Aurora, Oregon – Victoria, B.C., native Naomi Ko won the Cambia Portland Classic Amateur Open, earning a spot in the Cambia Portland Classic.

Ko, who just completed her freshman year at North Carolina State and who is a member of Team Canada, carded a 1-under par 71 at Langdon Farms Golf Club.

The Cambia Portland Classic will be held June 30-July 3, at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, OR and will be Ko’s first LPGA tournament.

Sydney Maluenda of George Fox University finished second with a round of 72 and UCLA signee Mariel Galdiano finished third at 74 earning opportunities to compete in the tournament’s Monday qualifier alongside professionals.  The qualifier will be held on Monday, June 27.  The top two finishers from the Monday qualifier will earn entry into the tournament proper.  2015 Tournament Champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., earned a spot in the event through the Monday qualifier last year and went on to win the event by eight shots over a strong field, for her first LPGA victory.

Ko recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open which takes place the week after the Cambia Portland Classic.  She finished 5th in the ACC tournament this season.

Ko, who knows Henderson from Team Canada, has actually roomed with her on occasion.

“I’m really excited to be playing in the Portland Classic,” said Ko.  “I know Brooke (Henderson) won it last year and look forward to seeing her here this year.”

Last year’s Amateur Open winner, Gigi Stoll, a Beaverton High School graduate, who just completed her freshman year at the University of Arizona, was unable to defend her title, shooting a 77 to finish three shots out of contention.  In 2015, Stoll set a course and tournament record with a 9-under par 63 at Langdon Farms.

The Cambia Portland Classic will take place at Columbia-Edgewater Country Club in Portland, OR, from June 30-July 3, 2016.  The 72-hole tournament features a purse of $1.3 million and broadcast coverage on the Golf Channel for all four rounds.  Brooke Henderson won the 2016 tournament, setting a new 72-hole tournament scoring record at 21-under par. Henderson became just the second player and first since 2000 to Monday qualify for an LPGA Tour event and go on to win. One of the hottest rising stars on the LPGA, Henderson has moved up to the 4th spot on the Rolex Rankings list of the world’s top women golfers.

Volunteer applications and Tickets to the Cambia Portland Classic are available now at www.portlandclassic.com.

Calgary – She’s only 19 years old, but this August 22-28 at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Lydia Ko will be looking to make history when she defends her title at the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

A 12-time winner on the LPGA Tour and the no. 1 ranked player on the Rolex Women’s World Ranking, Ko will try to claim her record fourth Canadian Women’s Open title when she leads the stars of the LPGA Tour back to Calgary.

The New Zealand teen sensation won her first Canadian Women’s Open title in 2012 as a 15-year old amateur at The Vancouver Golf Club to become the youngest player (15 years, four months, three days) ever to win on the LPGA Tour. She would defend her title a year later—again as an amateur—with a victory in Edmonton at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club. Last August, she returned to The Vancouver Golf Club to claim her third title in four years—along with the $337,500 USD winner’s prize—and tie the record for most wins at the Canadian Women’s Open shared by Pat Bradley (1980, 1985, 1986) and Meg Mallon (2000, 2002, 2004).

As the defending champion, Ko feels a great sense of pride competing in front of Canadian crowds that have embraced her as a three-time winner of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Canada both as an amateur in 2012 and 2013 and then again last year back at The Vancouver Golf Club,” said Ko, whose impressive 2016 season already includes a pair of victories and six top-10 finishes. “Any time you win a LPGA Tour event, especially a national championship like the CP Women’s Open, it’s a huge accomplishment. The fans, volunteers and sponsors have made me feel so welcomed and I am proud to be returning to try and defend the title.”

“What can you say about Lydia Ko that hasn’t already been said—world-class talent, fierce competitor and an amazing global ambassador for golf,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “She’s become a special part of our event’s history winning three times in four starts. Together with our partners at CP, we are proud to welcome Lydia back to Canada as our defending champion and I know she’ll once again be a fan-favourite.”

