Kirk Fontaine looks down, looks ahead. He has focus in his eyes.

It’s silent, until he sends a golf ball towards the hole—and he does it swiftly with one hand.

Fontaine took part in an inaugural golf tournament fundraiser for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Saskatchewan at Marks Nine Golf & Country Club on Saturday.

With an adaptable chair from Golf Saskatchewan, that is housed at the Silverwood Golf Course for public use called the Solo Rider, Fontaine is able to easily move around the course.

“I find it easier to hit with one hand compared to two because I don’t have to swing in my hips,” he explained.

Fontaine was injured in a car accident about three years ago. He said he does have some movement in his legs, but they don’t have much strength.

“After I got out of the hospital and while I was home, I was losing my mind. There wasn’t much to do…but then I got myself into archery. I’m trying to get into the Paralympics for men’s recurve. I’ve been trying different sports: skeet shooting, shot put. Golf’s fun,” he said.

Fontaine explained some of the challenges: Parking spots are typically too close together for him to get out of his vehicle, restaurant tables can be too low for him to roll under and washroom stalls aren’t always accessible.

“Every day is a challenge, no matter what you do.”

Bill Lehne, SCI Saskatchewan’s board president, used Kirk as an example of the importance of having access to their services.

“He’s got the adaptive equipment to live a normal life and it’s all about inclusion. Because of those types of supports, it helps facilitate that. More importantly is Kirk’s willingness to go through that door and latch on to that new world and make it happen and make it your own. And to take that ownership is sometimes a very difficult task,” said Lehne.

He, too, has had to find that acceptance.

On Halloween of 1983, Lehne was injured in a hunting accident. He said at 18 years old, he felt invincible, but then life changed so quickly.

“I used to build houses and work in construction. So now what do you do? You’ve got to do something different. You have to go back and go to school and all that. That whole new journey, and that’s where all those doors open up and you have to go through it.”

The first annual golf tournament had 15 sponsors, both corporate and local businesses. They included the Northern Lights Casino, OK Tire, Lakeland Ford, Golden Mobility and Métis Nation Saskatchewan.

Lehne said their goal was to raise $15,000, but also to develop awareness and bring the public together with the fundraising initiative.

While Lehne now lives in Saskatoon, he is originally from Prince Albert and is friends with the owner of Mark’s Nine Golf & Country Club. In fact, he used to live across the highway from the course.

“This is really my backyard and my friends. This is where I grew up,” he said.

For over 50 years, SCI Saskatchewan has been providing rehabilitation, employment, financial and housing support for those with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities.

Their annual wheelchair relay fundraiser is coming up on Sept. 21 in Saskatoon.

Story originally published in the Prince Albert Herald/Jayda Noyes

https://paherald.sk.ca/2019/08/26/every-day-is-a-challenge-spinal-cord-injury-sask-enhancing-services-with-golf-tournament/

Republished with permission. 

Following the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) Order of Merit Championship this past weekend at the Legends Golf Club the five junior champions have been crowned.

The Golf Saskatchewan OMT format has five different age groups, an under-19 in both boys and girls, there is an under-15 division in both genders as well as an under-13 boy’s division.

In the under-19 girl’s division Regina’s Autumn Neiszner capped off a great season with the OMT victory. Her provincial championship win in Nipawin helped her outlast 2018 OMT champion Sarah Grieve. The Wascana Country Club member finished with 3,100 points in five qualifying events. Carey McLean rounded out the top-three with 1,650 points, Saskatoon’s Grieve collected 2,625 points over the season.

Under-13 girls – Ellla Kozak

The under-13 girl’s champion is Yorkton’s Ella Kozak. The Deer Park Municipal Golf Course player played a tonne of golf this year participating in seven tournaments on the OMT. The 13-year-old picked up 1,380 points. Last year’s under-13 winner Brooklin Fry was the only other competitor, she amassed 787.50 points in just two qualifying events.

