Pro-am rounds can be a fun opportunity for serious golf fans to meet their favourite players and for the golfers to get some extra practice in ahead of that week’s tournament.

But for Canadian golfer Selena Costabile and former NFL players Josh Scobee and Marcus Pollard it was a chance to get into the intricacies of the athlete’s mindset. The trio were grouped together for the pro-am on Tuesday ahead of the Epson Tour’s Atlantic Beach Classic and got into a lengthy discussion as they made their way around the course. 

Costabile, who is from Thornhill, Ont., and Scobee bonded over the similarities between being a golfer and a placekicker.

“Because you really just have one shot to perform,” said Costabile. “He was giving me a lot of insights about how you have to have two different mindsets. One is in practice, and then once you get in to a competition or the tournament, on the course or on the football field, whatever that may be, you have to almost switch to more of a performance mindset.

“Trying to just get the ball between the posts is similar to trying to get the ball in the hole and do that as best as you can while not really thinking about the mechanical side of it.”

Scobee was a kicker on the Jacksonville Jaguars for 11 seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015 and then spending a couple of months with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 before retiring the next year. He connected on 80.1 per cent of his field-goal attempts and 98.2 per cent of his extra-point attempts for a total of 1,046 points.

He said that he developed his “how and where” approach about six years into his career.

“I told her what I’ve always tried to do — and it’s not always easy — but what I tried to do was to separate practice from the games,” said Scobee. “Practice is where you’re trying to figure out how to do it. You’re working on your technique, and little things that you practice to be ready for the game or a tournament or whatever. 

“Then separating that from where to hit it, or where to kick it whenever I was playing. So I told her it’s the how versus the where, how to do it versus where to hit it.”

Pollard was a tight end with the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons over 14 seasons, catching 40 touchdowns and over 4,280 receiving yards. Although Pollard didn’t have much to add to Scobee and Costabile’s conversation on mechanics, the kicker said he had a lot to say about mindset in general.

“It’s fun to get in front of other athletes that play different sports and go around the table and talk about what we all thought about or how we prepared,” said Scobee, “It all basically comes back to the same things and that’s the beauty of sports.”

Costabile said the conversation came at a good time for her because she has missed two cuts to start the Epson Tour season.

“I’m trying to work on leaving all the work of the off-season in the off-season and trusting that I did the work and now I just have to go out to play,” said Costabile. 

She’ll be joined by Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., and Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., in the field at Atlantic Beach Country Club. 

Thibault, in her first full season on the Epson Tour, made the cut at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on March 8 and again at the IOA Golf Classic on March 15. She said she was happy with those results because her ball striking has not been up to its usual standard.

“To be honest, the focus hasn’t been on cuts because you’re trying to win it so it’s been more annoying in that sense,” said Thibault. “But I’m still excited because to start the season the top 50 women’s golfers in the world were in Asia so the first three Epson Tour events were probably the strongest fields we’re getting the whole year. 

“To be able to really not feel like you have your game and still fight and put those scores up, I’m extremely proud of that.”

The 25-year-old said that her focus this off-season has been to focus on the natural motion of her swing.

“I’m diving more into my creative side and more into my given talent and working with that instead of trying to fit into a box,” said Thibault. “I’ve been more of a sponge, going into tournaments and seeing what tendencies show up with adrenalin instead of being so technical, because I had really tried to fit into a box with a certain swing and it looked better but then I kind of lost a bit of lag there.”

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship. She is fifth on the Race to CME Globe season standings, having finished in the top 10 in three of her first four tournaments of the year. Rookie Savannah Grewal (29th) of Mississauga, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., are also in the field at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN — Golf Canada announced on Wednesday afternoon that Mississauga Golf and Country Club would host the CPKC Women’s Open Aug. 18-24, 2025. It’s the first time the national women’s championship has been in the Greater Toronto Area since 2019 when Magna Golf Club hosted it in Aurora, Ont.

