Savannah Grewal is just trying to drink in this moment.

Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., will officially become a professional golfer next week when she enters the third stage of the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school. Turning pro is a requirement for the tournament, and the third-highest ranked Canadian on the women’s amateur golf rankings welcomes the challenge.

“To be able to make it to Stage 3 my first time around and then just to it also being my first professional event, I think I just want to really enjoy each moment and take it one step at a time,” said Grewal. “Obviously, I want to make it to the LPGA Tour, but I think, getting there is an accomplishment and in those moments, I just want to really stay where my feet are.”

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., is ranked 31st in the women’s amateur golf rankings, Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., is 89th, and Grewal is 122nd.

Grewal reached those heights on the strength of her play for Clemson University in South Carolina, where she played for five seasons, getting an extra year of U.S. collegiate eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was first-team All-ACC for her accomplishments on the course and academically, finishing the year with 71.77 stroke average, best in Clemson history. Alice Hewson, who now plays on the Ladies European Tour, held the previous school record of 72.10.

That included a win at this year’s Cougar Classic, a collegiate event hosted by College of Charleston, at Yeamans Hall Club in Hanahan, S.C.

“It has always pretty much been my dream to play professional golf, since I was eight years old,” said Grewal. “There was never really a doubt in my mind that I want to play professional, it was always the end goal.”

With that in mind, Grewal decided to go to the LPGA Tour’s Q-School this year.

Grewal tied Japan’s Suzuka Yamaguchi at 15 under for a two-stroke victory at Stage 1 on Aug. 31. She followed that up with a tie for sixth, 10 shots behind the winner Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden, at Stage 2 on Oct. 20.

Those strong showings earned her a card on the second-tier Epson Tour, the feeder circuit for the LPGA Tour, as well as a spot at Stage 3.

That led to a conversation with coaches Kelley Hester and Erica Popson at Clemson about her future at the school.

“We had talked about (Q-school) when I had decided that I was going to come back from my fifth year,” said Grewal, who had already completed a pre-med degree but would have studied French as a major in her fifth year in university. “At that time, you didn’t have to turn pro to play in Stage 3 and then they changed that rule.

“When (the LPGA Tour) did change that rule we talked about it and they said, ‘Yeah, if you make it to Stage 3 go ahead, go turn pro, do your thing.”

Grewal will practice at Clemson’s golf facilities for the next week before heading to the Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Ala., for Tuesday’s practice rounds. The tournament is set to begin Nov. 30.

“I’m just making sure I’m checking off all the boxes,” said Grewal of her training program. “Chipping, pitching, and bunker game, so everything all around.

“It’s nice that I have some time with American Thanksgiving break now so I can take this time to really focus in.”

The CPKC Women’s Open has won the LPGA Tour’s highest tournament honour for the second consecutive year.

The event, hosted Aug. 22-27 at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, was named the back-to-back winner of tour’s tournament of the Year at the LPGA’s annual year-end tournament awards Wednesday night.

“We really have a secret sauce,” tournament director Ryan Paul told The Canadian Press at the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the LPGA Tour season. “It’s really an incredible golf tournament. You’ve got the best players in the world a rope-line away from you, but outside the ropes there are so many great things that you can see and do.”

The Canadian tournament also won for best sponsor activation and best volunteer appreciation at the ceremony hosted at Tiburon Golf Club.

The sponsor nod was a culmination of the tournament’s partner programming like the Brooke Brigade fan zone. Unique for this year — and specially recognized — was a junior clinic at the Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre for First Nations youth hosted by star-in-waiting Rose Zhang. Zhang became the first golfer in 72 years to win in her pro debut on the LPGA Tour when she captured the Mizuho Americas Open in June.

The volunteer award stemmed from a new initiative where every player, caddie, and staff on site at Shaughnessy was given a poker chip to give to a volunteer who they recognized were going above-and-beyond their call of duty. The poker chip could be redeemed for prizes. There were more than 1,300 volunteers this year.