Under-19 boys – Jayden Dudas

Estevan’s Jayden Dudas used the MJT event to leapfrog Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy for the under-19 boy’s championship. A first-place tie for Dudas in his age group in Warman gave the TS&M Woodlawn player 675 points allowing him to pass last year’s champion by just 50 points. Dudas won a pair of MJT events this season assisting in the OMT victory.

Kindersley’s Cort Tunall capped his strong season with a third-place finish with 1,764.58 points.

Under-15 boys – Alex Swinnerton

In the tightest race of the divisions, Waskesiu Golf Course member Alex Swinnerton edged Max Regier by just 20 points to win the under-15 boy’s category. Swinnerton won four different events in his age group this year in six different starts. His top five tournaments awarded him 1,260 points.

Regier also played in six events but just fell shy with 1,240 points.

Tommy Danielson of Saskatoon placed third, also right in the championship hunt with 1,220 points.

Under-13 boys – Jayden Chernoff

The under-13 boy’s group was also tightly contested but in the end it was another Estevan player winning the championship. Jayden Chernoff won the category with 1,030 points, 70 more than Dane Giesbrecht of Warman.

La Ronge’s Dade Bernatchez came in third place with 760 points.

Golf Saskatchewan presented all the champions with their trophies at the two-day tournament in Warman on Aug. 25.

You can see all the results here.

About half a decade ago, Rick Letts and Les McTavish had a vision regarding the golf course at Elbow. The pair took a leap of faith and purchased the 18-hole facility on the shores of Lake Diefenbaker, and they couldn’t be happier with where they are at and going.

Letts was raised in the nearby community of Central Butte and has a business history in the area dating back to 1989 and has always had an interest in one day owning the course and taking the facility to a new level. The previous owners of the club had a successful run during their two-decade plus tenure but with many aspects of business, and life change is welcome. Five years ago Letts and MacTavish took majority ownership. Letts said the decision has brought new life to course.

“Our attitude towards this place is not one of making a bunch of money,” Letts said to Golf Saskatchewan during a July interview. “We’re here to be able to see what we can do for the community in order to be able to enhance the area and bring people here for the golf and all the other beauty that surrounds the course. That’s probably the reason why we’re doing as well as we’re doing, it’s our positive attitude.”

Elbow is known as a resort community; it helps when one of the province’s largest lakes is right next door. The ownership group is now in the process of expanding to allow more families and visitors to enjoy what the region does offer which is much more than golf. Letts said the group has been approved to develop an RV park adjacent to the course and they are excited to move ahead with the venture.

“We have been approved by the provincial government to add between 60 and 65 RV lots situated between the golf course and the marina. We’re very excited about that. From a business point of view it will add cash flow we’re going to need at the golf course to do a lot of capital purchases to improve the place. Golf courses themselves don’t make enough to cover themselves. It’s not something you are going to get rich on, it’s more of a labour of love,” Letts expressed.

Harbor already offers one of the best views in Saskatchewan from their clubhouse. The dining room overlooks a bay in the lake that houses the marina. Letts and his partners recently spent $150,000 to upgrade the facility’s kitchen to help serve the public better but that was just the beginning of their vision.

“We’re looking at building onto the clubhouse and redo the inside of the clubhouse,” he explained. “We want to have a very large room to be multi-purpose for the restaurant and to host meetings, but also to ensure everybody can get a view of the harbor while they are enjoying themselves in the clubhouse.”

The course is handcuffed a little bit with such a large body of water nearby which doesn’t allow for a nearby driving range. To alleviate that issue and make for a better overall golf experience they constructed a 30 by 30 feet, two bay driving net which is set up near the practice green beside the first hole. That at least allows golfers to loosen up prior to their round or tournament.

Letts did mention the purchase of capital expenditures but didn’t reveal what exactly those are, but they are all part of the plan for the next four to five years. Overall he said the group couldn’t be happier with where the business stands.

“It’s going the way we wanted to go,” he said. “We would not have envisioned the amount of work or money that it takes to get the course to where want it to go but at the same time we’re so excited about where we are and how we managed to get to this point. We also have been fortunate enough to attract key people in management positions that are investing their time and expertise, that has also made the golf course what it is today. We have no fear of continuing to go forward and invest more money and time into this to make it exactly what we envisioned four or five years ago.”