Related:

CP Has Heart Charity Campaign:
Now in its third year, the CP Has Heart charity campaign is committed to raising funds in support of children’s heart health in the host community of the CP Women’s Open. The 2016 event is proud to have the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation as the host charity with a goal to raise more than $1.2M for heart health in the name of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. Between April 1 and August 28, 2016, CP will match all donations made towards pediatric cardiac care and research. CP will also donate $5,000 for every birdie made by a player on the 18^th hole at Priddis Greens during the championship. A special bleacher – the 18^th Green CP Fan Zone – will offer spectators a premium seating area for a $20 donation upgrade that CP will match. Since 2014, CP Has Heart has committed more than $6M to heart health, including $2.3 million raised in support of children’s heart health in the first two years of CP’s title sponsorship of the event.

Stars of the LPGA Tour Return to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club…
The 44^th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship will return to the formidable venue which had previously hosted in 1999 and 2009. The 2009 edition of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship saw Norway’s Suzann Petersen card a final-round one-under par 70 and tournament-total 269 (15-under) to claim the title. Among those in the five-way tie for second that year was World Golf Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb, who claimed victory in 1999 when Priddis Greens hosted the LPGA Tour for the first time.

Hall of Fame calls CP Ambassador Lorie Kane…
LPGA Tour legend and CP Ambassador Lorie Kane will have her career deservedly acknowledged in 2016 with induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during the week of this year’s CP Women’s Open.  The four-time LPGA Tour winner and Order of Canada recipient will have her Hall of Fame induction ceremony take place in Calgary during tournament week as part of the CP Women’s Open Pro-Am Draw Party on August 23^rd.

Canadian Pacific and WestJet Honour Moms’ Unconditional Love In Video…
Canadian Pacific along with CP Women’s Open partner WestJet released a mother’s day video earlier this month celebrating Canadian golf idols, Lorie Kane and Brooke Henderson, and the love they have for their mothers. Journey to the LPGA: #LoveMom witnesses the unconditional love between mother and daughter and inspires the golfers to thank and recognize the one person who’s been with them every step of the way to the top – mom.

Kids 17-and-under Get in Free…
Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. In an effort to introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.  Click here to download a FREE Junior Pass

Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under                                                      Free
Early Week (Mon-Wed)                                             $10.50
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun)                                  $31.50
Weekly (Mon-Sun)                                                      $78.50

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Additional information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.

Two more Canadians punched their tickets to the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday at sectional qualifying events in the United States.

Sue Kim, a Young Pro Squad member, closed at 5-under par (66-69) to tie for first at the Twin Hills Country Club event in Longmeadow, Mass., earning one of five available spots. The Langley, B.C. product will look to build on her T59 finish at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

Fellow B.C. native Taylor Kim of Surrey topped the leaderboard to earn medalist honours with a 2-under par score (71-71) at the Green Valley Country Club event in Green Valley, Calif. The Team Canada graduate marks the third B.C. native to qualify for the event—Amateur Squad’s Naomi Ko qualified earlier this month. Quebec’s Maude-Aimée Leblanc is the fourth Canadian to secure a spot so far, winning medalist honours last week.

The Canadian quartet will tee-it-up at the U.S. Women’s Open from July 4–10 at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif.

Click here for all qualifier scoring.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn became the first player to win three straight LPGA Tour events in three years, closing with a 5-under 67 for a five-stroke victory Sunday in the Volvik Championship.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three consecutive tournaments and the first ever to make their first three career victories consecutive.

Jutanugarn finished at 15-under 273 at Travis Pointe after starting the day with a one-shot edge thanks to a closing eagle in the third-round.

Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia. Jutanugarn doesn’t plan to play the next event in New Jersey, where she would have had a shot to become the first since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win four tournaments in a row.

Christina Kim was second after a 71.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot an impressive final round 68 to finish the tournament tied for third at 9 under.

“I missed some opportunities, but I also made up for a couple here on the back nine, so overall I’m happy,” said Henderson. “There’s definitely things I have to work on going into next week, some silly mistakes early in the week and even today a couple, but overall, I’m very happy with how things are going and hopefully, just be able to finish it off in the near future.”

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn ended a shaky round spectacularly, making a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole Saturday at Travis Pointe to take a one-stroke lead in the Volvik Championship.

Trying to become the first to win three straight LPGA Tour events since Inbee Park in 2013, the 20-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 1-over 73 in the third round to reach 10-under 206. She became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia.

Following three straight pars, she teed off on the 500-yard, par-5 18th with a 3-wood and landed in the rough. From 220 yards, she an impressive 3-iron shot that went as planned.