“A number like that you can see how important they are to the success of the event,” Paul said. “Without them we don’t have a golf tournament.”

American Megan Khang won the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open in a dramatic playoff over former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko. It was her first LPGA Tour win.

Big crowds and memorable performances during the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open helped Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) raise nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health, with $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation.

The 2024 LPGA Tour schedule was announced Thursday, with the CPKC Women’s Open set for July 25-28 at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.

“(With) the schedule, not going to lie … I was a little worried when we were going to change our date to July. The Olympics always messes things up,” Paul said. “But I spent some time talking to the players this week and they love our event. They’re not going to miss it for the world. They’re happy the schedule has a nice flow.”

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the CPKC Women’s Open. Paul said there are going to be a lot of announcements to come in celebration of the history of the tournament over the coming months. And he said a “three-peat” next year would be extra special as the event celebrates an important milestone.

The two-time tournament of the year will see its purse increased for 2024 to US$2.6 million, up from $2.5 million.

The total prize fund for the 2024 LPGA Tour season will be more than US$118 million, the highest ever in tour history and up a staggering 69 per cent from three years ago.

The tour will travel to 15 states and 10 countries and will feature three new events in 2024.

Announced earlier this week, the CME Group Tour Championship — the LPGA Tour’s season finale that features only the top 60 golfers on the yearlong Race to CME Globe — increased its purse from $7 million to $11 million with an impressive $4 million given to the winner. Only one event on the PGA Tour has a first-place prize of higher than $4 million.

“The money says that they’re valued in what they do as the top 60 players in the world playing here,” said LPGA Tour commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “And they should be compensated commensurate with that unbelievable world-class talent.”

The 2024 season will begin Jan. 18 with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla., where Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. will be the defending champion.

Brooke Henderson loves breaking records and this week she’s got a dubious one hanging over her head.

Since 2016, no LPGA Tour player has won the opening tournament of the season and then won a second title in the same year. Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., kicked off 2023 with a victory at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on Jan. 22 and is in the field at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, the climax of the professional women’s golf season, still looking for her second win of the year.

“It’s a really weird stat that I don’t like very much,” said Henderson with a laugh. “I thought I would break it earlier but maybe it kind of got in my head a little bit. 

“This would be the perfect week to break that and bookend the season; win the first one, win the last one, that would be obviously ideal.”

Henderson is the only Canadian in the 60-golfer field at Tiburón Golf Club’s Gold Course in Naples, Fla. She enters the tournament ranked 14th in the CME Globe rankings.

At last year’s CME Group Tour Championship, Henderson had an outside shot at finishing atop the standings, but was hampered by a back injury. Instead, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko won the event and the season’s championship.

“The off-season, for me last year was huge,” said Henderson. “I put in a lot of work to strengthen and heal and it has really paid off. 

“Knock on wood, I don’t have the issues that I had last year. That was another thing coming into this week: I was really excited that I’m a lot healthier than where I was this time last year.”

The PGA Tour also concludes its season with the RSM Classic. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is the defending champion. His victory at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course in Saint Simons Island, Ga., last year was the start to a breakout season for Svensson.

“It is my best year here on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I feel like I’ve played my best golf in my career and I feel like I’m getting better and better. 

“Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

The RSM Classic is the seventh and final PGA Tour event of the FedExCup Fall. All seven tournaments featured winner’s benefits, including a two-year PGA Tour exemption, 500 FedExCup points and invitations to The Sentry, The Players Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship in 2024.

Svensson enters the event 37th on the FedEx Cup standings, guaranteed a PGA Tour card next season as well as spots in the circuit’s premium events. 

He’ll be joined by at least seven other Canadians next season. 

Nick Taylor (25th) of Abbotsford, B.C., Corey Conners (26th) of Listowel, Ont, Adam Hadwin (45th) from Abbotsford, Mackenzie Hughes (53rd) of Dundas, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith (86th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., have also retained their tour cards. 

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., have earned cards through their rankings on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour.

