Lauren Kim led Canadians on Thursday with a 2-under 70

SINGAPORE – The Republic of Korea are back atop the leaderboard after posting a 6-under on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead through 36 holes at the 31st Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) in Singapore.

Soomin Oh and A Jin Sung each finished with 3-under 69s to lead the defending champions climb on Thursday. The Republic of Korea’s team total of 13-under leads the United States of America and Spain by two-strokes in the battle for the Espirito Santo Trophy. The People’s Republic of China is fourth at 7-under, with England rounding out the top five at 6-under. Canada sits in eighth at 3-under among the 36 nations competing.

Oh, who won the 2025 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship and both team and individual honours at the 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is now tied for first individually at 7-under with Aira Nagasawa of Japan. Right behind the co-leaders are Spain’s Paula Martin Sampedro (-6) and Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (5). Catherine Park of the United States is tied with Goicoechea for fourth.

Canada was led by Lauren Kim’s 2-under 70 and Michelle Xing’s 1-over 73 on Thursday to keep Canada in the top ten of team championship, 10 shots back of the defending champions. Kim of Surrey, B.C. sits at 1-under and is T21 individually, six back of the co-leaders. Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. is 1-over for the tournament and is T35, with Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. sitting T42 at 2-over in the 108-player field.

Individually, 18 players are within five shots or less of the co-leaders. For both the team and individual leaderboard, please click here.

The third round will tee off at 7:15 a.m. (Friday) in Singapore, 7:15 p.m. EDT (Thursday). For tee times, please click here.

Vanessa Borovilos led Canadians on Wednesday with a 2-under 70

SINGAPORE – The United States stands atop the leaderboard following the opening round of the 31st Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) in Singapore.

The U.S. shot a collective score of 8-under to hold a one-shot lead over defending champion, Republic of Korea (Korea). Farah O’Keefe, ranked No. 7 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), led the way with a 5-under 67 for the Americans and also leads the individual standings by one over a trio of players including 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship team and individual winner Soomin Oh of Korea, Aira Nagasawa (Japan) and Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (Spain).

Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. led the way for Canada with a 2-under 70 and sits T9, just three shots back in the individual battle. Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. contributed to the team score with an even par 72. Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. is also representing Canada and shot a 1-over 73 on Wednesday. The two lowest scores count towards the team total each day.

Borovilos grabbed back-to-back birdies on Hole Nos. 6 and 7 and closed her round bogey-free with 11 consecutive pars.

“Well, weather, there’s no doubt it’s hot… Honestly, this grass is so nice to hit off of. Being from Toronto, it’s a bit different. I’ve just enjoyed hitting shots off these fairways,” said Borovilos following her round on Wednesday as temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius, feeling closer to 42 degrees Celsius with the heat index.

Trailing the United States (-8) and Korea (-7) are Spain at 5-under, England and the People’s Republic of China at 3-under, with Canada, Thailand and Japan tied for sixth at 2-under. Denmark and Sweden are tied for ninth at even par to round out the top 10.

Individually, 22 players are within four shots or less of O’Keefe’s lead. For both the team and individual leaderboard, please click here.

The second round will tee off at 7:15 a.m. (Thursday) in Singapore, 7:15 p.m. EDT (Wednesday). For tee times, please click here.

Women’s teams will compete October 1-4 and Men’s teams from
October 8-11 in Singapore

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada announced Friday the roster that will represent Canada at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships, taking place at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) in Singapore.

The 31st playing of the Women’s competition for the Espirito Santo Trophy will run October 1-4, while the 34th edition of Men’s competition for the Eisenhower Trophy will follow from October 8-11.

Representing Canada on the women’s team will be Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. The women’s team will be led by coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S.

“We are very proud to name our women’s and men’s teams that will represent Canada at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships this fall in Singapore,” said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “Both teams are comprised with a good mix of experience on the national and international level and we are very confident both rosters will compete and represent Canada proudly.”

Kim is currently ranked No. 17 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and will be making her third appearance for Canada at the World Amateur Team Championships. Kim is heading into her junior season at the University of Texas following a memorable sophomore year. Kim captured her second collegiate title at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and earned eight top 10 finishes last season. Kim also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for a second consecutive year, finishing T14 to tie the best-ever Canadian finish at the prestigious championship. Borovilos (No. 44 WAGR) recently set the record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship earlier this month at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore. Borovilos also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in May. Borovilos is heading into her sophomore year at Texas A&M University. Last year, she earned her first collegiate title at The Chevron Collegiate along with three additional runner-up finishes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Xing (No. 147 WAGR) recently won the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 17-year-old was the only player under par for the tournament and won the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots. All three players recently competed in the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open in Mississauga, Ont.

