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.

While there may be some debate over which is the most important of the four men’s golf majors — one that pits the Open Championship’s history against the mystique of the Masters — there is no such discussion when it comes to the women’s game. The U.S. Women’s Open is the queen bee of the LPGA Tour schedule.

Established in 1947, the U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest professional tournament in women’s golf and carries the biggest purse at $12 million (US). Its list of multiple winners is a who’s who of women’s golf — Besty Rawls, Mikey Wright, Babe Zaharias, Hollis Stacy, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam to name a few. Last year, Yuka Saso added her name to that list when she prevailed at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

This year’s 80th edition of the tournament is taking place in Wisconsin for the first time since 2012. Then, Na Yeon Choi took home the hardware at Blackwolf Run in Kohler. This week, Erin Hills is in the spotlight. It is a big, broad golf course that was the site of Brooks Koepka’s 2017 U.S. Open triumph, the first of his five major triumphs.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open.

The Course

Erin Hills caught the fancy of the United States Golf Association immediately after it opened in 2006. At a time when the governing body was shifting away from tree-lined private country clubs for its championships, the public Erin Hills, built on a massive parcel of largely treeless land in rural Wisconsin, offered something new.

Original owner Bob Lang hired Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry to design the course, which they did with input from longtime Golf Digest architecture critic Ron Whitten. Lang had grand visions of championship golf at Erin Hills and two years after the course opened the USGA conducted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links there. The USGA then awarded the 2017 U.S. Open to Erin Hills and brought the 2011 U.S. Amateur to the course as a test run. Lang had to sell the course amid financial hardships and the layout underwent a number of revisions requested by the USGA after it was purchased by Andrew Ziegler.

At over 7,800 yards (at elevation) for the first round, the course played as the longest in U.S. Open history in 2017, but its wide fairways and calm conditions made it easy pickings and Koepka won with a record-tying 16-under-par total. This week’s U.S. Women’s Open will be the first major at Erin Hills since that time, though the course did welcome the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The course will measure just over 6,800 yards and play as a par 72.

The Favourites

Jeeno Thitikul leads the LPGA Tour’s points race entering the U.S. Women’s Open thanks to her recent victory at the Mizuho Americas Open and five additional top 10s. The 22-year-old Thai golfer is in search of her first major victory this week, having racked up seven top 10s in 23 career major starts. She does not have a top-three finish, however, with her best result being a solo-fourth at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She leads the LPGA Tour in strokes gained total this season.
Bet99 odds: +900

Nelly Korda remains atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, but the 15-time LPGA Tour winner is without a victory this season and sits 15th on the Race to CME Globe. After suffering a neck injury last fall that forced her out of two tournaments in Asia, Korda began 2025 with a runner-up finish in the Tournament of Championships but went without a top-five finish until two weeks ago at the Mizuho Americas Open. Nevertheless, she is second on tour in strokes gained total, first in scoring average and first in birdie percentage.
Bet99 odds: +1450

At 24, Haeran Ryu has taken over as the top women’s golfer from South Korea, sitting fifth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She captured the Black Desert Championship earlier this month by five shots, her third career LPGA Tour title. The five-time winner on the LPGA of Korea Tour has finished in the top 10 in four of the last six major championships. She leads the tour in strokes gained tee to green, a good stat for any U.S. Open.      
Bet99 odds: +1450

A three-time winner in 2024 and a two-time winner in 2023, Ruoning Yin hasn’t yet won this season, but she put together back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Chevron Championship, the season’s first major, and the Black Desert Championship. She was then T15 at the Mizuhos Americas Open. Those three results came after five finishes outside the top 20 to start the season, so clearly Yin has turned things around. Her lone major victory came at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA.  
Bet99 odds: +1800

Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is winless since 2023, but she has four top 10s in eight starts this season, including two in her last two starts. She won two major championships in 2019, along with the CPKC Women’s Open, and tied for second in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. She tied for sixth at the Chevron Championship last month.
Bet99 odds: +2000

The Canadians

Five Canadians will tee it up at Erin Hills with two-time major winner Brooke Henderson joined by four qualifiers: Vanessa Borovilos, Celeste Dao, Anna Huang and Leah John.