Randy Gilewich, Gary Brandon, and Tyler Wright are the 2019 inductees heading into the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame.

Tyler Wright

The honour for Wright, 41, comes on the heels of a provincial mid-master’s (40 +) championship earlier this month at the Royal Regina Golf Club. The win added to his already impressive golf resume. He won the 2017 Saskatchewan amateur championship as well as the provincial mid-amateur championship in 2014 and 2016. The Wascana Country Club member has competed nationally as a member of the Saskatchewan Willingdon Cup team in 2001, 2005, 2014, 2015, and 2017, and five more nationals as a member of the Saskatchewan mid-amateur team (2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017).  At the Wascana in 2017 Tyler finished fifth, the best finish ever for a Saskatchewan golfer at the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship.

Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame Secretary Brian Lee said despite his age, Wright has all the credentials for the honour.

“He is not an old player by any means but Tyler’s drive to excel at golf and other sports makes him a contender at every event. He has shown true sportsmanship for Saskatchewan at provincial and national scenes for years. We hope we are able to add to his induction resume for decades to follow,” Lee said.

Wright was inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 for his excellence in both golf and basketball.

Gary Brandon

 Brandon is going to be enshrined posthumously as he passed away in 2009.

He became a member of the PGA of Saskatchewan in 1983 and began a career at the Melfort Golf and Country that spanned 18 years. During his time in Melfort Brandon developed junior programs, taught lessons, and revived their men’s and ladies’ leagues. He also oversaw many events including the popular Left – Right Championship that now bears his name. Brandon was also a driving force behind the conception of the mid-amateur division in Saskatchewan. Lee said Brandon’s contributions to the sport make him a worthy Hall of Fame inductee.

“Although I did not have a chance to meet Gary in person, he was described as a true family man who loved golf and making sure people had fun playing it. As a long-time golf professional in Melfort and Dauphin, his legacy still lives on to this day,” Lee said.

Brandon was named the PGA of Sask. senior player of the year in both 1998 and 1999. In 2001 he was honoured by his peers with a lifetime achievement award.

Randy Gilewich

 A career that has spanned four decades, Randy Gilewich has an excellent run as an amateur golfer in Saskatchewan.

He has played in seven Canadian Amateur Championships. On four of those occasions he was a member of the Saskatchewan Willingdon Cup team: 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996, twice reaching the round of thirty-two in match play. He was a member of the Saskatchewan junior team in 1979 and participated in five national mid-amateur events between 2002 and 2017.  Adding in the Canadian Club Champions’ Championship in Nova Scotia in 1996 and the Canadian Crown Life Championship in Quebec in 1984, he has competed at the national level in most provinces.

Lee said Gilewich’s accomplishments align with the other 50 inductees currently in the Hall.

“Randy’s resume for golf is outstanding and compares to many other players in the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame. While his current profession makes other people smile, his induction into the Hall of Fame is bound to make him grin from ear to ear,” he said.

He revitalized the Regina Men’s City Amateur after a ten-year hiatus, created the Saskatchewan Southern Senior Men’s Amateur in 2019, and has supported the Diamond in the Rough junior development camp at Deer Valley.

Gilewich started his career as a junior golfer in 1974 at the Wascana Country Club, he’s been a member ever since.

The three will be inducted during a gala event on Sept. 21 at the Riverside Country Club. Tickets will be available later this week.

AURORA, Ont. – Jin Young Ko played flawless golf again Sunday at the CP Women’s Open to capture her fourth LPGA Tour title of the 2019 season.

Ko, who shot an 8-under-par 64 Sunday at Magna Golf Club, has now gone 106 holes without a bogey. She beat Nicole Broch Larsen, whose runner-up was her best career LPGA Tour finish, by five shots.

Lizette Salas and Brooke Henderson tied for third at 19-under.

Jin Young Ko’s winning score of 262 (-26) is a new CP Women’s Open tournament scoring record. She beat the prior record – held jointly by Ariya Juanugarn in 2016 and So Yeon Ryu in 2014 (265, -23) – by three shots.

“It was (an) incredible crowd out here, and then lots of fans here and Koreans, too,” said Ko of the final round, where she was grouped with Broch Larsen and Henderson.  

Ko has won two majors already this year – the ANA Inspiration and the Evian Championship – along with the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. She leads the Rolex Rankings as the world’s No.1-ranked golfer, as well as the season-long Race to CME Globe.

Ko started to pull away on the back nine, where she made six birdies.

Ko also has a Canadian connection, as she uses PGA of Canada professional Gareth Raflewski has her short-game coach. Ko said Raflewski helped her totally revamp her short game after spending two weeks together in Florida earlier this year.

“I changed everything about my short game, like (my) setup or clubs or mind, everything. And then he help me a lot on the course or off the course, too,” said Ko. “So, I want to say to thank you.”

Ko revealed she was debating staying in South Korea this week versus travelling to play the CP Women’s Open, but a tasty Canadian treat helped change her mind.

“I like Canada and I like ice cappuccino. That’s why I wanted to play this week,” she said with a laugh. 

Henderson and Ko walked with their arms around each other as they walked up the 18th hole at Magna. Henderson admitted she knew as the round went on there was a point when she wouldn’t be able to catch Ko.

“She’s world No.1 for a reason,” said Henderson. “She’s had an unreal season. I don’t even know, is it four wins now? Four wins on one of the toughest tours there is. There is so much talent out here. To get one win is hard; to get four is really cool.”

The LPGA Tour heads to Portland for the Cambia Portland Classic next week – a tournament Henderson has won twice.

Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver will play host to the 2020 CP Women’s Open.

BROOKE HENDERSON WINS SANDRA POST MEDAL AS LOW CANADIAN

Although Brooke Henderson was unable to defend her CP Women’s Open title, it was still a fantastic week for her. A tie for third earned Henderson the Sandra Post Medal as Low Canadian.

Henderson, who shot a 3-under-par 69 Sunday, finished seven shots back of Jin Young Ko.

Earlier this year, Henderson topped Post herself as the winningest Canadian golfer of all time on the LPGA Tour.

“I feel like I’m getting better every year on the LPGA Tour, which is a great feeling. I feel like if I can just continue to make small improvements good things can happen in the future,” said Henderson as she looked ahead to what’s to come. “It’s exciting knowing that I can compete against the best in the world every single week and have chances to win championships.”

Henderson, who has won twice ready this year, called this week at Magna Golf Club “incredible.” The tournament enjoyed record walk-up and corporate hospitality sales and was the second-most attended CP Women’s Open in history.

“The fans, the crowds, so good. Record-breaking really. So that’s really special,” Henderson said. “I feel like I made a lot of birdies and hopefully made it pretty exciting for them. T3, I couldn’t really ask for anything more. It would’ve been very difficult to catch Jin Young today.”

Henderson said, from start to finish, she had a great week and enjoyed being a proud CP ambassador and CP Women’s Open defending champion.

“I feel like I handled it really well,” said Henderson of the extra responsibilities this week. “There were a lot of extra things I had to do, but overall it was really fun. Just to be able to play well in front of all these people, and, you know hopefully, make their weekend a little bit better, that’s all I really want.”

Now Henderson looks ahead to Vancouver in 2020, with a fire already burning to return to the winner’s circle.

“I’m really excited to play Shaughnessy. I’ve never played it; only heard amazing things.” added Henderson. “I think it’ll be fun to get back out on the west coast. I tend to play pretty well out there, so that’s exciting. To finish I guess T12 in Ottawa, the win and then T3 this year, I feel like I’m trending in the right direction and hopefully I can get another top finish.”

Full results can be found here.

Aurora, Ont. – Canadian Pacific (CP) is proud to announce this year’s CP Women’s Open, hosted at Magna Golf Club, has delivered the largest donation in the history of Canada’s women’s open championship.

Earlier today, a $2.2 million cheque was presented to the SickKids Foundation. These funds will go towards upgrading a Cardiac Operating Suite at SickKids. The total contribution to SickKids is the result of several fundraising efforts, all under the CP Has Heart program. Through CP Birdies for Heart, CP contributed $5,000 for each birdie made by a player on the 17th hole during tournament play. Fans were also able to pledge a donation amount or per birdie donation to be matched. A total of 43 birdies represents a $215,000 donation. CP also supported the tournament host community this year with a $250,000 donation to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. to support paediatric cardiac care.

Jin Young Ko beat out 155 other women to become the 2019 CP Women’s Open champion and take home US$337,500 of the US$2.25 million purse, one of the largest purses on the LPGA Tour.

“I would like to congratulate every golfer, fan and volunteer for their contribution to this year’s CP Women’s Open,” said CP President and CEO Keith Creel. “It was a tremendous week of golf, but more importantly, together we have made a significant contribution to SickKids Foundation and to Ontario, a key province in our network. CP is proud to continue to make a difference in communities across Canada through our community investment program, CP Has Heart.”

“We are incredibly grateful that CP, Golf Canada and the CP Women’s Open have chosen SickKids Foundation as their beneficiary this year,” said SickKids Foundation CEO Ted Garrard. “It’s been a remarkable partnership and we thank all supporters involved, on and off the golf course, for their generosity. Funds raised from the tournament will continue to help cardiac patients at SickKids receive world-class care.”

In the six years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, more than $10.5 million has now been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. The 2019 tournament marked the third time in six years that southern Ontario has hosted the CP Women’s Open, resulting in more than $5.5 million donated in the province: London (2014 – $1.3 million), Ottawa (2017 – $2 million) and Aurora (2019 – $2.45 million).

The 2020 CP Women’s Open will be played on the West Coast, at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, from August 31 – September 6, 2020.

For the second straight year, and sixth time in the last decade, Kathy Ziglo and Ian Larocque are the Saskatchewan mixed team champions.

The Saskatoon pair shot consecutive rounds of three-under par on the weekend to claim the 21^st championship held at Golf Kenosee.

Golf Kenosee member’s Carson Harcourt and Alexandra Demko were right in the hunt shooting four-under on Sunday but couldn’t catch the winners falling two shots back.

Lorie Boyle and Brett Waldenberger and Daryl Donovan and Meghan Betnar tied for the bronze medals at even par for the 36-hole tournament. Shelley Big Eagle and Preston Hutt rounded out the top-five at two-over.

The complete results can be found here.

Alexandra Demko and Carson Harcourt – silver medalists

AURORA, Ont. – Brooke Henderson was off to a rough start at the CP Women’s Open, struggling to read the swirling winds at Magna Golf Club.

She had started the day in a three-way tie for third, just three shots back of second-round leader Nicole Broch Larsen. But after bogeys on Nos. 4 and 6, it seemed like Henderson had played herself out of Canada’s national championship on Saturday and would not be able to defend her crown.

But that all changed with the eighth hole.

“I felt like I was playing decent golf, but it just wasn’t really going my way,” said the 21-year-old Henderson. “Then on the seventh green a little boy gave me a high five and then he continued that the rest of the round.

“He kind of cheered me up a little bit. I think I tried to get back to even on the front nine. Going to the eighth tee I was trying to just make two birdies, get it back to even, and then see if I could go really low on the back.”

Yes, she could.

Henderson fired three-straight birdies after that high five, shooting 9-under par on her last 10 holes. Her 7-under 65 round closed the gap to finish the day just two shots back of co-leaders Broch Larsen and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko.

It was a miraculous comeback after Henderson trailed Broch Larsen by as many as eight shots and had slid back into 20th on the leaderboard.

“I can’t really remember the last time I was in the 20s through nine holes,” said the native of Smiths Falls, Ont. “I think just taking into tomorrow, if I can try to keep this momentum and energy that I had on the last few holes, hopefully maybe hit it a little bit better off the tee, hit it a little closer, and hopefully my putter can bail me out.”