Team Canada on the men’s side will be represented by Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Isaiah Ibit or Orleans, Ont. and Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. The men’s team will be led by coach Benoit Lemieux of Montreal, Que.

McCulloch, the 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion is currently the lowest ranked Canadian male on WAGR at No. 38. McCulloch is in his final year at Michigan State University and competed in his second consecutive RBC Canadian Open in June. McCulloch appeared in three tournaments before missing the remainder of his 2025 season with Michigan State due to injury. McCulloch enjoyed a successful 2024 season with Michigan State, earning a victory at the Johnnie-O at Sea Island and five top five finishes as well as finishing the year with the best scoring average in program history. He will be making his second consecutive appearance for Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship. Ibit is entering his second year at Kent State University. Last season, Ibit was named the MAC Freshman of the Year and earned a T3 finish at the Hal Williams Collegiate. Ibit (No. 402 WAGR) was runner-up last month at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship after losing in a playoff. The 2024 Canadian Junior Boys champion will be making his debut at the World Amateur Team Championship. Matthews will also be making his debut in October. Matthews (No. 237 WAGR) is entering his senior year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was named a 2024-25 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar. Last season, Matthews earned a pair of collegiate top five finishes including a runner-up at the Gators Invitational.

The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf tournament that is conducted by the International Golf Federation. Both events consist of 72 holes of stroke play with teams of three players. Each round, the two lowest scores will comprise the team score for that round.

In 2023, the Republic of Korea won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the fifth time. Canada has earned four silver medals in tournament history in 1966, 1978, 2004 and 2014. The 2014 was represented by 14-time LPGA Tour tournament winner, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Marchand and Augusta James.

The United States will be defending the Eisenhower Trophy, after winning the title for the 16th time in 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Canada won the 1986 gold medal and was represented by Mark Brewer, Brent Franklin, Jack Kay Jr., Warren Sye and was captained by Doug Brewer. Canada has also earned five additional silver medals (2014, 2006, 1978, 1964, 1962) and one bronze in 1968.

For more information on the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships, please click here.

St. Catharines Golf & Country Club set to host the tenth playing of the world championship

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Golf Canada announced Thursday the six athletes that will comprise Team Canada 1 and Team Canada 2 at the tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, taking place September 15 – 20 at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

Representing Team Canada will be six members of the NextGen Team: Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. and Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. Team designations will be announced closer to the tournament.

Liu recently won her second consecutive Canadian Junior Girls Championship earlier this month, coming from behind to win the Brokenshire Trophy. The 16-year-old has four additional wins this season including The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series, the Junior Orange Bowl International, the NXXT Epson Tour Qualifier at LPGA INTL and The Nelly Invitational on the AJGA. Liu will be making her second consecutive appearance at the WJG and was part of Team Canada 1 last year and finished T7 in the individual standings.

Xing won the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in July to join a prestigious list of past champions. The 17-year-old will be making her second appearance at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, having represented Canada at the 2022 tournament. Xing has won five tournaments over the past two years.

Lin will be making her second consecutive appearance at the WJG. Lin was part of Team Canada 1 and finished T16 in the individual standings last year. The 17-year-old has one win this season, at the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic, along with a pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship earlier this month.

Park will be competing in her third straight WJG, having represented Canada the past two tournaments. Last year, the 16-year-old finished T34 in the individual standings and helped Team Canada 2 finish T12. This season, Park has earned three runner-up finishes in AJGA events.

Ding and Wang will both be making their first appearances at the WJG. The 14-year-old Ding has two wins this season, including the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series and the Women’s Orlando International Amateur Championship. Wang recently finished as runner-up at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The 16-year-old won three times last season.

“We are very proud and excited to announce the six players who will represent Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship. All of the players have had very strong seasons and are deserving of this selection,” said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “We are confident that both teams will be in the hunt for the championship and represent Canada proudly, led by our coaches Jeff and Jennifer.”

Team Canada – NextGen Girls Head Coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S. and Assistant Coach Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta. will be coaching Team Canada at the championship. MacDonald has over 20 years of coaching experience and is a three-time PGA of Atlantic Canada Coach of the Year recipient. He is a past provincial coach of the Nova Scotia Golf Association and is currently the Director of Instruction at Ashburn Golf in Halifax, N.S.