Henderson is still trying to find her form this season as the 13-time LPGA Tour winner sits in unfamiliar positions on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (42nd) and Race to CME Globe (48th). Her lone top 10 — a T9 — came in the T-Mobile Match Play where she lost in the Round of 16. The 27-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a solid T12 finish at the Black Desert Championship but then missed the cut in her last event, the Mizuho Americas Open. Henderson’s best U.S. Women’s Open finish is a T5 in 2015, one of 16 career top 10s in majors.

Borovilos hails from the Toronto borough of Etobicoke and earned one of two spots available at a 36-hole qualifier at Elgin Country Club in Illinois. This will be the first major championship start for the 19-year-old amateur coming off her freshman season at Texas A&M University. Borovilos was the medallist at Elgin Country Club with two rounds of 68 for an 8-under-par total.

Dao is no stranger to the U.S. Women’s Open as the Quebecer has now qualified for the championship four times. However, this will be Dao’s first major appearance as a professional. She took the lone qualifier spot at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts with rounds of 72-71. She’s a University of Georgia alum.

Huang is one of three 16-year-olds in the field this week at Erin Hills, having finished as the runner-up at the qualifier at New Albany Country Club in Ohio. The Vancouver native turned professional in December after earning status on the Ladies European Tour and has made five cuts in six starts on that circuit this year.

John was the co-medallist at her qualifier in Sacramento at Del Paso Country Club. Also from Vancouver, John is plying her trade on the Epson Tour, the LPGA Tour’s developmental circuit, where she’s made three cuts in seven starts this season. She had two top-10 finishes in 12 starts on that tour last year after turning pro in the spring of 2024. John attended the University of Nevada.  

Chip Shots

– There were 1,904 entrants for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, the second most in tournament history.

– The semi-retired Lexi Thompson will make her 19th consecutive start in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now 30, Thompson has played in the tournament since she first qualified as a 12-year-old.

– Former World No. 1 Yani Tseng is making her first U.S. Women’s Open start since 2016 after successfully qualifying for the championship. The Taiwanese golfer won five major titles from 2008 to 2011 but her career nosedived in 2013 and she is now ranked 995th in the world. Since reappearing on the LPGA Tour in 2024, she has not made a cut in 14 starts. In fact, her last made cut came in 2018. She is a 15-time LPGA Tour winner.

– Emily Odwin will become the first golfer from Barbados — male or female — to play in a major championship when she tees it up Thursday. She qualified at the historic Olympic Club in San Francisco. Odwin learned the game at Royal Westmorland and now attends Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Craig Kessler as the organization’s 10th Commissioner.

The appointment comes during the LPGA’s landmark 75th anniversary season, marking a pivotal moment of global growth and opportunity for one of the most enduring and respected leaders in women’s professional sports worldwide.

Kessler was selected following a rigorous and comprehensive global search, led by the LPGA Board’s Search Committee and shaped by input from LPGA Tour athletes, partners, staff and key stakeholders.

“We set out to find a transformational leader with a deep appreciation for the LPGA’s legacy and a clear vision of what’s possible for our future,” said John B. Veihmeyer, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors. “Craig is an inspiring and engaging leader, who brings a unique mix of executive leadership experience, deep relationships in the golf industry, and a genuine commitment to elevating women and girls through golf. The LPGA has never been more dynamic – and Craig is exactly the right leader to drive its next era of growth and impact.” 

Kessler brings a broad and impressive range of experiences across sports, business, private equity and entrepreneurship. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the PGA of America, where he oversaw all operations of the 30,000-member organization, including its non-profit foundation. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Buff City Soap, a fast-growing experiential retail company that expanded from 100 to 260 stores under his leadership. Earlier in his career, Kessler also served as Chief Operating Officer at Topgolf, where he helped scale the company’s groundbreaking blend of sports, entertainment and technology.

In addition to his executive roles, Kessler brings board-level experience with the National Golf Foundation, UT Southwestern hospital system, and the Dallas Mavericks Advisory Board. He began his career at McKinsey & Company and went on to leadership positions at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Providence Equity Partners. His track record includes evaluating investments and working alongside management teams to improve company performance – skills he now brings to one of the world’s premier women’s sports organizations.

“The LPGA stands at the intersection of world-class competition and global impact,” said Kessler, incoming LPGA Commissioner. “From young girls who are picking up a club for the first time, to the LPGA Professionals helping teach this great game to people around the world, to the incredible athletes competing on Tour—the LPGA is driving the future of golf. I’m honored to join this powerful movement and eager to help build what comes next—together.”