Svensson has played more PGA Tour golf than most of the top 50 players on tour, including most of the fall events. He said that’s just a product of his passion for the sport more than any kind of strategy.

“I love playing I love competing and I feel like I learn so much each week,” said Svensson. “Even if I don’t play good I still learn and if I play great I learned so I feel like the more events I play … the better I get.”

Conners, Hughes, and Pendrith are also in the field at the RSM Classic this week, as is Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont. Gligic is 204th on the FedEx Cup standings and needs a strong showing this week to clinch a tour membership for next year.

Maddie Szeryk feels like her game has turned a corner the last couple of weeks. And that feeling has come at a good time as she prepares to tee it up at the final full-field event of the LPGA Tour’s 2023 schedule. 

Szeryk, of London, Ont., currently sits 99th in the Race to CME Globe, the LPGA Tour’s season-long points list. The top 100 after this week’s event — The Annika at Pelican Golf Club — will keep their LPGA Tour status for 2024. 

Szeryk is currently 2.6 points ahead of Spain’s Azahara Munoz at No. 100.

“It’s hard to make it bigger than it is, like, ‘Oh, I have to play amazing.’ At the end of the day, I’m going to try to play my best and play as well as I can and wherever I end up is where I end up,” Szeryk said by phone from Belleair, Fla.

“You don’t know how the other girls are going to play. We could all finish top 10 and it could be super close. Or we could finish all over the board. I can only do my part and play as well as I can and see where I end up at the end of the week.”

Szeryk is in her second full year on the LPGA Tour. Her best result of the season came in her first event, the LPGA Drive On Championship in March, where she finished tied for seventh.

The 27-year-old struggled through the summer, missing six of seven cuts from July until September. But she’s found the weekend in her last two tournaments and finished in a tie for 26th last month at the LPGA Shanghai tournament — her best result on tour in three months. 

“Everyone gets on these little runs and it’s like, ‘OK, any time now would be great (to turn things around),” Szeryk said. “I felt like a lot of those weeks I was close. I could see things were getting a little closer and then the last few weeks it finally clicked.”

Szeryk says her comfort level this year has been “way higher” than 2022. Last year she had to return to the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school to earn full status again for 2023, a gruelling eight-round marathon with the top 45 and ties receiving their cards. Szeryk finished tied for 17th.

In speaking with other players on the LPGA Tour, she realized it takes about a year to feel comfortable with the travel and the logistics of women’s professional golf at the highest level. 

“I’ve definitely had a better schedule and I know what I’m doing versus thinking about when I could play, what I should do, or where I should go,” Szeryk said. 

Szeryk has tried to keep things as similar as possible through the year in terms of her gear and preparation, although she said her and her longtime caddie (they had been together since July of last year) split after the she missed the cut at the Canadian Women’s Open in Vancouver.

Szeryk said she’s been struggling off the tee this year and sits 106th on the LPGA Tour in driving accuracy. She was 57th in the same statistic last year.

“The last couple of weeks, most of the time when I made a bogey it was I was completely out of play,” Szeryk said. “(This week) really going to make sure the big focus is getting my driver at least in play.

“I feel like I’m heading in the right direction which is always comforting and what you want to see.”

Szeryk will be one of two Canadians in the field at The Annika, and the other one won’t be worrying about their position in the season-long standings. 

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., sits 14th in the points list and comes into the event after a tie for sixth at the Maybank Championship two weeks ago — her third top-10 of the year. 

Henderson won the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions for her 13th LPGA Tour title. 

The top 60 on the Race to CME Globe at the end of the week earn their way into the LPGA Tour’s season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship, where they will compete for the biggest prize in women’s golf — a US$7-million purse, with $2 million going to the winner. 

The Annika begins Thursday at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair. World No. 6 Nelly Korda is the two-time defending champion. 

VANCOUVER – It took 19 holes for Megan Khang to win her first-ever LPGA Tour title.