Ha spent eight years as part of Golf Canada’s National Team Program as a player and earned five NCAA wins as a member of the Kent State Golden Flashes. Ha played four years professionally, including one year on the LPGA Tour. She is currently an associate professional at Priddis Greens in Calgary, Alta.

The tenth playing of the global showcase will feature 23 countries and 72 competitors in St. Catharines. In total, 24 teams will compete for the championship while also competing for individual honours. The individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open being held at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026.

“We are very excited for the tenth playing of this prestigious world championship to get underway next month at St. Catharines Golf and Country Club as we welcome the world’s best junior golfers to Canada,” said Adam Cinel, Tournament Director, Golf Canada. “The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is a showcase event on our schedule, featuring talented young athletes competing for team and individual glory. We want to thank the staff and membership of St. Catharines Golf and Country Club for being exceptional partners and welcoming hosts.”

Joining Canada are past champions, Italy (2018), Republic of Korea (2015, 2019, 2024), Spain (2017, 2022) and the United States (2014). In the nine-year history of the tournament, aside from the host nation, five other countries have participated in every tournament including: England, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.

The Republic of Korea (Korea) are the most successful team in tournament history. In addition to three championships, the team has also finished in second on three occasions (2016, 2017, 2023).

Sweden have finished on the podium on four occasions including two runner-up finishes (2014, 2022) and two third place finishes (2015, 2017). The United States have also earned a second-place finish (2018) and two third place finishes (2016, 2024) along with being the inaugural champions. In addition to winning gold in 2023, Team Canada 1 has earned a second-place finish last year and a third-place finish in 2014. Italy also earned a third-place finish in 2014.

This year’s tournament will mark the debut of Argentina and India, who will both be competing for the first time. Last year, Morocco made their debut while Iceland and Poland will be making their third consecutive appearances after debuting in 2023.

The following is the full list of countries that will be competing in the tenth playing of the championship: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada (Team 1 and Team 2), Chinese Taipei, Colombia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top-five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

St. Catharines Golf and Country Club (STGCC) was founded in 1899 and redesigned by legendary architect Stanley Thompson. STGCC offers a par-72 championship layout featuring mature trees, strategic elevation changes, and scenic views along Dick’s Creek. As a proven venue for major amateur and professional events, including the Ontario Men’s Amateur (2024), USGA Junior Qualifiers (2023), and the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship, STGCC promises a world-class stage for the world’s next generation of golf stars.

Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place September 15-16, with the first round of play set for Wednesday, September 17. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, September 20.

Admission to the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here.

Nine members of Team Canada program set to join Brooke Henderson, Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc in 13-player Canadian contingent along with other notable exemptions into the field for Canada’s National Open Championship

CPKC Women’s Open to benefit MacKids through CPKC Has Heart program

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) today announced 13 players that have received exemptions to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Leading the way are nine members of Team Canada, including 15-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. Deng made history last month, becoming the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga. The win was the third of the year for Deng, having previously won two junior titles earlier this season. Deng was victorious at the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open in May where she played alongside then world no. 1, Nelly Korda. Deng will be making her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open and is currently ranked No. 22 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. earned an exemption as the top ranked Canadian on WAGR at No. 17. Kim will compete in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open coming off a strong sophomore season at the University of Texas. Kim captured her second collegiate title at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and earned eight top 10 finishes last season. Kim also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for a second consecutive year, finishing T14 to tie the best-ever Canadian finish at the prestigious championship.

Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. will be competing in her second consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 16-year-old turned professional in January and earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season. Huang has competed in 11 events this season and has earned four top 20 finishes and one additional top 25 finish to date. In 2023, Huang helped Canada win its first-ever World Junior Girls Championship on home soil at Brampton Golf Club, an event where she finished T2 in the individual competition.  

Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. (No. 42 WAGR) will be competing in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 19-year-old recently set the record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship last week at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore. Borovilos also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in May. Borovilos recently completed her first year at Texas A&M University, where she earned her first collegiate title at The Chevron Collegiate along with three additional runner-up finishes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The foursome will join several other Team Canada teammates who earned exemptions through the She Plays Golf Championship Series. 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. Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. booked her spot after winning the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. earned an exemption after finishing atop the Order of Merit standings for the three-tournament series. Cranston will be competing in her fourth consecutive CPKC Women’s Open, while Claggett will be making her debut in Mississauga.

Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. recently earned an exemption for winning the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 17-year-old was the only player under par for the tournament and won the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots. Xing will be making her second consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship after earning an exemption through the She Plays Golf Championship Series last year.

The nine members of Team Canada will join previously announced, 13-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. in the field for the CPKC Women’s Open. Additional Canadian LPGA Tour players competing as part of the 13-player Canadian contingent are Mississauga’s own Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

Joining the Canadian contingent is fellow Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship winner, Yurang Li of Fullerton, Calif., who earned an exemption for winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur title in 2024. Li recently transferred to Baylor University ahead of her junior year after spending the previous two years at the University of Illinois. Li will make her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open.

A trio of international rising stars have also accepted tournament exemptions to compete at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Carla Bernat Escuder of Castellón de la Plana, Spain will be making her professional debut at the CPKC Women’s Open. Escuder won the 2025 ANWA by one shot in her third appearance in the prestigious amateur championship. This season, Escuder has competed in four majors on the LPGA Tour and recently finished T58 at the AIG Women’s Open. She also won five collegiate titles and earned 14 top-fives, and 16 top 10 finishes during her time at Kansas State University.

Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif. will be making her third appearance in tournament history. Davis competed in both the 2022 and 2024 CPKC Women’s Opens and was the low amateur in both tournaments, finishing T39 and T56, respectively. Davis is entering her junior year at Auburn University where she has already won three collegiate tournaments. In addition, Davis won the 2022 ANWA and competed in the 2023 and 2024 tournaments in Augusta, Ga.

Soomin Oh of Ansan, South Korea will also be competing in Mississauga. The 16-year-old earned her exemption after winning the individual title at the 2024 World Junior Girls Championship at the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, right next door to Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga. Oh is currently ranked No. 12 on WAGR and has earned three titles in 2025 after winning five times in 2024. Oh won the Kang Min Koo Cup Korean Women’s Amateur in June for the second straight year and competed in her first ANWA in April.

“We are very proud to add these 13 incredibly talented players into our field for the 51st playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “Our field is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent years and we are excited to offer these Canadian and international rising talents an opportunity to compete alongside the best in the world on the LPGA Tour.”

There are four additional tournament exemptions to be awarded during the CPKC Women’s Open Qualifier on Monday, August 18 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

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 McMaster 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.

Tickets for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deng earns her third win of the season in Georgia

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. defeated Xingtong Chen of Singapore, 2 and 1 after 35 holes in the final to win the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on Saturday at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga. Deng becomes the first Canadian to win the title in tournament history.

“It really means a lot. I just can’t believe that I won,” said Deng. “I didn’t really think about the end result because I knew there were a lot of good players here. I just tried to win each match.” 

The 15-year-old member of Team Canada NextGen led Chen 4 up following the opening 18-holes of the final. Deng and Chen traded the lead through the opening six holes before Deng won Nos. 7, 10, 12 and 13 to earn the advantage heading into the final 18-holes of the championship.

In the afternoon, Chen pulled to within two after winning Nos. 19 and 23 and the two battled back-and-forth before Deng retook her 4 up lead after winning Nos. 27 and 28. Chen again pulled to within two late taking Nos. 32 and 34; but both carded pars on the 35th hole giving Deng the win at 2 and 1.

Deng’s path to the final began after sitting at 2-over T32 following stroke play on Tuesday. In the Round of 64 on Wednesday, she defeated Sarah Hammett of Australia, 2 and 1 to advance. Thursday would mark two more victories, first in the Round of 32, following a 2 and 1 win over Mia Calles of Clinton, S.C. and later winning in 19 holes over Yujie Liu of China. The quarters and semifinals took place on Friday, where Deng began with a 2 up victory over Chloe Kovelesky of Boca Raton, Fla. followed by a 2 and 1 win over Rayee Feng of Short Hills, N.J. to secure her spot in the finals.

The win is the third for Deng, having previously won two junior titles earlier this season, including the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open in May where she played alongside world no. 1, Nelly Korda.

Deng has also earned exemptions into all remaining U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships for which she is age eligible. In addition, an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open as well as exemptions into the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“Aphrodite is a very talented player who came to the program with great family support and quite a few wins at a young age. She is incredibly hard working and disciplined. This is a huge win for her and the program. I am very happy for Aphrodite and her family,” said Jeff MacDonald, Head Coach, Team Canada NextGen Girls.

Team Canada NextGen members, Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C., Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. also competed this week.