“This isn’t just about leading a sports organization – it’s about redefining what’s possible,” Kessler added. “This role is deeply personal to me – not just as a professional opportunity, but as a chance to make a difference in the world and create new opportunities for others. Golf changes lives. I believe in the LPGA’s mission, its members and its momentum. I can’t wait to get started.”

Kessler will officially step into the role on July 15, succeeding Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who stepped down in January 2025. Liz Moore will continue as Interim Commissioner until that time. Veihmeyer added, “Liz has done an exceptional job in the interim role, and we look forward to the many important contributions she will continue to make to the LPGA in the future.”

Savannah Grewal is still getting used to playing on the LPGA Tour, including normalizing playing in majors.

Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., is in her sophomore season on the top women’s golf circuit in the world and is one of three Canadians in the field at this week’s Chevron Championship, the first major of the year. Grewal said that after playing in three majors in 2024 she’s learned to take them as just another round of golf.

“I feel every tournament on the LPGA is still a little starry-eyed for me in a sense because this has been my dream since I was eight-years-old and I’m living out my dream,” said the 23-year-old Wednesday during a weather delay during her practice round at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. “It’s always going to be fun and exciting for me, so I think that’s something that hasn’t necessarily changed. 

“I think my approach to things, whether it’s a major or whether it’s not a major, is I try to go into the tournament with the same mindset because I think the moment you try to make it bigger than what it actually is or make it into this huge thing is when you add external pressure to yourself.”

Grewal played in three majors in her rookie LPGA Tour season, missing the cut at the Chevron Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the Amundi Evian Championship. Although Grewal made the cut at eight of her final nine tournaments last year to finish 97th on the LPGA Tour’s points list, she had to qualify for the 2025 Chevron Championship based on her performance so far this year.

“It feels like honestly an honour,” said Grewal. “I wasn’t guaranteed to be in this event this year, so it feels good to have been able to play my way into the event. 

“Any time you get to compete in a major, it’s really special because that’s the kind of tournament everyone wants to go out and win. It’s also what most people are remembered for, right? How many majors did they win? What did they do in the majors?”

Grewal has played in four events this season, making the cut at the Blue Bay LPGA on March 6, the Ford Championship on March 27, and the JM Eagle LA Championship on April 17.

“(There have) just been some little things here and there that I want to improve on,” said Grewal of her season so far. “You’re always striving to improve and to get better, so I definitely feel like it’s headed in the right direction. 

“I just haven’t felt like I’ve seen myself put together four rounds yet. If I’m able to do that, it’ll feel a little more like a success.”

Grewal will be joined by Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course this Thursday. Henderson is 42nd on the Race to CME Globe points list, Sharp is 104th and Grewal is 107th.

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN — Vancouver’s Leah John earned a spot in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, the third  major of the year, after tying for first in a qualifying round at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday. John will be making her major debut on May 29 and will be playing in her second career LPGA Tour event, having played in the CPKC Women’s Open last summer in Calgary.

The national team member from Vancouver fired rounds of 65-70 (135) to finish at 7-under for 36 holes and earn one of three spots available along with her former University of Nevada teammate Gabby Kano. John became overwhelmed with emotion once she finished her second round, knowing she secured her spot.

EPSON TOUR — Josee Doyon of Saint-Georges, Que., is 23rd on the Race for the Card points list heading into Friday’s first round at the IOA Championship. She’ll be joined on the Champions Course at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif., by Maddie Szeryk (25th) of London, Ont., Monet Chun (40th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Yeji Kwon (77th) of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Brooke Rivers (98th) of Brampton, Ont., and John (unranked).

PGA TOUR — The all-Canadian paring of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, who grew up together in Abbotsford, B.C., face Garrick Higgo and Ryan Fox in the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., will team with Finland’s Sami Valimaki and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., pairs with Australia’s Cam Davis at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La. Taylor is 20th in the FedEx Cup standings, Hadwin is 110th, Svensson is 148th and Silverman is 163rd.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian at the Hainan Classic. He’s 122nd on the European-based tour heading into play this week at the Blackstone Course of Mission Hills Resort Haikou on Hainan Island in China.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will tee it up on Friday at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Ames is a three-time champion at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., having won in 2017, 2023 and last year. He’s 41st on the Schwab Cup money list and Weir is 81st.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s Veritex Bank Championship. He’s 12th on the second-tier tour’s points list. He’ll be joined at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington by Matthew Anderson (31st), also from Mississauga, Myles Creighton (51st) of Digby, N.S., Roger Sloan (101st) of Merritt, B.C., Etienne Papineau (116th) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald (132nd).