PGA TOUR — Nick Taylor is 11th in the FedEx Cup standings heading into this week’s Valspar Championship. Adam Hadwin, who is also from Abbotsford, B.C., won the Valspar in 2017 and is No. 30 in the points list. Five other Canadians are in the field at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla., including Mackenzie Hughes (71st) of Dundas, Ont., Adam Svensson (72nd) of Surrey, B.C., Ben Silverman (88th) of Thornhill, Ont., Taylor Pendrith (93rd) of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (201st) of Merritt, B.C.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — The PGA Tour Americas begins its inaugural season on Thursday with the Bupa Championship. The third-tier tour is a combination of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada, that ended last year. Twelve Canadians will tee it up at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is 15th on the Road to Dubai standings, the European-based DP World Tour’s points list. He’s the lone Canadian in the field at this week’s Porsche Singapore Classic at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

2025 marks the first time the historic club will play host to the stars of the LPGA Tour; The 51^st playing of Canada’s National Open Championship returns to the Greater Toronto Area for the third time since 2001.

In hosting the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will become only the eighth club to host Golf Canada’s four premier events: CPKC Women’s Open, RBC Canadian Open, Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, and Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Through CPKC’s community investment program, CPKC Has Heart, the event will once again be making a significant contribution to pediatric cardiac care in the host community.

The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to southern Ontario as Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) have announced that the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will be contested at the historic Mississaugua Golf and Country Club from August 18-24, 2025.

The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will mark the 21^st time that the province of Ontario has hosted Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship and the first since 2022. The 2025 event will be the 51^st playing of Canada’s National Open Championship and the first time that Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will challenge the stars of the LPGA Tour. 

In hosting the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will become only the eighth club to host Golf Canada’s four premier events: CPKC Women’s Open, RBC Canadian Open, Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, and Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

“Together, with our partners at CPKC and the LPGA Tour, we are very proud to bring the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open to the world-class city of Mississauga and the prestigious Mississaugua Golf and Country Club,” said CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Mississaugua Golf and Country Club has been an incredible partner to Golf Canada, hosting countless Golf Canada Championships at both the professional and amateur level. We are excited to add our National Women’s Open to this impressive list in 2025.”

Through its CPKC Has Heart campaign, CPKC once again will be making a significant charitable contribution to the host community. Since 2014, the CPKC Women’s Open has helped raise over $19 million in support of children’s heart health in North America.

“CPKC is thrilled to bring the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open to the city of Mississauga and back to the province of Ontario, which is an integral part of our North American network,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact the tournament will have in helping young hearts across Ontario.”

A host community beneficiary of the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will be named by CPKC and Golf Canada at a later date.

Originally founded in 1906, Mississaugua has overlooked the Credit River in Mississauga for more than a century. The Club, which features an 18-hole championship golf course, has a storied history of hosting not only provincial championships but national championships as well, including the RBC Canadian Open, Men’s Canadian Amateur, and Canadian Women’s Amateur along with the World Junior Girls Golf Championship. Mississaugua is a full-service club offering along with golf: a four clay-court tennis facility, a six-sheet curling rink, state of the art fitness centre, and year-round dining options.

“The Members of Mississaugua are thrilled to welcome the very best LPGA Tour players to the Club for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Rodger Leslie, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club President. “Hosting this wonderful tournament at our historic club gives us the opportunity to not only showcase our championship golf course but proudly share Mississaugua with the rest of Canada and the world. We are looking forward to partnering with Golf Canada and the surrounding community of Mississauga as we prepare for this world-class tournament in 2025. A highlight of the event for Mississaugua is the philanthropic dollars that will be generated for local charities through the CPKC Women’s Open, a cause near and dear to the heart our members.”

The Tournament Partners of the LPGA awarded the CPKC Women’s Open with Tournament of the Year honours in the previous two years (2022 and 2023). Golf Canada and CPKC also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Volunteer Engagement in 2023, Best Sponsor Activation in 2019, 2022, and 2023 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in three of the last five full season campaigns.

“Being selected to host the prestigious CPKC Women’s Open in 2025 is a huge honour and allows us another opportunity to highlight the sport of golf in the mix of events we are bringing to our vibrant city,” said Victoria Clarke, CEO of Visit Mississauga. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s best female golfers and witnessing their incredible talent here in Mississauga, and to showcase the “cultural canvas” that is our city on the world stage.”

Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has traditionally featured one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour vying for a total purse of $2.6 million USD. The 2024 CPKC Women’s Open – the 50^th playing of the event – is being held at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 23-28, 2024.

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 to inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers. Brooke Henderson’s historic victory in 2018 was the first time a Canadian had won the National Open since golf legend Jocelyne Bourassa 45 years earlier.

Information about volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will be available in the coming weeks.

50^th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship returns to Calgary

Golf Canada, in partnership with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) is pleased to release the full selection of ticket options for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open taking place July 23-28 at the historic Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.

Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner and CPKC Ambassador Brooke Henderson along with defending champion Megan Khang are among early headliners set to compete with the top players in the Race to CME Globe standings for the first time at Earl Grey. The 2024 event will mark the fourth time that the City of Calgary will play host and seventh time for the province of Alberta.

CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!

“The early response from the local community has been outstanding and we are looking forward to returning to the City of Calgary in July for the first time since 2016 for the 50th playing of our National Women’s Open Championship,” said CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Earl Grey is a beautiful golf course and will provide a great test for the world’s most talented players. Golf fans will be in for a memorable week in Calgary. The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the top three women’s sporting events in Canada, don’t miss out on your chance to see these amazing athletes live.”

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open returns to Calgary riding momentum from being named the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year 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.

Fans of all ages will once again be able to experience the week-long celebration of golf highlighted by The Rink on the 17th hole at Earl Grey, and a variety of food and patio experiences at The Fare Way featuring the Keg.

CPKC will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community through its CPKC Has Heart Campaign. The official charitable partner of the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open is Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. Last year, CPKC raised nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health with donations of $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (PIH) Foundation.

 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.

Upgraded ticket experiences including corporate hospitality packages and premium guest hosting are also available.

Click here to sign up for the CPKC Women’s Open newsletter and be among the first notified for future announcements and updates.

Make sure you are part of the action in Calgary!

Visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com/tickets/ to secure your tickets before they sell out!

Calgary – Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) is proud to announce that Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation has been chosen as the primary charity partner for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open, to be held at the historic Earl Grey Golf Club from July 23 – 28, 2024.

“CPKC is pleased to once again partner with the Alberta Children’s Hospital through the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “By building on our first Women’s Open partnership with Alberta Children’s Hospital in 2016, we will leverage our community investment program, CPKC Has Heart, to help the youngest hearts across Alberta.”

This year’s goal is to raise more than $2.75 million for Alberta Children’s Hospital. Those funds will be dedicated to support researchers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute who believe there is potential to develop a routine blood test to provide earlier detection of congenital heart defects or other anomalies at birth so parents and caregivers can be prepared before the baby is born.

“Every year in Alberta, there are approximately 550 babies born with a congenital heart defect,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “With this incredible support from the CPKC Women’s Open, our researchers are working to develop a new, non-invasive test to identify these problems sooner, leading to better prenatal care and opportunities for critical life-saving interventions.”

“It has been inspiring to share in the impact of CPKC Has Heart on the lives of countless youth and families in the host communities of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “Bringing the 50^th playing of our National Women’s Open Championship back to Calgary and now to Earl Grey Golf Club for the first time will be special. I know that golf fans and event enthusiasts will celebrate the CPKC Women’s Open as a week-long festival experience that will leave a meaningful community legacy in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

The LPGA awarded the CPKC Women’s Open, hosted Aug. 22-27 at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, with Tournament of the Year in 2023 for the second consecutive year. 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. 

About Canadian Pacific Kansas City

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

About CPKC Has Heart

At CPKC, we know that a railroad may serve as the arteries of a nation, but at its heart is community. That’s why, through CPKC Has Heart, we’ve already helped raise more than $35 million to help improve the heart health of adults and children across North America. And along the way, we’re showing heart whenever we can. Find out more on www.cpkcr.com

About Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation inspires our community to invest in excellence in child health, research, and family centred care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative programs, state-of-the-art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is a founding partner of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, as well as the primary funder. www.childrenshospital.ab.ca 

The 50th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open is set for
July 23-28, 2024 in Calgary

Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), is pleased to announce that select tickets for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open are now on sale.