“Just go to the pin,” she said.

Jutanugarn shrugs off her stellar play, but is earning praise from other players.

“It’s incredible what she can do with the golf ball,” said Christina Kim, who was tied for second. “It’s just absurd. She is able to dominate really any golf course without necessarily hitting driver on any hole

Kim shot a 72 to join Jessica Korda (70) at 9 under.

Korda said pin placements made Travis Pointe, a new venue on the LPGA Tour, play much tougher than it did the previous two days.

“They are tucked in a lot of places and the greens are just super firm,” she said.

Stiffer wind was a factor, too.

“It’s very hard,” Jutanugarn said.

Hyo Joo Kim and Suzann Pettersen were 7 under, each shooting 70. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 25th at 2 under after a 72.

Jutanugarn has been playing better than any woman on the planet lately, including earlier in the week with a 65-68 start.

On Saturday afternoon, though, she fell back to the pack and then behind it with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 3, missing a 3-foot putt, and 4 and a third bogey to close the front nine. A bogey at No. 13 dropped her to 7 under and she birdied the next hole.

A freak accident was the only thing that slowed Jutanugarn down three years ago as a teenage phenom.

After finishing in the top four of each of the five tournaments she played in 2013, Jutanugarn fell off a tee box while running away from her sister, fellow tour player Moriya, who was trying to pour water on her while they were goofing around. Jutanugarn needed shoulder surgery and was knocked out of competition for nine months.

“I think it made her want it even more,” said Michael Yim, Jutanugarn’s agent.

Korda is aiming for her fifth title on the PGA Tour and first since winning last year in Malaysia. She has three top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for third.

Kim, meanwhile, has been struggling. A tie for 19th last month, her season-best finish, was followed by missing the cut and being tied for 45th and 65th the previous two tournaments. She won her third LPGA Tour title in 2014. Kim was leading late in the third round, but bogeyed No. 15 to fall into a four-way tie with Jutanugarn, Korda and So Yeon Ryu.

With a birdie on her first hole, Ryu was 10 under and among the leaders. She didn’t have another birdie the rest of the day and had four bogeys, including on Nos. 16 and 17, to fall to 3 over for the day and 6 under for the tournament and into a sixth-place tie with Belen Mozo (70) and Marina Alex (75).

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson shot even-par and moved into a tie for 9th. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Quebec City’s Anne Catherine Tanguay matched 75s on the day and sit T59 and T73, respectively.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn tore her scorecard into pieces after walking off the 18th green at Travis Pointe, proving the competition isn’t the only thing she is tearing up.

Jutanugarn moved a step closer to winning a third straight LPGA Tour title by shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead in the Volvik Championship.

She had four back-nine birdies, including No. 18 when her approach went off a hospitality suite and landed in a greenside bunker 20 yards from the hole.

“Hit cut 3-wood and it didn’t cut,” she said.

As Jutanugarn dug her heels into the sand, it sounded as if a spectator dropped something in an elevated viewing area just behind her. She stepped away from the ball, then addressed it again. Clearly unfazed, she blasted out of the bunker well enough to set up a 1-foot putt that pushed her to 11-under 133.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is coming off a win at the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history at the previous tournament in Alabama. She insisted a third straight title isn’t on her mind.

“I’m not thinking about I’m going to win, I’m going to lose,” she said. “But just have fun.”

Second-ranked Inbee Park, who withdrew Thursday with a thumb injury, was the last LPGA Tour player to win three straight tournaments in 2013.

So Yeon Ryu (67), Marina Alex (67) and first-round leader Christina Kim (71) were tied for second.

Jessica Korda (65), Giulia Molinaro (67) and Brittany Lincicome (67) were 7 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 2 under after her second straight 71.

Unlike some of the other top players, Jutanugarn doesn’t have a driver in her bag this week.

The powerful player simply doesn’t need it, outdriving people in her group with 270-yard shots with a 2-iron or 3-wood. Her touch around and on the greens are appear to be superior.

Usually, she keeps an eye on the leaderboard. On Friday, though, she didn’t.

“I forgot,” she said.

If Jutanugarn puts up another low score after her 65-68 start, the remaining field may be relegated to vying for second place.

Kim opened with a 64 for a one-shot lead over Jutanugarn.