AMERICAS TOUR — Toronto’s Drew Nesbitt is the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour Americas. Nesbitt is tied for 11th on the third-tier circuit’s points list. He’s one of 11 Canadians playing in the KIA Open at Quito Tenis & Golf Club in Ecuador this week.

EVANS SCHOLARSHIP — A pair of high school students from Victoria have been awarded the Western Golf Association’s Chick Evans Scholarship. Connor Meir from Oak Bay High School and Joe Harris from Reynolds Secondary School have earned a full four-year housing and tuition scholarship for golf caddies.

Brooke Henderson needed only 27 holes to win two matches. The Canadian needs to win one more to be assured of reaching the weekend at the T-Mobile Match Play.

One day after a 6-and-5 win in the opening round, Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., pulled away late by winning five of the last seven holes Thursday in a 5-and-4 win over Peiyun Chien of Taiwan.

One more day of round-robins matches remain at Shadow Creek before the winner of each of the 16 groups advance to the knockout stage on the weekend. While no one clinched her group, at least 18 players were eliminated on another day of this fickle format.

Nelly Korda, the defending champion and No. 1 player, will have to beat Ariya Jutanugarn to win her group. Korda halved her opening match and she had a few shaky moments in a 1-up win over Jennifer Kupcho.

Korda had a 4-foot putt to go 3 up with three holes to play, missed the putt, and then gave away the the par-5 16th with a bogey. It came down to the 18th, and Kupcho pulled her drive to the left side of the hazard. Her next shot clipped a tree and she stopped watching, only to discover the ball was on the green.

Korda’s approach was 40 feet long, and she did well to lag it to a foot. Kupcho missed her 30-foot birdie attempt and Korda moved on to a decisive match against Jutanugarn. The Thai is 2-0 and would only need a halve against Korda.

“Very questionable by me,” Korda said of her play. “Definitely don’t have my best stuff right now.. That’s the greatest thing about match play, is even if you don’t have your best stuff you have to grind it out.”

Lydia Ko joined Henderson as the only players who have yet to play the 15th hole in either of the two rounds. The difference is Ko lost her first match (6 and 4) before a 6-and-5 victory Thursday over Gabriela Ruffels. Everyone in Ko’s group is 1-1.

If any group ends in a tie, the winner is decided by a sudden-death playoff.

Hyo Joo Kim, coming off a playoff victory last week in Arizona, won the last four holes to rally against Nanna Koertz Madsen for her second win this week. Kim and Maja Stark are 2-0 and will play Friday to see who advances.

Rose Zhang conceded her match against Albane Valenzuela after three holes. Zhang had complained about a neck injury in the opening round. That sets up a strange scenario.

If Zhang can’t play against Meghan Khang, Valenzuela would be eliminated. If Zhang can play and beats Khang, Valenzuela could win the group by beating Nataliya Guseva.

Among those eliminated are Jin Young Ko and Leona Maguire in another bizarre situation. 

Ko needed to win the match to have any shot at the weekend. The match was dormie after 16, meaning Ko was eliminated. But the South Korean won the next two holes to halve the match, and that eliminated Maguire.

As 2024 draws to a close, Golf Canada reflects on the stories that captivated our readers throughout the year. Here are the top 10 most-read articles that highlighted significant moments and achievements in Canadian golf:

1. Final Field released for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2. Pendrith, Conners, Hughes named to International Team for upcoming Presidents Cup

3. Golf Canada announces professional athletes named to 2024 Team Canada

4. Golf Canada releases 2024 championship schedule

5. Golf Canada announces amateur athletes named to 2025 Team Canada

6. LaunchPad Golf expands across Canada with six new locations

7. Built For This: TPC Toronto to host RBC Canadian Open in 2025

8. Canada’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open on second playoff hole

9. Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

10. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to host 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our readers and the incredible Golf Canada community. Thank you for your passion, engagement, and unwavering support throughout the year. Your love for the game inspires everything we do, and we’re honoured to share these stories with you.

Here’s to another year of unforgettable moments on the course and beyond. Thank you for being an essential part of the Golf Canada family—see you in 2025!