The American beat South Korea’s Jin Young Ko in a one-hole playoff on Sunday at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Khang had a three-shot lead heading into the fourth round but her 2-over day and Ko’s 3-under round led to a playoff with both players at 9 under.

Ko’s drive went wide left and into deep rough to start the playoff, with marshals having to part hundreds of spectators so she could have a clear path out of the woods. Her punch out landed in a greenside bunker, while Khang moved straight up the 18th fairway.

Although Khang’s chip onto the green rolled to the edge, she made her long par putt while Ko double bogeyed the hole.

Brooke Henderson (68) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for 13th at 2 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (68) tied for 36th at 3 over.

Sunday’s final round was the third-straight day with an air quality advisory in the metro Vancouver area. Smoke from ongoing wildfires in British Columbia’s Interior region hung over Vancouver, obscuring views of nearby mountains.

That advisory included the area surrounding Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club but its course remained relatively clear of smoke due to strong winds off the nearby Fraser River.

VANCOUVER – The fans at the CPKC Women’s Open don’t care, Brooke Henderson is still their favourite.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., was greeted with cheers or chants at every hole around Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club on Sunday as she put together a 4-under 68 round to improve her overall score at the Canadian women’s championship to 2 under.

Disappointed with her performance at the only LPGA Tour event in Canada, Henderson said she was buoyed by the chants of “Let’s go Brooke!” or the impromptu renditions of “O Canada!” that followed her around the course.

“It’s phenomenal. Just the love, support, all the people that came out to watch,” said a smiling Henderson. “They didn’t really care what I was shooting, which was also really nice, they were just happy to be out here watching.”

Henderson finished the Women’s Open 75-68-75-68, an up-and-down scorecard that was a microcosm of her roller-coaster year.

She started the LPGA Tour season with a victory at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 19 and has had three top-20 finishes since. That includes a tie for 15th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on June 22, a 12th-place finish at the U.S Women’s Open on July 6 and second at The Amundi Evian Championship on July 27.

But she missed the cut at the other three events in July and August that led up to this week in Vancouver.

“I think overall when things start to slip a little bit you can panic, and I feel like I’ve done that a little bit this year,” said Henderson, who entered the week 11th in the Race to CME Globe standings, but is projected to move up to eighth on the LPGA Tour rankings on Monday.

“I’m trending in the right direction _ I’ve been saying that a lot, too, _ but I really am.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, the other Canadian who made the cut, had her best round of the tournament on Sunday. She shot a 4-under 68 in her fourth round to finish at 3 over.

“I’ve still got to keep learning as a veteran, and today I went out and just wanted to have fun,” said Sharp, who competed in the national championship for the 18th time. “Yesterday I walked off and I know I didn’t have a lot of fun. I let the golf course get to me.”

Sharp has spent most of her season on the Epson Tour and sits ninth on the second-tier circuit’s money list. Sharp said it’s encouraging that she can still compete with the best the LPGA Tour has to offer as she targets a return to the highest level of women’s golf next season.

“I know I still have it to play out here,” said the 42-year-old Sharp. “A sloppy two rounds, but two really good rounds on a really tough golf course.

“Looking forward to a week off and then five weeks in a row to hopefully get my LPGA Tour card.”

Henderson and Sharp were two of the 15 Canadians entered in the Women’s Open, with 10 of those players still amateurs. Although most of them missed the cut, Golf Canada chief sport officer Kevin Blue said it was an opportunity for the next generation of Canadian players to challenge themselves.

“Being uncomfortable is good,” said Blue on Wednesday. “Ask somebody trying to win a tournament down the stretch. They’re not comfortable. The whole point is to get uncomfortable in golf.

“Our players are definitely going to experience the good parts of that in the next couple of days.”

Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club will host the July 22-28 CPKC Women’s Open next year.