Alex pulled into a first-place tie in the morning with her fourth birdie on the front nine, playing a steady game that included hitting the fairways and greens and making the most of opportunities on makeable putts such as the 4-footer on No. 9.

The 163rd-ranked player in the world missed the cut in her first four tournaments this year and hasn’t finished better than ninth in her career.

“There’s really no expectations for the weekend,” she said.

Michelle Wie wasn’t close to the 2-over cut, going 8 over with two 76s. She has missed two straight cuts and three of four and six this year.

Ryu, meanwhile, is one of the many South Koreans having a great year. She tied for 10th at her last two tournaments, was fifth at an event a month ago and has four top-10s in her last six starts.

“I was so close to winning the last three tournaments, the final round wasn’t good enough to get the trophies so I was really disappointed in myself,” she said. “But the good thing is, I just kept in contention, just kept fighting. I really want to hold this and I really want to keep my positive mind until Sunday.”

A 5-under 67 performance saw Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson climb into a tie for tenth place. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., is T37 at 1-under, while Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City sits T58. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp will not advance to the weekend. Sherbrooke, Que., product Maude-Aimée LeBlanc was forced to withdraw.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Christina Kim took advantage of favourable conditions Thursday morning, shooting an 8-under 64 to top the leaderboard in the inaugural Volvik Championship.

She didn’t expect to stay there.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone gets me by two,” Kim said.

No one did.

Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off consecutive wins on the LPGA Tour, was a shot back after her morning round at Travis Pointe Country Club.

The course conditions got tougher later in the day when the wind picked up and the pins got tougher to shoot for on drying greens.

Minjee Lee, So Yeon Ryu and Marina Alex shot 68, putting them four shots behind Kim.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., shot 69, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot 72 and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 73.

Second-ranked Inbee Park’s lingering thumb injury led her to withdraw from the tournament. Haru Nomura and Perrine Delacour also were unable to complete their first rounds.

Kim ended a 24-round streak in which she didn’t break 70, but wasn’t surprised.

“I’ve been playing really well,” she insisted. “It’s just the scores haven’t reflected how I’ve been playing.”

The three-time LPGA Tour winner, though, was able to withstand her relative slump because of her perspective on the game and life.

“At the end of the day, you know, things will balance out,” Kim said. “We all end up six feet under.”

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is coming off a victory at the Kingsmill Championship after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history in Alabama.

One of her friends saw this coming.

“She’s been playing like this since she was 17 years old,” Kim said. “I think that for her it was just a matter of breaking the shell and getting over that first hump and getting that first win. She is going to just be an absolute world-beater.”

Kim might be one of the people who paves the way after she was in a rough patch of her career.

“Last year, I played bad,” Jutanugarn recalled. “And, she the only person come and talk to me.”

Jutanugarn played through a stiffer wind on her back nine, competing well enough to give herself a chance to possibly win three straight tournaments.

Her ability to play without a driver in her bag or a 3-wood in her hand may help her make the most of opportunities on a layup set up to give players success.

“The course pretty firm so I not even need to hit 3-wood,” Jutanugarn said. “Two-iron fine because I can keep it low.”

Maude-Aimée LeBlanc will be participating in the U.S. Women’s Open from July 7 to 10. She won her spot Tuesday at the Hermitage Country Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va., finishing three shots ahead of the field.

The qualifying selections are decided during a marathon 36-hole event.

LeBlanc had started off with a solid 71 in the morning round and came back stronger in the afternoon with a 68 bogey-free round featuring four birdies.

She is eligible as a regular LPGA member for all tournaments except invitational tournaments and national championships which include the British Open.

The U.S. Women’s Open will be held at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., in six weeks.

LeBlanc’s decision to remain in Virginia despite the disappointment of being eliminated last Friday midway through the Kingsmill Championship paid off for the Sherbrooke, Que. native.

“It’s official, I’ll be playing in the 2016 Open,” she proudly posted to Facebook after securing her spot.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Ariya Jutanugarn quickly has made winning a habit on the LPGA Tour.

The 20-year-old shot a nearly mistake-free 4-under 67 on Sunday and won the Kingsmill Championship by one shot for her second consecutive victory. The bad news for the rest of the tour is that she said this one was much easier to finish off than her first two weeks ago.