Old friends Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson usually have to keep tabs on each other from afar, but this week they’ll get to see one another up close.

Conners and Henderson will team up once again at the Grant Thornton Invitational, a unique event where some of the best golfers from the PGA and LPGA Tours compete as pairs. The tournament is quickly becoming an annual reunion for the two graduates of Golf Canada’s junior program.

“Since turning professional, our careers have gone separate ways, and we haven’t been able to cross paths too much,” said Conners, who finished the men’s season 39th on the FedEx Cup standings. “I’m always cheering her on from afar, and always have my eye on the LPGA Tour leaderboard when she’s playing.”

Henderson, likewise, has been keeping tabs on Conners’s exploits.

“It’s just been really fun to watch his career and cheer him on,” said Henderson, who finished 13th in the women’s tour’s rankings. “I think this event has reconnected us, in a way, and it’s been really special and great to be able to know his family and just to watch this game and be his partner here is really cool.”

Both were on Team Canada back in 2013 when they won the Copa de las Americas along with Albin Choi and Augusta James.

Conners and Henderson also represented Canada at the last two Olympics but due to COVID-19 restrictions they didn’t get to interact at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The men’s and women’s tournaments were on different weeks at the Paris Games this past summer.

The two Canadians finished second at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational last year with a combined score of 25 under, a shot behind New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Australia’s Jason Day.

“It’s been great to be able to share some experiences like the Olympics and this event last year and spending more time together has been awesome,” said Conners, who is from Listowel, Ont. “She’s this amazing person, amazing golfer, and a fun partner at this event.”

The stacked leaderboard will see 16 pairs tee off on Friday at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. American Tony Finau withdrew from the event on Wednesday afternoon. He was replaced as top-ranked Nelly Korda’s partner by Daniel Berger.

“I feel like we make a great team, and I’m excited for Friday to tee it up and hopefully make some birdies and be inspired by (Conners’s) great shots,” said Henderson, who is from Smiths Falls, Ont.

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PGA TOUR — Six Canadians are vying for a PGA Tour card at the PGA Tour Q-School this week. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., Toronto’s Sebastian Szirmak, as well as Matthew Anderson and Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., will all be in the field at Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., this week.

LPGA TOUR — Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., both earned full status on the LPGA Tour for 2025 after solid showings at the final qualifying stage of the Q-Series on Monday. Sharp tied for 21st at 7 under and Leblanc tied for 24th at 6 under. The top 25 finishers in the tournament earned their status.

GOLFZON TOUR — A team of five golfers from the Greater Toronto Area will be competing in the GOLFZON Tour, a golf simulator league that features 12 teams from North America and the United Kingdom. Team Toronto will play its GOLFZON Tour quarterfinal match at a Golfplay location in Waterloo, Ont., on the virtual Old Course at St. Andrews against Team Orlando on Dec. 19. 

Canadian golfers Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimée Leblanc will return to the LPGA Tour in 2025 after earning their cards through the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series. Sharp, from Hamilton, Ont., finished tied for 21st at seven-under, while Leblanc, of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for 24th at six-under.

Sharp continues storied career

Sharp, 43, has been a fixture on the LPGA Tour since 2005. Over her career, she has made 375 official starts, earning $3,086,599 in prize money and recording 16 top-10 finishes. Her best result on the tour came at the 2016 CPKC Women’s Open, where she placed fourth.

In 2024, Sharp made seven cuts in 13 starts, with her best finish a tie for 19th at the Dana Open. She ended the season ranked No. 123 on the Race to CME Globe Points List.

Sharp has also found success on the Epson Tour, where she has two career wins and 14 additional top-10 finishes. Her most recent victory came in 2023 at the Champions Fore Change Invitational.

A three-time Olympian, Sharp represented Canada in Rio in 2016, Tokyo in 2021 and Paris in 2024, with her best Olympic finish a tie for 30th in Rio.

A graduate of New Mexico State University, Sharp continues to be a role model for Canadian golfers.

“I’m really happy walking away with a card and, you know, not sitting on the outside looking in for the first part of the season, Sharp told the LPGA. “Hopefully I’ll get starts right away instead of having to wait until like June to play.  Really excited about that.”

Leblanc builds on strong form

Leblanc, 35, has competed on the LPGA Tour since 2012. In 2024, she made eight cuts in 19 starts, with her best result a tie for 19th at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Leblanc has four career top-10 finishes on the tour, the most recent at the 2022 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, where she tied for eighth.