VANCOUVER – Struggling through her round, Brooke Henderson found some solace looking at the leaderboard, as most of the field at the CPKC Women’s Open was having a tough time with Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., grinded out a 3-over round to sit in a tie for 34th at 2 over on Saturday at the Canadian women’s golf championship. A double bogey on the par-4 14th hole was the ugliest blemish on her scorecard, but she took heart a couple of holes later.

“It was disappointing that I let some shots slip away, but looking at the leaderboard on No. 16 I was relieved because everyone else seemed to be having some trouble too, so that made me feel a little bit better about myself,” said Henderson, who then birdied the par-4 16th hole. “Just trying to take some positives out of the day.

“Obviously, not what I was looking for, but hopefully I’ll go out tomorrow and make some birdies.”

Henderson was still processing the round when she spoke with reporters by the scoring tent off the 18th green. Despite her struggles, the fans’ support of the top-ranked Canadian in professional golf remained unwavering.

Some spectators sang “O Canada!” at the 17th hole and a loud ovation ushered her up to the 18th green.

“I feel like I’m a little bit upset with how my game is right now,” said Henderson. “I’m also proud that I’m out here, playing the weekend, and with how things have been, I’m just grateful to be out here with all the love and support from all the fans.

“They made me feel a lot better about myself walking up 18. There is so much love here and that really means a lot to me.”

Although most of the field struggled on Saturday, the two players atop the leaderboard did not.

Megan Khang of the United States had birdies on four of her final five holes to hold on to her second-round lead. She finished at 4-under 68 to move to 11-under overall.

“Honestly, I’m relieved that the day is over,” said Khang. “It was kind of like you look at the leaderboard and you know who is behind you and you try to ignore it as much as you can, but it’s scary.”

The four birdies on Khang’s back nine were necessary to fend off hard-charging Sei Young Kim of South Korea. Kim had two eagles, including a hole-in-one, in a 5-under 67 round to sit in second two shots back of Khang.

She said that she decided to be aggressive after a Shaughnessy member told her during the pro-am that the key to the challenging course was to go for it when the green was reachable.

“(No. 14) especially, we get advantage from the tee shot,” said Kim. “It’s just reachable from the tee shot to the green, 250 metres to the pin, so I hit just driver.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (78) is the only other Canadian in the field. She finished the day with a group tied for 62nd at 7 over after a 6-over day.

Although she was frustrated by her round, Sharp still had some fun at No. 17 _ a hockey-themed feature hole dubbed The Rink _ by donning a Vancouver Canucks jersey as she played. In last year’s tournament at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, the diehard Maple Leafs fan pulled on a Toronto sweater at The Rink to a very mixed reaction.

Things went better for Sharp at Shaughnessy, with spectators banging on the boards to show their approval of the Canucks sweater. She pulled up the sleeves of the jersey for her chip on to the green and then sank a par putt.

“When I was trying to chip the logo was brushing my arms so I tucked it into the back and I actually hit a good chip,” said Sharp. “(Caddie and wife Sarah Bowman) said ‘you should wear that for the rest of the round.”’

VANCOUVER _ The CPKC Women’s Open isn’t just a showcase for some of the LPGA Tour’s top players it’s an opportunity for Canada’s youngest professional golfers to see how they measure up.

Although Brigitte Thibault and Sarah-Eve Rheaume both missed the cut at the Canadian women’s golf championship on Friday, they agreed that they learned a lot from the experience. The 24-year-old Thibault has been playing on the Women’s All-Pro Tour this season, a third-tier circuit that has most of its tournaments in Texas.

She said that playing in an LPGA Tour event was a good way of seeing how her golf is progressing.

“I felt very comfortable. I know I belong,” said Thibault after a 3-over 75 second round put her at 8 over. “I’m hitting shots that I know are super tough, and I’m kind of pulling them away and giving away shots on easier shots.”

“So just cleaning up and fine tuning the easier shots and I’ll be right up there.”

Likewise, the 22-year-old Rheaume saw that she can play at the highest levels of women’s golf. She has been playing on the second-tier Epson Tour this season, and sits 150th on its money list.