Lin advanced to the Round 16 where she fell to the top ranked player in the field, Grace Carter of Jupiter, Fla. 1 up on Thursday. Lin finished stroke play at 1-under T15 and won her Round of 64 match, 6 and 5 over Junxi Guo of Singapore and her Round of 32 match, 3 and 2 over Kacey Ly of Temple City, Calif. In addition, Xing and Wang both advanced to the Round of 64 of the tournament.

The 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship opened on Monday with 36-holes of stroke play over the first two days before moving into match play on Wednesday through to Saturday’s final.

For the final standings and match play results from the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, please click here.

Liu recorded rounds of 78-67-66 to overcome a five-stroke deficit and win the 2025 Peloton Glencoe Invitational  

CALGARY, Alta. – Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. fired a bogey-free 66 in her final round to claim a come-from-behind victory at the 2025 Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, Alta. and become the second Team Canada NextGen member in as many weeks to do so on the She Plays Golf Championship Series.  

The win marks Liu’s fourth in 2025 and earns her a spot in the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open later this summer. The 16-year-old joins her Team Canada NextGen teammate Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. in the field set to descend on Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, August 20 – 24 after the latter picked up a narrow win in last week’s She Plays Golf Championship Series opener in Whistler, B.C.  

Liu followed an opening-round 78 with rounds of 67 and 66 – both the lowest scores in the second and third round respectively – to finish 5-under and win by two over Team Canada member, Ellie Vorster of London, Ont. She picked up momentum late in her second round on Friday to negate a slow start to the tournament by carding four birdies through holes 14 and 17 to get to one-over par and climb within five strokes of 36-hole leader Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C.  

Six birdies and a blemish-free scorecard later – the only player in the field to avoid dropping a shot on Saturday – and Liu claimed the tournament she once trailed by four strokes. Birdies at holes one, eight, nine and 10 got her to three-under par and propelled her atop the leaderboard after Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. exited with double-bogey at the par-four fourth to drop to two-under.  

Holding onto her first lead of the week, Liu failed to take her foot off the gas throughout the rest of Saturday’s back nine, adding birdies at holes 14 and 16 to build a three-stroke cushion over Cranston and take the clubhouse lead at five-under par.  

The insurance proved to be more than enough to secure Liu victory with Cranston playing her final nine holes at one-over par. Despite finishing third, Cranston – who is also a member of the Team Canada program – nabbed 800 points to add to her lead (1,650 points) in the season-long standings.  

Players who compete in the circuit accumulate points from their finishes that are put towards a season-long standings. The top finisher on the season-long point standings, who does not already have an exemption through winning a She Plays Golf Championship Series event, also receives an exemption to the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open with Cranston leading the field of non-winners entering the final leg of the series.  

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the 2025 Peloton Glencoe Invitational, please click here. 

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National women’s Open. 

The series successfully debuted as part of the Glencoe Invitational in 2023. The final stop of the She Plays Golf Championship Series will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, taking place at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. from July 7-10. 

For more information on the She Plays Golf Championship Series or to register for the tournaments, please click here. 

Ding recorded rounds of 71-66-71 to claim the
GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open

Whistler, B.C. – Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. got the She Plays Golf Championship Series off to a thrilling start on Saturday, winning the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open with a birdie on the final hole to edge out a duo of Team Canada amateur talents.

The trio of Team Canada athletes including Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. and Ding all held the lead at different stages of the back nine during the final round at the Nicklaus North Course in Whistler, B.C.

Ding – who opened Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Lin after playing the final ten holes of her second round Friday at five-under par – lost ground early on Sunday after making bogey at holes three and five to drop to five-under par.

Lin took advantage of the rare slip-up from the 36-hole leader, sinking birdies at Nos. three, four and five to pull into a tie with Ding atop the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Cranston – who started her round earlier in the afternoon, made the turn at three-under par and positioned herself well in the hunt of the tournament’s top spot to amplify the pressure on the duo ahead.

The two Team Canada NextGen athletes continued to trade places leading up to the final hole as Cranston cemented her place as the clubhouse leader at seven-under par and carding the lowest round of the afternoon.

After dropping a shot at the par-four 15th, Lin bounced back with a birdie on 18 to tie Cranston at the top at seven-under par, though her birdie would be unsuccessful in forcing a playoff as Ding – also tied atop the leaderboard at seven-under par – rolled in a birdie putt of her own on the final hole to snatch back the lead she opened with and claim the title.

The thrilling victory punches Ding’s ticket into this year’s CPKC Women’s Open set to take place at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24. The runner up finishes from Lin and Cranston nabs the duo 2,100 points each in the season-long standings.