Leblanc has also had a standout career on the Epson Tour, with 26 top-10 finishes. In her last full season on the developmental circuit in 2021, she made 12 cuts in 17 starts and posted nine top-10 results.

A graduate of Purdue University, Leblanc was part of the Boilermakers’ NCAA championship-winning team in 2010. The former Team Canada alumna also had a decorated amateur career, winning the Canadian Junior Championship and the International Junior Orange Bowl in 2006.

Canadians ready for 2025

Both Sharp and Leblanc are set to bring experience and consistency to the LPGA Tour in 2025, highlighting the strength of Canadian golf on the global stage.

Their achievements reflect the dedication and determination that have made them role models for the next generation of players. With new opportunities ahead, they will look to build on their careers and inspire golf fans across Canada.

For more information on the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, click here.

Click here for full results from the final stage of LPGA Tour Qualifying Series.

Mollie Marcoux Samaan is resigning in January as LPGA commissioner, a surprise announcement Monday after record growth in prize money along with criticism the LPGA wasn’t gaining in popularity during the surge in women’s sports.

Marcoux Samaan is leaving on Jan. 9, three weeks before the LPGA begins its 75th season. Liz Moore, the chief legal and technology officer, will be interim commissioner until a search committee hires a new one.

Marcoux Samaan did not cite a specific reason for resigning except to mention spending more time with her three children. She will serve the third-shortest stint among nine LPGA commissioners dating to 1975, behind only Jim Ritts (1996-99) and Bill Blue (1988-90).

“With the LPGA positioned for continued growth, it’s time for me to have more time to cheer on our three amazing children as they live their dreams while I continue to pursue my passion for building leaders, uniting communities and creating value through sports, particularly women’s sports,” Marcoux Samaan said in a statement.

The LPGA said prize money increased by more than 90% under Marcoux Samaan, a big part of that the major championships. The five majors had a combined prize fund of $23.4 million in 2021. Next year, the majors combine to offer at least $47.8 million in prize money.

She announced the end of her tenure a week after the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship awarded $4 million to the winner, Jeeno Thitikul, from an $11 million purse.

“Since joining the LPGA in 2021, Mollie has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the global leader in women’s professional golf, realizing record growth in player earnings and fan engagement,” said John B. Veihmeyer, chairman of the LPGA board. “Mollie has been a steadfast advocate for equity in the sport and has worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for women and girls through the game.”

The LPGA said the average earnings for the top 100 players topped $1 million this year, compared with an average of just over $570,000 in 2021.

Women’s sports across the landscape has seen a spike in money and interest, though Marcoux Samaan was criticized for the LPGA not getting enough attention behind remarkable story lines this year. Nelly Korda tied an LPGA record with five straight wins, and Lydia Ko won Olympic gold to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, and then won another major at the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.

The Americans also won the Solheim Cup, but not without a transportation mess on the opening day at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia when there were not enough buses for spectators and many of them waited hours before they could get in, missing the opening tee shots that typically feature packed grandstands and raucous cheering.

Marcoux Samaan pointed to growth in defending her job when some of the criticism was raised at the season-ending tournament.

“I focus every day on trying to support the athletes, to try to grow the tour, and to try to make this the best place in the world to play and to give additional opportunities to girls and women. So I feel like the statistics really speak for themselves,” she said at the Tour Championship.

“I think we’re experiencing enormous growth. That’s really what my job is.”

Along with huge increases in earnings, Marcoux Samaan announced full subsidized health care for the LPGA for the first time in its history. She also was behind stipends for missing the cut and domestic travel in a bid to make sure players were adequately compensated.

Official prize money for the LPGA in 2025 is $127.5 million.

Terry Duffy, the chairman and CEO of CME Group, signed a two-year extension of the LPGA deal. In an interview with Golfweek, he gave Marcoux Samaan high marks.

“I don’t know how you could not give A++ to where the tour is at today under her leadership,” Duffy said. “I run markets. I don’t care if you’re running a business at a hardware store or an exchange or professional golf, there’s ebbs and flows to everything in life and everything in business. … If you’re worth more today than you were 10 years ago or three years ago, you’re doing the right things.”

Marcoux Samaan was the ninth commissioner — and second female commissioner — when she left her role as athletic director at Princeton. Marcoux Samaan replaced Mike Whan, who took over in 2010 when players revolted and ousted Carolyn Bivens.

Whan brought high energy and a big personality during his 11 years, making him the longest-serving LPGA commissioner in history.

The LPGA board will work with an executive search firm to conduct a global search for the organization’s next commissioner.

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The LPGA Tour visits Canada for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, scheduled to take place at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., from August 20 to 24. Visit cpkcwomensopen.com for more into.

World’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization to award over $131 million in prize money across 35 events 

As it enters its 75th anniversary season, the LPGA Tour proudly announces the 2025 schedule, celebrating its legacy as the world’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization. In this milestone year, the LPGA Tour will feature 35 events (33 official events), where the world’s top athletes will compete for a historic total prize fund of more than $131 million. This represents the largest prize fund in the Tour’s 75-year history and marks a significant increase of over $62 million in four years, up approximately 90% from 2021, underscoring the Association’s continued growth and success.

“The 2024 season was another year of historic growth for the LPGA Tour, and with this 2025 schedule we will continue to improve on that growth,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “This schedule is highlighted by two exciting new events, a new multi-year title for the longest-running non-major tournament on the LPGA Tour, even higher purse sizes, increased benefits that will enhance the athlete experience, improved geographical flow and a longer off-season that will give our athletes a well-deserved rest after their tremendous work in 2024. We’re excited to see even more thrilling competition and unforgettable moments for our partners, athletes and fans worldwide as we continue to celebrate and support the remarkable journey of women’s golf in our 75th year.”

The global schedule will begin two weeks later than in 2024 and take the LPGA Tour to 14 states in the United States and 11 other countries, including two multi-event Asian swings, the first in February and March and the second in October and November that includes the return of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in Korea. One European swing will take place in July and August. New on the calendar in 2025 is the previously announced Black Desert Championship – the only domestic event providing private charters for LPGA athletes – which will be held at Black Desert Resort’s signature course in May. Additionally, the LPGA Tour returns to Mexico for the first time since 2017 for the Riviera Maya Open in Cancun, also in May.

Non-major purses total over $83 million for the 2025 season, up from $45.8 million in 2021. The JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro returns to the calendar in 2025 after receiving the 2024 LPGA Tournament of the Year for continuing to drive purses higher across the Tour and increasing player benefits. So far, nine tournaments have announced elevated purses from 2024, with the FM Championship becoming the first non-major, non-CME Group Tour Championship purse to surpass $4 million. Additional purse increases are expected to be announced, building on the record-breaking prize fund for 2025. Sixteen events have purses of at least $3 million, including 10 non-major and non-Tour Championship events. On top of increased purse sizes, 24 events will be elevating the athlete experience through travel stipends, free accommodations and/or guaranteed minimum payouts.

The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship continues to lead the way in non-major purse size. The LPGA announced earlier today

 the extension through 2027 of CME Group as the title sponsor of the CME Group Tour Championship, which boasts the biggest non-major prize fund and winner’s check on Tour. The $11 million purse includes a $4 million dollar winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf and among the very highest in women’s sports.

The 2025 major championship season will be an exciting one, with LPGA Tour athletes competing for more than $47 million and visiting three new major-championship venues. This major purse total is the highest in the Tour’s 75-year history and an increase of more than 104% since 2021.The season kicks off in April with The Chevron Championship, taking place once again in The Woodlands, Texas at The Club at Carlton Woods. In May, the LPGA Tour will make its first trip to Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc. for the U.S. Women’s Open. Three weeks later, the Tour will visit the home of the PGA of America for the first time, playing the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas. The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France will kick off the summer European swing in July, and the AIG Women’s Open in Wales at Royal Porthcawl, another new venue for the Tour, will conclude it in August.

Thirty-two athletes will have a chance to represent their countries at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in October at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Republic of Korea. The bi-annual team match-play event features eight teams, represented by four athletes each, all competing for the coveted Crown. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown was last played in 2023 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, where the Thailand Team of Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Jeeno Thitikul was victorious over the underdog Australians. The United States Team finished third.

The LPGA Tour will announce full broadcast details for the season in 2025, with all events airing on Golf Channel and at least seven events on NBC and four events on CBS. As previously announced, the LPGA will continue its partnership with ESPN+ in 2025, with three events to be showcased on the streaming platform next season, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

2025 LPGA Tour Schedule