phatlum, Jun Min Lee, Ji Hun Oh, Emily Kirstine Pedersen, Mi Jeong Jeon, Maria Fernanda Torres, Bo Ah Kim, Teresa Lu, Wei-Ling Hsu, Ye Rim Choi, Asuka Kashiwabara, Sarah Schmelzel, and So Yi Kim.

?? tee times at the #USWomensOpen @BrookeHenderson – 10:37 a.m.@AlenaSharp – 11:21 a.m. pic.twitter.com/W24r2fgbJl

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) December 9, 2020

Hae Ran Ryu won the Jeju Samdasoo Masters in 2019 to earn her LPGA of Korea Tour card and successfully defended her title in August. The 19-year-old also has two runner-up finishes among her six top-10s this year. She will be making her U.S. Women’s Open debut.

Popov will be making her second U.S. Women’s Open start. Since turning professional in 2014, Popov has mainly played on the Symetra Tour, but she earned three tournament wins on the Cactus Tour during the COVID-19 break before earning her first major victory at the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon in August.

Kerr is one of the nine U.S. Women’s Open champions set to compete in Houston. The seasoned veteran earned her first major title in the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, finishing two strokes ahead of the runners-up. Kerr has 20 LPGA Tour wins, including a second major championship title at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2010. This is Kerr’s 22nd straight Women’s Open appearance, with seven top-10 finishes in addition to her victory.

The USGA announced on April 3 that the 75th U.S. Women’s Open, initially scheduled for June 4-7, would be moved to Dec. 10-13. To account for reduced daylight, the Jackrabbit Course at Champions Golf Club will be used in Rounds 1 and 2 along with the Cypress Creek Course, which was originally slated to host all four rounds of championship play. In June, the USGA announced that the championship would be conducted without traditional qualifying and on Oct. 21, the USGA announced that the championship would not have fans on-site due to health and safety concerns resulting from the ongoing pandemic.

Considered the world’s premier women’s golf championship, the U.S. Women’s Open is one of 14 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. The championship began in 1946 and its winners include Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Meg Mallon, Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Inbee Park and Michelle Wie.

Click here for the full field.

THE COLONY, Texas — Angela Stanford won her home LPGA Tour event in front of her parents, closing with a 4-under 67 for a two-stroke victory Sunday in the Volunteers of America Classic.

“I just haven’t had many chances to win in front of them. So to finally do it, it’s so cool,” Stanford said. “I couldn’t even look over at my mom coming up 18 because I was starting to get teary eyed. I’m like, `Just don’t look over there, don’t look over there.’ I would have lost it.”

The 43-year-old former TCU star from Fort Worth won her seventh LPGA Tour title and first since the major Evian Championship in 2018. She finished at 7-under 277 at Old American Golf Club in the event that started in bone-chilling cold Thursday.

“It was windy, it was cold, and I think growing up in Texas you have to play in a little bit of cold in the off-season,” Stanford said. “The course played really tough, but it just felt like Texas this week, so I was really comfortable out there.”

Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu and 19-year-old Yealimi Noh, tied for the third-round lead, each shot 70 to tie for second in the final tuneup before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

Stanford pulled away with birdies on Nos. 13, 14, 16 and 17, and closed with a bogey.

“I really think it boils down to passion,” Stanford said. “I just love trying to get better. I think if you love what you’re doing and you love your process and you just are loving getting better, then you have to keep going.”

Ryu was making her first U.S. start since last year.

“I was quite nervous coming back, even though I played a few good events in Korea,” Ryu said. “It was really great to be in contention.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was fifth at 4 under after a 70 in her second LPGA Tour start of the year.

“I’m looking for next week,” Ko said. “I have confidence from this week for next week, so I’m really excited.”

Anna Nordqvist (70) and Charley Hull (71) were 3 under.

THE COLONY, Texas — Yealimi Noh closed with a double bogey Saturday in the Volunteers of America Classic, dropping the 19-year-old American into a tie with major champions Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu with a round left.

Two strokes ahead after a birdie on the par-5 17th, Noh took two shots to get out of the right fairway bunker on the par-4 18th and missed a 3-foot bogey putt. She settled for an even-par 71 and a share of the lead with the South Korean stars at 4-under 209 at at Old American Golf Club.

“As soon as I finish, I wanted to see the leaderboard and to see that I’m playing with those two tomorrow,” said Noh, the 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner. “I’m really, really excited. Actually in the beginning of the week I was talking to my parents about Inbee and So Yeon and how I really wanted to play with them and see just how good they are and be light there next to them. So I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Ryu birdied five of the first eight holes in a bogey-free 65, the best round of the event that start Thursday in freezing temperatures. Preparing for the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Champions Golf Club in Houston, she’s playing her first U.S. event on the LPGA Tour since the season-ending tournament last year.

“I have no complaints about my ball-striking today,” Ryu said. “I hit 17 greens, I believe, and then I made so many birdie chances. I wish I could have made more putts on the back nine.”

Park, the tournament winner in 2013 at Las Colinas Country Club and 2018 at Old American, shot a 69.

“We took about seven weeks of break after KPMG and coming back here first week just preparing for the U.S. Women’s Open, so I’m really happy with my game,” Park said. “I was probably thinking that I am going to be a little bit rusty and just trying to get things going before the Open, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

The Hall of Famer has a big fan in Noh.

“I think Inbee is so incredible,” Noh said. “Her putting especially is so amazing. I really want to see it first-hand tomorrow.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko (70) was a stroke back with Jessica Korda (72), Charley Hull (68), Kristen Gillman (66), Nasa Hataoka (69), Angela Stanford (70) and Pornanong Phatlum (71).

Ko is making her second LPGA Tour start of the year. She tied for 34th two weeks ago in Florida in the Pelican Women’s Championship.

Anna Nordqvist (73) and Madelene Sagstrom (71) were 2 under.

Jeongeun Lee, the defending Women’s Open champion, was 1 over after a 66

THE COLONY, Texas — Jessica Korda, Anna Nordqvist and 19-year-old Yealimi Noh share the second-round lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic, the final tuneup before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

Korda shot her second straight 2-under 69. The five-time LPGA Tour winner played the first 12 holes in 4 under, then dropped a stroke on the par-5 13th and parred the final five.

Nordqvist had four birdies and closed with a bogey on the par-4 18th for a 68. Noh had the best round of the week with a 66. She had six birdies — four in a row on Nos. 17-2 — and a bogey.

At 4-under 138, the leading trio are one step ahead of Lindsey Weaver (68).

Among the five golfers at 2 under are Madelene Sagstrom (69), and Inbee Park (68), the tournament winner in 2013 and 2015.

Charley Hull (74) was leading after round one, but three bogeys and a double bogey on Friday caused her to slip fourteen spots.

Amateur Tillie Claggett, the sole Canadian player on the course, missed the +8 cut line for the weekend. The Volunteers of America Classic marks the first ever professional event for the high school junior.

THE COLONY, Texas — Charley Hull fought through cold and windy conditions to take the first-round lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic.

The 24-year-old Englishwoman shot a 3-under 69, making six birdies and three bogeys at Old American Golf Club with the afternoon temperature only climbing into the high 40s.

“I think I’m going to go to the supermarket and get a thick woolly coat,” Hull said.

She birdied Nos. 6 and 7 to reach 4 under, then bogeyed the par-4 eighth and closed the round with a par on the par-4 ninth.

“The golf course is playing so much different than it did last year,” Hull said. “It’s playing a lot longer, which I prefer. I struggled swinging the last two holes, I just got so cold. Along that lake you just get like freezing.”

Jessica Korda, Jennifer Kupcho and Pornanong Phatlum were a stroke back in the final event before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

“I’m just going to go warm up my toes because we lost feeling in them by like the second hole,” Korda said. “We did, all of us.”

She closed with a bogey.

“Honestly, I was just trying to stay warm,” Korda said. “It was just really tough trying to figure out the wind, cold, wind and the cold. But happy with 2 under.”

She also was thinking about a warm coat.

“I mean, I might not wear a parka, but I don’t know, we’ll see what it looks like,” Korda said. “Honestly, for me, the most important thing, being from Florida, I need to stay warm.”

Texan Brittany Lang was at 70 with fellow area resident Gerina Piller, Anna Nordqvist, Megan Khang and Ally Ewing.

“I usually don’t feel that good in cold weather, but since I’m staying at home I have so much warm stuff,” Lang said. “I feel like I was so prepared for the weather. I played great, but I have all my heat packs and I have my fleece and everything. I just felt like I really wasn’t that cold, which was key.”

Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, opened with a 70. She tied for 34th two weeks ago in her first LPGA Tour event of the year.

Defending champion Cheyenne Knight also shot 70.

So Yeon Ryu opened with a 72 in her first U.S. event on the LPGA Tour since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship last year.

Jeongeun Lee6, the defending Women’s Open champion, had a 73.

Amateur Tillie Claggett of Calgary shot 83 — she is the sole Canadian playing in the event, and this is her first professional tournament.

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Sei Young Kim won the Pelican Women’s Championship on Sunday for her second straight victory, closing with an even-par 70 for a three-stroke victory over Ally McDonald.

The KPMG Women’s PGA winner way back on Oct. 11 in her last start, the second-ranked Kim won for the 12th time on the LPGA Tour to break a tie for third on the South Korean victory list with Jiyai Shin, behind only Inbee Park (20) and Se Ri Pak (25).

Smiths Falls, Ont. native Brooke Henderson finished in a four-way tie for sixth place after a 1-under 69 in her final round.

Henderson ended the tournament seven strokes behind Kim. It’s the third consecutive tournament where the 23-year-old has finished in sixth and her fourth straight top-10 finish.

The only fellow Canadian on the course was Alena Sharp of Hamilton, On., who shot a 72 today and tied for 27th.

Kim was drenched in champagne during the victory celebration.

“My friends put it on my head and then my T-shirt and everything,” Kim said. “Feel like take a shower in the champagne. I still smell. And then drink a little bit and feel — feels, you know, like little drunk.”

The 27-year-old Kim is the first player to follow her first major victory with a win in her next start since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 in the Women’s British Open and CP Women’s Open.

“Always after win always got the extra confidence, so when I play, standing on the golf course, it feels very happy when I walk on the course,” said Kim, also a five-time KLPGA winner. “It’s really great.”

Kim finished at 14-under 266 at Pelican Golf Club in the first-year tournament originally set for the same week as the PGA Championship in May. After her victory last month at Aronimink in Pennsylvania, she took a trip home to South Korea during the long break.

“After the tournament I just want to relax and then feel fresh, make myself feel fresh, so don’t think about golf,” Kim said. “Just fun thing to do.”

McDonald birdied the last for a 68. She was coming a victory in the Drive On Championship-Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia, her first on the tour.

“I’m really happy with how I played,” McDonald said. “I hung in there. … So I’m really pleased. Obviously, following a win to get another second and be in contention, that’s all I can ask for.”

Stephanie Meadow was third at 9 under after a 69.

Lydia Ko (69) and Austin Ernst ( 68) were 8 under, and Brooke Henderson (69) was another stroke back with Jessica Korda (64), Angela Stanford (65) and Jennifer Song (65).

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko tied for 34th at 3 over after a 71 in her first LPGA Tour event of the year. No. 1 in the world for the last 68 weeks, she was home in South Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim is close to taking the top spot.

“It means a lot because world ranking No. 1 is my wish list in this year, so that’s my biggest goal in this year,” Kim said. “Before Olympic gold medal was my biggest goal in this year, but it cancel. Might be next year.”

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Sei Young Kim answered Ally McDonald’s ace with a late birdie run to open a five-stroke lead Saturday in the Pelican Women’s Championship, the South Korean’s first event since winning the KPMG Women’s PGA a month and half ago.

The second-ranked Kim shot a 6-under 64, birdieing Nos. 14-17, to get to 14-under 196 at Pelican Golf Club.

“She made a hole-in-one, we almost one-shot lead,” Kim said. “I got a little bit pressure, but I try to focus on my game.”

McDonald shot 68. She had the hole-in-one on the par-3 12th and birdied the par-5 14th to get close to Kim. The American dropped a stroke on the par-4 16th.

“It was playing like 115 front, 127 hole, and there was a little bit of downwind,” McDonald said. “So, I thought a 115 shot, just playing the front edge, would be enough to pitch it a few yards on and let it release.

“Honestly, this is kind of how my strategy works, was everything told me to look a couple paces right of it, so I did. That’s kind of my strategy, because I wasn’t looking at the hole, but then it went in.”

Kim’s victory last month at Aronimink was her 11th on the LPGA Tour and first major title.

“I feel like same, but when standing on the first tee, like announcer, `This is a major champion, Sei Young Kim.’ When I heard that, feels like, `Oh, yeah, I got that.”’

She left McDonald behind with the birdie spree.

“I just trying to keep push myself until the last hole,” Kim said. “Just keep pushing. I think that is way to make more birdies.”

McDonald struggled on the greens late.

“I felt like I played really solid during that stretch,” McDonald said. “I hit good shots. Just unfortunately, my speed got a little off, especially 16, 17, 18. For a little bit, I kind of lost my touch with the putter.”

Stephanie Meadow was third at 8 under after a 68 in the first-year tournament originally set for the same week as the PGA Championship in May

Lydia Ko (66) was 7 under, and Minjee Lee (67) and Austin Ernst (65) were 6 under.

Brooke Henderson is also 6 under and tied for fifth place going into Sunday’s game. The Smiths Falls, Ont., player fired a 66 today — her best round of the tournament.

“I feel like after you make the cut you’re feeling a little bit looser, and I think it’s a great day where you can really, well, make a move up the leaderboard and challenge the leaders. I was trying to do that today.”

Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.,) shot a 71 and sits at even par, but is still within the top 20 players teeing off Sunday.

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was tied for 28th at 2 over after a 69 in her first LPGA Tour event of the year. No. 1 in the world for the last 68 weeks, she has been home in South Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic. She plans to play three straight tournaments through the U.S. Women’s Open.

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Breakthrough winners in their last starts, Sei Young Kim and Ally McDonald were on top again Friday in the Pelican Women’s Championship.

The second-ranked Kim, making her first start since winning the KPMG Women’s PGA a month and half ago at Aronimink for her first major title, shot a 5-under 65 at Pelican Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead over McDonald into the weekend.

Not that Kim was paying attention to the leaderboard.

“Golf is compete with myself, I think,” Kim said. “If you see the leaderboard then I think I think about the other things. I just want to think about focus on myself and what I have to do.”

McDonald had a 66. She won her first LPGA Tour title late last month in the Drive On Championship-Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia in the tour’s last event.

“My ball-striking was just a little off yesterday, but managed to play really solid,” McDonald said. “I was able to strike it better today. Had a few more realistic looks for birdie. Overall, I just feel like I’m still rolling the ball really well, which gives me a lot of confidence and takes a little pressure off my ball-striking in general. Feel like I don’t have to hit had it really, really close.”

Kim had an 8-under 132 total in the first-year tournament originally set for the same week as the PGA Championship in May. The 11-time LPGA Tour winner birdied four of the first five holes and added another on the par-5 14th.

“It was a tough to make the chance to birdie on the back nine because pin position really tough,” Kim said. “Pins, most pins were right next to undulation, so if you miss the distance, it’ll come back, all the way back. I had three good up-and-downs. Bogey-free round It was really good play today.”

First-round lead Sophia Popov, the Women’s British Open winner at Royal Troon in August, was tied for third at 6 under with Stephanie Meadow. Popov followed an opening 64 with a 70, playing alongside McDonald and top-ranked Jim Young Ko.

“Ally had a good start, too,” Popov said. “When I started making a couple bogeys she was making birdies, and so I knew she was getting close to me. I think that also helped to push me.”

Meadow birdied four of her last five holes, finishing on the front nine, for a 65.

“My back nine was awesome,” Meadow said. “Played really solid. The front nine I hit barely any greens and made a ton of up-and-downs. Just kept my cool on my front nine, the back nine, and was able to make some birdies coming in, which was nice.”

Elizabeth Szokol was 5 under after a 66.

Lydia Ko had a 67 to join Minjee Lee (69) and Lindsey Weaver (68) at 3 under. Angela Stanford (68), Jennifer Song (70) and Robynn Ree (69) were 2 under.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 70 and is also 2 under.  Henderson is sitting in a tie for 9th place going into the weekend rounds. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is one shot behind following a 1-under 71 and is tied for 14th.

Jin Young Ko was tied for 47th at 3 over after rounds of 72 and 71, in her first LPGA Tour start of the year. No. 1 in the world for the last 68 weeks, She has been home in South Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic. She plans to play three straight tournaments through the U.S. Women’s Open.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6, also making her return to the LPGA Tour, was tied for 38th at 2 over, following an opening 73 with a 69. She last played the Women’s Australian Open in February before the tour began shutting down its Asia swing because of the pandemic.

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Women’s British Open winner Sophia Popov left top-ranked playing partner Jin Young Ko and everyone else behind Thursday in the Pelican Women’s Championship.

Popov shot a 6-under 64 in windy conditions to take a two-stroke lead over Ashleigh Buhai, with Ko eight shots behind after a 72 in her first LPGA Tour start of the year.

Popov was the surprise winner at Royal Troon in August.

“I think I’m playing with a different confidence level,” Popov said. “You know, the shots are there. I always had them I felt like. I think mentally I’ve never felt as freed up as I do now. I don’t know if that’s from winning the tournament or just overall just having more fun out here. Having obviously an exemption for the next couple years just frees up the swing a little bit, my mindset, I can be a little bit more aggressive, and I think I just took advantage of that.”

At the tricky Pelican Golf Club, the German birdied the last five holes for a front-nine 29, then cooled off on the back with two birdies and two bogeys — the last on the par-4 18th.

“I felt pretty confident coming into the round,” Popov said. “Honestly, probably didn’t see that many birdies on my front. I thought with the wind the course is playing really tough, and surprised myself a little on that front nine. Tried to keep it going, but think the other nine is definitely tough and so I’m happy with my score.”

Buhai birdied three of the last four holes.

“You just have to stay patient, hit to the big parts of the green,” the South African said. “I think in order to shoot a low score today, you got to have a hot putter, especially this afternoon. The greens firmed up a lot and it was difficult to get it close. That’s what I did. I made some good putts coming down. I hit it close on 17 and then holed a nice one on 18 for birdie.”

Ally McDonald, playing alongside Popov and Ko in an afternoon threesome, was at 67 with Women’s PGA champion Sei Young Kim, the No. 2 player in the world.

“Honestly, my ball striking wasn’t that great,” McDonald said. “I just felt like my timing was just a little bit off.”

McDonald won her first LPGA Tour title late month in the Drive On Championship-Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia.

Canadians Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp closed off their first round tied for 5th place after shooting 2-under 68.

“It’s definitely a tricky golf course,” Henderson said. “You got to be careful out there. It can kind of jump up and bite you if you’re not paying attention, and especially with how windy it was earlier today.”

Local favourite Brittany Lincicome and Jessica Korda shot 69.

“A lot of the holes it seemed like it was a left-to-right wind, which being a draw player was just really messing with my swing,” Lincicome said. “You have to miss it in the right spot, and I feel like I missed it in the wrong spot a few times.”

Lexi Thompson had a hole-in-one on the 162-yard third hole, her 12th of the day.

“Hit a full 9-iron and it was kind of flagged right off the face,” Thompson said. “I kind of went off a guy behind the green. He put his hands up. I couldn’t tell if it went in or not. But it’s a great feeling, even though there was only about ten people that saw it.”

She bogeyed three of the next four holes in a 70.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6, also making her return to the LPGA Tour, had a double bogey and two bogeys in a 73. She last played the Women’s Australian Open in February before the tour began shutting down its Asia swing because of the pandemic.

The first-year tournament was originally to be held the same week as the PGA Championship in May.

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Ally McDonald gave herself a big birthday present Sunday, winning the LPGA Drive On Championship-Lake Reynolds Oconee for her first tour title.

The 28-year-old from Mississippi held off Danielle Kang by a stroke on the Great Waters Course, closing with a 3-under 69 for a 16-under 272 total. Kang birdied the par-5 18th for a 68.

“I’ve never doubted my ability, but I’ve definitely questioned whether I would be able to win out here,” McDonald said. “It’s really hard to win out here. So, I’ve just really hung in there and tried to stick to my process since Day 1. That was able to get me in the winner’s circle today. I’m really thankful.”

McDonald birdied the first three holes on the back nine, dropped a stroke on 14, birdied 16, bogeyed 17 and parred the par-5 18th. Kang birdied Nos. 12. 13 and 14 to pull within a stroke, but bogeyed the 15th.

“I’m not going to lie, it shook me up pretty bad,” McDonald said. “I had to gather myself and get my heart rate under control after I made bogey on 13 and Danielle went back to back on birdies on 13 and 14. I just told myself to calm down and do what I’ve been doing every single round, and that is just trying to execute my game plan, control what I can.”

Kang won back-to-back events in Ohio in the summer, leads the Race to CME Globe and, at No. 5 in the world, was the top-ranked player in the field.

“I knew from the start that Danielle was going to hang in there,” McDonald said. “You kind of go to match play mode and you think absolutely she’s going to put the pedal down. So I was just happy to hang in there and pull it out.”

McDonald’s parents watched her play during the weekend.

“It means the world to me, obviously, that they’re here,” McDonald said. “This is the closest golf tournament that we have. … Having them here was just amazing.”

Kang played through back spasms.

“I think I just need to take a few days off right now,” Kang said. “My back has went into a spasm few days ago. I call it wifi. It’s on strong right and left. So it was a little difficult this week to play with it. I think I’m very proud of how I played despite not having my full game, but Ally played wonderfully and it’s been a really great week.”

Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines was two strokes back after a 70. She was making her sixth LPGA Tour start of the year and seventh overall.

“Being at this level and just being able to compete with the greatest players, it’s so much fun,” Pagdanganan said. “I say this a lot, but I really do get to live my dream. If you told me a couple years ago that I would be playing on the LPGA Tour and in this position in my rookie year I probably wouldn’t believe you.”

Mina Harigae (67) and Carlota Ciganda (69) were 13 under, a stroke ahead of Ariya Jutanugarn (69) and Katherine Kirk (70).

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, the only Canadian player in the field, finished off the weekend in 52nd at even par.