Players who compete in the circuit accumulate points from their finishes that are put towards a season-long standings. The top finisher on the season-long point standings, who does not already have an exemption through winning a She Plays Golf Championship Series event, also receives an exemption to the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open, please click here.

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National Women’s Open.

The series successfully debuted as part of the Glencoe Invitational in 2023. Next stop for the She Plays Golf Championship Series will be the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, Alta. at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club from June 12-14. The final tournament will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, taking place at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. from July 7-10.

For more information on the She Plays Golf Championship Series or to register for the tournaments, please click here.

It didn’t take very long into his major debut for Ashton McCulloch to get his name into a unique circle of Canadian golfers. Under the backdrop of Donald Ross’ architectural masterpiece that is Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, McCulloch – who earned his spot in the 2024 U.S. Open by edging out a handful of regulars on the PGA TOUR in a qualifier – discovered that his name was more recognizable than he initially thought as the top Canadians on TOUR were already familiar with the then 21-year old amateur.  

“The fact that they knew my name was so cool,” recalled McCulloch after his run-in with professionals including Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith throughout the tournament. “I’m just a kid from Kingston, Ontario, and I play golf and those are professional golfers and obviously some of the best in the world, so the fact that they knew me and that we could have a normal conversation not even surrounding golf was really cool and something I won’t forget.”    

McCulloch’s name started wedging itself into conversations of up-and-coming Canadian talents well before his appearance at a major tournament. His triumph at the 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont. vaulted McCulloch into an elite group of names to have found success at the third-oldest amateur championship, joining a list of familiar figures in which he had the luxury of meeting at last year’s U.S. Open, including Taylor’s victory in 2007 and Hughes back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012.  

“It’s really cool to look at kind of what I’ve done in the game of golf and what other greats like Taylor, Hughes, Pendrith and all those guys and what they’ve done,” commented McCulloch. “I’m still far away from how good they are but just trying to continue to grow like they did,” he added.  

The win clinched McCulloch a spot in the 2024 field at the RBC Canadian Open, his first professional event and one he grew up watching. The euphoria of playing his National Open immediately kicked in after rolling his final putt to take the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship by five strokes, and so too was the desire to prove to a lot of people that he was capable of playing at the highest level.  

Though his debut experience at Hamilton Golf & Country Club last summer left him on the outside looking in come the weekend, McCulloch was pleased with his ball striking ability and ultimately adding an early steppingstone in his young and aspiring career. 

The 22-year-old with have another opportunity on the biggest stage in the nation from June 4 to June 8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. Eager to build off his debut experience, McCulloch – the lowest raked Canadian in the World Amateur Golf rankings – adds to the strong list of Canadian talent competing next week as a result of his exemption. 

“To have that opportunity to not only play against the best players in the world; test my game, learn from them and learn more about myself, but also just the pride in the opportunity to play for our country and our Canadian Open is something I’m so grateful to receive,” said McCulloch.  

One of 18 male members part of the Team Canada program, McCulloch has steadily improved throughout his amateur career, competing in the Big Ten at Michigan State University (MSU) where he just finished his senior season. The top finisher on the team in his last six starts of the 2024 campaign, McCulloch was a major force at MSU and placed third in both the Big Ten Championship and the Canadian Collegiate Invitational as a junior. He also picked up a win at the Johnnie-O at Sea Island event last season and finished the year with the best scoring average in program history.  

Earlier this month, McCulloch was awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the 2025 Rocket Classic set to take place in Detroit, Mich. in June. By the time he arrives at Detroit Golf Club, he will already have two other PGA TOUR events under his belt and looks to use the experiences as a launching pad towards his pursuit of a professional golf career. 

“To use those events and not only the [ranking] points that you get from them but the experiences you get from them that are so much more valuable,” said McCulloch ahead of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. “The journey is far from over and you just kind of keep on pushing and use those [events] as confidence boosters and not to get too complacent,” he added.  

The 2025 summer will see McCulloch’s name featured alongside the game’s best players and add another Canadian threat to a pair of fields on the PGA TOUR. Nearing the end of his collegiate tenure, the future looks promising for McCulloch, a rising star with a name already familiar with several current Canadian on TOUR.  

“I just want to keep progressing, keep the boots on the ground and keep going and try to chase the best golf that I can.” 

McCulloch will be amongst a field of 156 players will compete at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in the 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open, June 4 -8. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit rbccanadianopen.com.