“You see that you’re pretty close,” said Rheaume about her second-ever appearance in an LPGA Tour event. “Once you’re at the Epson Tour level the difference to step up to the LPGA isn’t that big.”

“It’s a good confidence booster, because you see, you can really compete out here.”

Rheaume had a 2-over 74 round on Friday to finish the tournament at 7-over par. The projected cutline was set at 2 over.

Thibault is from Rosemere, Que., and Rheaume is a native of Quebec City. As the only two Quebecois players in the field they were proud to represent la Belle Province.

“I’ve seen a lot of Quebecois out here,” said Thibault of the large galleries at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. “It’s been nice to just feel the support and the warmth of them, just following you and cheering for you.”

Rheaume, who played two groups behind Thibault, also felt the love.

“It’s important to have some representation,” said Rheaume, who played in the CP Women’s Open in Ottawa last year. “We had four girls play (in 2022) and this year we only had two.”

“It’s very nice to represent Quebec and we’re really proud of our province and our country.”

VANCOUVER – Brooke Rivers says she’s just focused on playing golf at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open. But she still stopped to sign an autograph for a young girl as she crossed over from her front nine to the back nine.

That quick pause in her round came as she was one of the early leaders on Thursday morning at the Canadian women’s golf championship. The 18-year-old Rivers, a collegiate player set to start her first full year of university this fall, finished her round at 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for 13th.

Rivers’s round had the lowest score of any amateur at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.

“I think it’s very similar to any other tournament,” said Rivers after her first-ever round of professional golf. “I’m just trying to do the best that I can, and this is to me like any other tournament.

“So I’m staying in the moment. Not too many nerves. I’m just here to play golf.”

That said, Rivers doesn’t get asked for many autographs at amateur tournaments.

“Yeah, a little bit different,” Rivers said with a laugh. “It’s fun just to kind of inspire the younger generation.”

Rivers, from Brampton, Ont., started at No. 10 and had two birdies in her first five holes before firing an eagle on the par-5 No. 15.

“In the practice round I wasn’t close enough to go for the green on 15, but today I was full send going for the green and ended up in a good place,” she said, grinning. “Short-sided myself, but hit a perfect chip and went in.”

Although she had four bogeys after the eagle, Rivers recovered with a birdie on the par-5 No. 7 to finish the round on a high note.

“I’m missing my first week of college to be here,” said Rivers, who will play for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons starting this fall. “Worth it, but it’s just about golf. It’s not about the tournament or who is in it.

“I’m here to play golf and hit the shots that I want to hit.”

Rivers is one of 15 Canadians in the field at the Women’s Open. Ten of those players are amateurs, as Golf Canada works to develop a new generation of professional golfers.

Kevin Blue, the national governing body’s chief sport officer, said that it was important to give more amateurs an opportunity to play in their first professional event because it would help them better visualize their development targets.

“It allows them to understand viscerally and emotionally how their games measure up to a field like this, which is featuring the vast, vast majority of the top 100 players in the world,” said Blue. “We obviously hope that they’ll play well and make cuts and do those things, but primarily, the objective this week is for our players to learn as much as possible about areas where there’s still gaps between them and a world-ranked player.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian on Thursday, shooting a 3-under 69 to sit in a group tied for third.

“It’s amazing to see all the young kids here. I get older, they get younger it seems like,” said the 42-year-old Sharp. “They have a lot of talent and Golf Canada has done a great job with the program and giving these girls opportunities to play in events like this.

“It’s a huge experience builder for them. It’s great to see them all here.”

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., was tied for 31st at 1-over 73, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was 3-over 75, and amateur Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., was 4-over.

Epson Tour player Sarah-Eve Rheaume of Quebec City and amateurs Ellie Szeryk of London, Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C., and Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos were grouped at 5-over 77. Like Rivers, Ellie Szeryk was happy to be playing in her first-ever professional event.