The 50th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open will take place at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 23-28, 2024. It will mark the seventh time that the province of Alberta has hosted Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, the fourth time for the City of Calgary and first time ever at Earl Grey.

Originally founded in 1919 as a five-hole layout and now on its current site overlooking the picturesque Glenmore Reservoir since 1932, Earl Grey is world-class championship facility located in the heart of Calgary. The club, which features an 18-hole championship course as well as a nine-hole Par 3, has hosted numerous major provincial, national and international competitions. Earl Grey underwent an extensive renovation project in 2018 that included construction of a brand-new clubhouse along with extensive on-course renovations, featuring new greens and an enhanced irrigation system along with a full bunker renovation.

“We are excited to return to Calgary and welcome the world’s best golfers to Earl Grey Golf Club for the 50th playing of our National Open Championship,” said Ryan Paul, CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director. “The stars of the LPGA Tour love our event and we are looking forward to delivering an incredible experience for golf fans next summer in Calgary.”

Canada’s National Women’s Open heads to Calgary riding the momentum of being named the LPGA Tour’s 2023 Tournament of the Year, the second consecutive year that the CPKC Women’s Open has taken home top honour at the LPGA Tour’s season-end tournament awards celebration last month. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open hosted this past summer at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver also won additional awards for the Best Sponsor Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open marks the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour schedule. The week-long celebration of golf attracts the world’s best players, including 13-time LPGA Tour winner and CPKC Ambassador Brooke Henderson along with defending champion Megan Khang who defeated 2019 champion Jin Young Ko on the first hole of a playoff to earn her first LPGA Tour win.

CPKC will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community through its CPKC Has Heart campaign. This past year, CPKC raised nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health with donations of $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation.

The 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey offers three select ticket options now on sale for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. The advance ticket options include:

• Any Day Ticket: Access to the CPKC Women’s Open on any one day, Tuesday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last.)

• Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Tuesday through Sunday.

• Heritage Lounge Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under.

Volunteer, sponsorship, and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open and to purchase tickets, please visit cpkcwomensopen.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[TORONTO] – On Thursday, September 22, the 2023 Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs) illuminated the Globe & Mail Centre in Toronto, and Golf Canada, along with several of its valued partners, took centre stage, securing numerous accolades at the prestigious annual event hosted by the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC).

The SMAs, considered the Canadian sport marketing industry’s most esteemed recognition, span across various sectors, including sports, arts, and culture. Golf Canada was proud to garner recognition in multiple categories honouring 2022 activities, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to working collaboratively with partners to enhance the golf and festival experience at its two signature golf properties—the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open.

The distinguished recognition achieved by Golf Canada and its partners for 2022 activities include:

PROPERTY OF THE YEAR

Gold – Golf Canada (RBC Canadian Open & CPKC Women’s Open)

BEST NEW INITIATIVE

Gold – Hilton on the Green

EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Award of Distinction – RBC Canadian Open

SPORTS (over $500K)

Award of Distinction – theScore Bet Skyline Seats

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

Award of Distinction – CPKC Women’s Open

In addition to these outstanding achievements, Golf Canada’s partners earned the following recognitions:

MUSIC

Gold – RBCxMusic

AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Gold – Wasserman

Golf Canada and its partners were proud to secure more awards than any other organization at this year’s event, providing an emphatic testament of success for these outstanding activities throughout 2022.

Of note is the coveted “Property of the Year” award, a reflection of Golf Canada’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of sponsorship marketing.

“These remarkable achievements are a direct result of the unwavering dedication, collaboration, and passion demonstrated by each member of the Golf Canada team and innovative partners,” said Lisa Ferkul, Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer. “These accolades are a testament to a collective commitment to elevate the sponsorship marketing landscape and enhance the festival experience for our partners, fans, and stakeholders.”

Golf Canada extends heartfelt congratulations to every organization involved in these remarkable achievements and looks forward to continuing its journey of excellence and innovation in sponsorship marketing across its signature properties.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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