That one, she said, allowed her to accomplish her goal for the season. Everything else, it seems, is gravy.

“I mean, last win was like breakthrough everything, so after I won one tournament – because I really want to win one tournament this year – and after I do that, I just feel like whatever it is, I’m just going to take it and have fun, so that’s the only thing,” Jutanugarn said.

After two final-round meltdowns, Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in tour history two weeks ago in Alabama. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth – two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.

On Sunday, she gave up the lead briefly after an early bogey. She recovered quickly with back-to-back birdies, and played the final 16 holes in 5 under.

“I didn’t feel pressure,” she said. “Today I just feel like whatever is fine because I just really want to have fun. I’m not really care. Actually I know they play good, but I’m not really care about them. I really worry about like what I want to do more.”

She finished at 14-under 270 at Kingsmill’s 6,347-yard River Course.

So Oh finished was second after a 65, with Gerina Piller and Sei Young Kim two shots back.

Jutanugarn, also the third-round leader, closed the round by getting up-and-down from the right side of the green on the 18th hole, hitting her chip to within about 5 feet and rolling it in to become the first player with back-to-back wins since top-ranked Ko in Southern California in the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration.

If not the chip from about 80 feet on the last hole, Jutanugarn’s pivotal moment came at the par-5 15th when she chipped the ball from tall greenside rough with the ball well below her feet to about 5 feet and made the putt, doubling her lead as she reached 14 under par.

She played the entire tournament without a three-putt.

Oh, 19, started the day in a tie for eighth, then played the front nine in 5 under to grab a share of the lead at 12 under. She gave one back on the par-4 12th, got back to minus 12 at No. 15 and holed a lengthy putt from the back fringe on the 72nd hole to finish at 13 under. It was just the second birdie of the day at No. 18.

“I knew I had to get off to a really good start, and I did,” Oh said. “It was just one shot at a time.”

Piller, seeking her first career victory, trimmed three strokes off par on the front and got to minus 12 with a birdie at the par-4 16th, but she missed lengthy birdie putts on her last two holes. She has finished in the top 20 29 times in her career, including six this year.

Kim shot a 66, finishing with a birdie putt of her own on the finishing hole.

Mi Jung Hur used the round of the day to gain a share of fifth. She had nine birdies and got to 11 under at No. 17, but she made bogey at the par-4 18th and finished tied with Lexi Thompson and Pornanong Phatlum at 274.

All three reached 11 under at one point but faltered in an intermittent light drizzle.

Defending champion Minjee Lee shot even Sunday and finished in a tie for 10th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had her best round of the tournament Sunday, shooting 3-under 68 to finish tied for 26th at 4 under.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis closed with a 74 and remained winless in her last 49 starts. She tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama, her 10th runner-up finish during the drought and the 23rd of her career.

Thompson, ranked third in the world and trying to follow a victory two weeks ago in Japan, was 6-under for the day and got to minus 11 through 11 holes but followed with consecutive bogeys.

Ko started the day tied for 24th. She shot 69 and finished tied for 18th.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Ariya Jutanugarn moved into position for her second straight LPGA Tour victory Saturday, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 65 to take the third-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine on the soggy River Course and birdied three of the last six. She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago in Alabama that made her the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history.

Jutanugarn had a 10-under 203 total.

Second-round leader So Yeon Ryu bogeyed the final hole to drop a stroke back along with fellow South Korean player In Gee Chun and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.

Ranked 11th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu shot a 69.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., is well back in a tie for 43rd after shooting a 71 in her third round.

Chun had a 62 to tie the course record set by Jiyai Shin in 2012. The U.S. Women’s Open champion is eighth in the world and fourth in the South Korean Olympic race.

Phatlum shot a 65.

Defending champion Minjee Lee was 8 under after a 68. The 19-year-old Australian won last year at Kingsmill in a Monday finish and added her second tour title last month in Hawaii.

Laetitia Beck (66) and sixth-ranked Amy Yang (69) also were 8 under.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, a stroke behind Ryu after a second-round 66, had a 70 to fall into a tie for eighth at 8 under. Lewis tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama for her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson had a 67 to move into a tie for 18th at 5 under. She’s coming off a victory two weeks ago on the Japan LPGA.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 24th at 4 under after a 68. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California.