“It was a little frustrating with the greens. I’m just not used to how the LPGA plays them,” said Ellie Szeryk, the younger sister of Tour professional Maddie Szeryk. “I’m used to the balls slowly rolling out like two, three yards and they’re rolling out quite a bit more but you can’t leave them short because they stick.

“So that was a pretty big adjustment, but it was cool.”

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., was 6-over 78 and amateur Victoria Liu of Vancouver was 7-over 79. Amateurs Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., and Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., were 8-over 80.

Amateurs Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Victoria’s Sonja Tang, and Angela Arora of Surrey were grouped at 9-over 81.

Team Canada athletes will join international amateurs and professionals among the list of 11 exempt players to challenge for the 49^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship

Vancouver (August 14, 2023) – Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor CPKC, announced today the names of 11 players that have earned tournament exemptions into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27, at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. headlines the list of seven Canadians who have earned exemptions into the 2023 championship. The two-time Olympian and long-time LPGA Tour member will make her 18^th appearance at the National Open Championship where she posted a career-best 4th place finish in 2016. Sharp, who earned the exemption for winning the 2023 PGA of Canada Women’s Championship, is ranked 13^th on the 2023 Epson Tour points list in a season that features a victory at the Champions Fore Change Invitational and two other top-10 finishes.

Also accepting invitations are Team Canada professionals — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Sarah-Eve Rhéaume of Quebec City — who will be making their fourth, and second respective starts in Canada’s National Open Championship. Thibault is currently the top-ranked Canadian on the Women’s All-Pro Tour while Rhéaume is competing in her rookie year on the Epson Tour.  

The group will be joined by four Team Canada amateurs, led by 17-year Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., who will compete in her first CPKC Women’s Open after earning an exemption through the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Also accepting exemptions are fellow Team Canada athletes Katie Cranston, 19, of Oakville, Ont., and 19-year-old Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., making their second CPKC Women’s Open start along with 18-year-old Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., who will make her first-ever start in the event.

Vancouver resident and Shaughnessy member Victoria Liu has also accepted an exemption to compete at her home golf club.

Rounding out the list of current exemptions are a trio of international talents including 2023 British Women’s Amateur champion Chiara Horder of Germany, American rising star amateur Gianna Clemente and Australian Gabriella Ruffels who currently sits no. 1 on the 2023 Epson Tour money list.

“Together with CPKC we are very proud to welcome this exceptional group of Canadian and international athletes to Vancouver for the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Extending playing opportunities through tournament exemptions is an important component of the CPKC Women’s Open and we are very pleased that these talented amateur and professional players can join us at Shaughnessy for the 49th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.”

The final five tournament exemptions into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open have yet to be announced. Additionally, four playing spots will also be awarded through the Final Qualifier on Monday, August 21 at nearby Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

The group will join two Canadian LPGA Tour players at Shaughnessy including 13-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont.

A stellar field for the 49^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship will also include defending champion Paula Reto and world no. 1 Lilia Vu, along with global stars Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Jennifer Kupcho, In Gee Chun, Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Megan Khang, Sei Young Kim, Stacy Lewis, and Paula Creamer. Other fan favourites include 20-year-old sensation Rose Zhang and Lydia Ko who will be looking for her record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.

The final field for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will be released on Tuesday, August 15 after 5:00pm ET.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country are available here – children 12-and-under get FREE admission all week long.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

CPKC WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OFF TOURNAMENT WEEK…

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the sixth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 22 at nearby Marine Drive Golf Club as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CPKC Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week and participating in clinics.

“THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE RETURNS…

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience will return following a successful debut last year in Ottawa. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17th hole at Shaughnessy.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST…

The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…

Golf Canada and CPKC are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CPKC Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CPKC Women’s Open for the entire week.

GOLF CANADA MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Spectators at Shaughnessy will experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on their iOS or Android device. Essential tournament features include a live map, leaderboard and pairings, tickets, breaking news, and unique events. Golf enthusiasts can also use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance their everyday golf experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches, follow friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN 

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

ABOUT CPKC

With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC.