Aphrodite Deng leaned on a club, cooly crossing a leg at the ankle as she stood on the 18th fairway of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, waiting her turn to shoot with all the confidence of a seasoned LPGA Tour pro.

As soon as Deng was up, she strode directly to the ball, set her feet, and connected on her approach shot, seemingly with no doubt about her club selection or her target.

It’s hard to believe that the Canadian amateur is just 15 years old.

Her score in the first round of the CPKC Women’s Open was also hard to believe, as she finished her round tied for the clubhouse lead with Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and Megan Khang of the United States at 5-under 66. Japan’s Akie Iwai took over the lead with a mistake-free 7-under round in the afternoon, with world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Ireland’s Leona Maguire tying Deng, Lopez and Khang two shots back.

Even Deng’s answers when asked about her demeanour on the course give off a sense of effortless cool.

“I’m trying to hit each shot and play in the fairway,” she said after submitting her scorecard. “I don’t really like playing slow because then I think too much.”

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.

For most of her first round at the Canadian national women’s championship Deng was alone atop the leaderboard until Khang and Lopez caught up to her in their final holes. Although a little nervous about doing media on live TV, Deng was nonchalant about leading a professional golf tournament.

“I did look at the leaderboard a few times, yeah,” she said. “I thought it was pretty cool, but I just knew I had to keep the same game plan.”

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said that Deng’s quick pace and unperturbed style of play is typical for her.

“No matter how big the event is, she just handles herself the same way over and over again,” he said. “Doesn’t change anything, doesn’t make too too much of the moment.

“And with the quickness, she just gets that decision her head, and she knows what she wants to do, and she’s committed to the shots. I think it’s an asset to her.”

Deng’s strong showing in Thursday’s opening round put her in the spotlight but she’s actually just a part of Golf Canada’s youth movement. There are 16 Canadians in the field at the Women’s Open, 10 of them are amateurs and six of those amateurs are juniors.

Lauren Kim, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Texas, was the second lowest Canadian on Thursday. The Surrey, B.C., native shot a 1-under 70 to sit in a tie for 21st.

“It’s quite inspiring, honestly. Just looking at it from an outsider’s perspective, I think it’s amazing that we have so many young amateurs coming out,” said Kim who said she felt old compared to some of the amateurs competing at Mississauga. “I think that the future is looking really bright for Canada.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian golfer on the LPGA Tour, sitting 53rd on the points list and 58th in the world heading into this week’s women’s national championship. She had an even-par 71 to sit in a tie for 39th with, among others, amateur Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont.

A golfing prodigy who won her first LPGA Tour event as a 17-year-old, Henderson’s 13 victories are the most for any Canadian professional golfer. She was also impressed by Deng’s performance.

“She’s been playing well all summer, so it’s pretty cool to see, especially on a big stage like this,” said Henderson after her round. “Just keep it going and ride the momentum.”

Amateurs Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., and Calgary’s Tillie Claggett as well as 16-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, who turned pro in January, were tied for 65th at 1 over.

Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and amateur Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., were tied for 87th at 2 over.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., as well as amateurs Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto and Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., were tied for 110th at 3 over.

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., as well as amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill and Joline Truong of Mississauga were tied for 131st at 4 over.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 156th at 11 over.

MISSISSAUGA – Brooke Henderson has played in more than a dozen CPKC Women’s Open tournaments, winning the national women’s golf championship in 2018. And she’s loved every moment. 

But as Henderson has struggled on the LPGA Tour this season, she’s gone back to old video of herself playing in previous national championships to recapture her mojo.

“Just trying to get some motivation and try to lean back on some things that I’ve learned over the years just to see the progress that I’ve made, and it’s pretty cool,” said Henderson in the media centre at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. “I played in this event a lot and I’ve had a lot of success, winning in 2018 and multiple Top 10s, even when I was young to make the cut was super cool.

“Just trying to think back to what was going through my mind when I was answering those questions back then or out there playing. (…) There are so many cool things that have happened at this event, so just trying to take positive energy from that and use it this week.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is the winningest player in Canadian golf history, taking 13 titles on the LPGA Tour including two majors. She peaked at No. 6 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. 

As the biggest name in Canadian golf and a returning champion, Henderson is the face of the CPKC Women’s Open.

But she’s also in the midst of her most frustrating season as a professional golfer, where she has made 12 of 17 cuts but only reached the top 10 of a leaderboard once. Although still the top-ranked Canadian on the women’s rankings, she’s sunk down to 58th.

“I think just getting four solid rounds of golf together in a row is really key. Just being a little bit more consistent, said Henderson, who tied for 23rd at last week’s Standard Portland Classic. “For a while the ball striking was a bit of an issue. I feel like we worked diligently on that and it’s back to a better spot.

“So just piecing everything together. Golf is hard and I found that out more recently than I ever have. Just trying to take it day by day, figuring it out.”

The level of competition on the LPGA Tour hasn’t made it easy for Henderson, either.

“The golf has just gotten so much better. Everyone is getting so good,” said world No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States. “If you just look at the teams that the girls have around themselves, they’re investing so much into themselves, their game, everything, so they can compete week in, week out at their best ability.”

Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul leapfrogged Korda in the rankings on Aug. 4 to become the world’s top golfer. She agreed that the LPGA Tour has never been more competitive.

“I would say it’s so hard, especially this year,” said Thitikul. “All the winners are different faces. I don’t think any players have got multiple wins yet this year.

“I think the group of people that have the talent and potential to win is bigger and bigger.”

Although no longer a major — the Women’s Open lost that honour in 2001 — the Canadian women’s championship remains one of toughest fields on tour. Six of the current top 10 and 19 of the top 25 players on the world rankings are in the field.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among eight past winners in Canada, along with Megan Khang (2023), Paula Reto (2022), Jin Young Ko (2019), Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012).

Last year’s two-stroke victory at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary was the first LPGA Tour win of Coughlin’s career and she said on Wednesday it continues to shape her as a player.

“I think it gave me the confidence that I could get it done when I needed to, that I could hit shots, make putts when I needed to coming down the stretch,” said Coughlin, who followed that up with a win at the Scottish Open last season. “I think I just learned I don’t need to do anything other than being myself out there and have a lot of fun and be really relaxed. 

“If I can do that, I can contend.”

Alena Sharp isn’t done just yet.

The 44-year-old is playing in her 20th CPKC Women’s Open this week at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. Although Sharp has been through some rough seasons the past couple of years, she feels her time on the LPGA Tour isn’t over.

“I thought maybe this would be my last year. Well, I don’t want to end like this, but I still have a few events left,” she said at a news conference on Wednesday, noting that next year she would qualify for the senior tour. “I want to get better every day. I still love the game. Maybe don’t love the travel as much as I used to because it tires me out more, but I still love to play.

“I think you get a sign and I’m just not ready to go done yet.”

Sharp made her Women’s Open debut 21 years ago at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont., and she still remembers playing a practice round with World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster of the United States and getting to play alongside Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Gail Graham of Vanderhoof, B.C.

“I played the Epson Tour a few week ago and it was an event with the senior tour and Epson,” said Sharp. “Again, played a practice round with Juli Inkster, saw Gail Graham, saw a lot of people that as a rookie I was playing with.

“They looked like they were having fun. Didn’t look as cutthroat, playing 6,000 yards, probably can’t hit driver very much. It’s a nice option to keep things light.”

Although Sharp says she doesn’t really feel her age, being around “all the young kids” on the LPGA Tour sometimes underscores how long she’s been playing. 

There are 16 Canadians in the field at this year’s national open, including 10 amateurs either trying to reach the NCAA or already playing U.S. collegiate golf.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver will be in a group with Sharp on Thursday and Friday. Huang turned pro in January.

Twenty-three-year-old Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is the second-highest ranked Canadian on the LPGA Tour this season. She’s 137th on the tour, behind No. 53 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. 

“I think we’re really lucky with the support we get from Golf Canada,” said Grewal. “We have a great program and I’m excited to see so many up and coming amateurs and young pros now.

“I think Canadian golf is headed in a great direction, so definitely excited to see more Canadians come out and I hope in the future we will have some more girls on the LPGA.”

Sharp, Huang, Grewal and Henderson will be joined by fellow pros Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont.

Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Joline Truong of Mississauga, Calgary’s Tillie Claggett, Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., and Celina Yeo of London, Ont., are also in the field.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two-time champion Brooke Henderson birdied all four par-5 holes for a 7-under 65 on Thursday in The Standard Portland Classic, leaving the slumping Canadian a stroke behind first-round leader Adela Cernousek.

Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., won the first of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in 2015 by eight strokes at Columbia Edgewater at age 17, and successfully defended the following year. Now 27, she’s winless since January 2023 and has dipped to 52nd in the world.

“I love coming back to this place,” Henderson said. “I do have a lot of the great memories. A lot of good things happened to me here.”

She opened her morning round with four straight birdies, two on par 5s. On her second nine, she birdied the par-5 fifth and seventh and the par-4 ninth.

“It’s really important to hit a bunch of fairways this week,” Henderson said. “You want to be hitting it really straight. I think I only missed two fairways today, so that was good. Hopefully, hit them all tomorrow.”

Next week, Henderson will be back home in Canada for the CPKC Women’s Open in Mississauga, Ont. She won the national championship in 2018.

Savannah Grewal, from Mississauga, shot 69 on Thursday, while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp had a 73 and Vancouver’s Kaylee Chung had a 76. 

Cernousek shot a 65 in the final group of the day off the 10th tee. The 22-year-old Frenchwoman played her final nine holes in 7-under 29 — highlighted by an eagle on No. 7.

“I was hitting the ball very well,” Cernousek said.

Sung Hyun Park was a stroke back with Henderson, Jeongeun Lee5, Gurleen Kaur and Miranda Wang. Park had eight birdies and a bogey in her afternoon round on the tree-lined course. The 31-year-old South Korean player won the last of her seven tour titles in 2019.

“As of late, my ball-striking and putting are starting to feel quite comfortable and that’s exactly what happened today,” Park said. “I was able to make confident swings and also feel great about the strokes I made on the greens.”

Haeran Ryu two strokes back at 66 with Perrine Delacour, Arpichaya Yubol, Ashleigh Buhai and Linn Grant. Ryu, at No. 9 in the world, and No. 7 Angel Yin — who shot a 72 — are the only players from the top 10 in the world ranking in the field.

Amateur Kiara Romero had a 67. The University of Oregon star won the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2025 Big Ten title.

“Everything was rolling pretty smoothly,” Romero said. “I was a little bit nervous on the first tee, but still played pretty good.”

Juli Inkster, the 65-year-old Hall of Famer who won the 1999 event, birdied three of the par 5s in a 69.

“I actually thought I putted really well today,” Inkster said. “Hit a lot of good irons and I drove the ball well. I was happy with that.”

She played alongside 2017 champion Stacy Lewis and 2019 winner Hannah Green, who each shot 73. Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn also had a 73.

BRIDGEND, Wales — Canadian amateur Anna Huang shot a four-under-par 67 on Monday to top the leaderboard at final qualifying for the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, securing her spot in the championship field at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

Huang, 16, was the youngest player in the 107-competitor field at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club and emerged as the outright leader among 17 qualifiers for the major championship, which begins Thursday in Wales.

“I’m delighted with my score,” said Huang, who will make her second major appearance after competing in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. “On the front nine, I just stayed really patient. I didn’t miss any fairways and the putts were dropping.”

While the Vancouver-area golfer is relatively new to links golf, she showed no signs of inexperience.

“I don’t play links golf, so it took a couple of practice rounds to get used to it, but I think I handled it pretty well,” she said. “I learned a lot from the U.S. Open earlier this year and bringing more patience into this week was really helpful.”

Huang’s score placed her ahead of Ireland’s Anna Foster and Thailand’s Aripichaya Yubol, who each carded rounds of 68. A group at 69 included Hira Naveed (Australia), Soo Bin Joo (Korea), Morgan Metraux (Switzerland) and Alessandra Fanali (Italy).

Also among the qualifiers were Brianna Do of the United States, who shot 70, and Lydia Hall of Wales, a member at nearby Southerndown Golf Club.

The AIG Women’s Open, conducted by The R&A, is one of five major championships in women’s golf. The 2025 edition will be played July 30–Aug. 3. Future host venues include Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2026.

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.