No. 12 was also a key hole for Henderson. After a precise layup got her near the pin she drained a 10-foot putt for an eagle on the 513-yard par 5.

“I was 1 under on the day at that point and I was feeling a lot better about myself than 2 over,” said Henderson. “Once I made that eagle it just gave me a lot of energy and birdied the next two holes, and then just kind of periodically coming in.”

Broch Larsen and Ko were in the final pairing for the day and were focused on their own duel, essentially playing a one-on-one match. Broch Larsen had her third straight 6-under 66 at the tournament and Ko has a 7-under 65 to put them both at 18 under overall, two shots ahead of Henderson.

Although both of them were zeroed in on their own performances, Broch Larsen said they both knew something was up in the group ahead of them, judging purely from crowd reactions.

“We could definitely hear those roars coming in on the back nine,” said Broch Larsen after handing in her scorecard. “Every time they went a little bit louder than normal I knew Brooke made a birdie.

“I don’t know what she’s at but I knew she had a rough start and she had a good back nine, I guess.”

Henderson was the first Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open in 45 years when she triumphed at Wascana Country Club in Regina last year. If Henderson’s victorious on Sunday, she’ll become only the third player in the tournament’s history to win back-to-back titles, joining Lydia Ko (2012, 2013) and Pat Bradley (1985, 1986).

She’s not going to get ahead of herself, though.

“I’m really far from that. It’s going to a long 18 holes,” said Henderson, who will be in the final group with Ko and Broch Larsen on Sunday. “I’m not even in the lead, so it doesn’t really look likely. At the same time, I feel like if I can make a lot birdies and kind of get the momentum my way, you never know what can happen.”

Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay, the other Canadian left in the field, shot a 1-under 71 to improve to 5-under overall.

Tanguay bogeyed the par-4 third hole before picking up birdies on two of her next three holes. She bogeyed the 10th but got the stroke back with a birdie on the 12th hole.

Kathy Ziglo and Ian Larocque are the reigning champions of the mixed team championship and have their eyes on a second consecutive title.

The pair has claimed five of the last nine mixed championships and will look for another win Sunday as they take a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round at Golf Kenosee.

The Saskatoon pair shot three-under par during the first half of the 36-hole event on Saturday and lead Brett Waldenberger and Lorie Boyle who sit at minus-one.

Kenosee player Paul Grimes, along with Arcola’s Bev Grimes are tied in third at even-par with Carson Harcourt and Alexandra Demko, as well as Rick Ledingham and Lisa Richardson.

Day one of the event was delayed by thunderstorms but the full field of 98 golfers got the first-round in. The event is a shotgun start; the round was delayed after most players had completed two holes.

The full results can be seen here.

The teams begin teeing of at 9 a.m. Sunday.

AURORA, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Defending champion Brooke Henderson shot a 3-under-par 69 Friday and heads into the weekend tied for third at the CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club.

Henderson, who is looking for her third LPGA Tour win of 2019, trails Nicole Broch Larsen by just three shots, who leads at 12-under through two rounds.

Larsen has a one-shot lead over world No. 1 Jin Young Ko. Ko already has three victories this season and has a sizable lead in the Rolex Player of the Year race.

Henderson made two birdies on her first nine holes Friday and added another on the back-nine. She didn’t have as clean a day off the tee as Thursday when she shot a 6-under 66 – hitting only eight of 14 fairways.

Winds at Magna Golf Club picked up Friday, but Henderson escaped unscathed with a bogey-free second-round.

“No bogeys is always great, so that’s a good feeling,” said Henderson. “I feel like I played pretty solid. Unfortunately, I didn’t get some of those closer looks for birdie. But, I still feel like I hit a lot of greens and my putting was good enough.”

At 9-under through two rounds, Henderson is tied with China’s Yu Liu and Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn.

On Red & White Day at the CP Women’s Open Henderson – clad in both colours, of course – had a throng of loyal Canadian followers hanging on to her every move at Magna Golf Club. She said the crowd support has been ‘amazing’ so far.

“So many people (here) early in the morning and late at night,” Henderson added. “It’s been awesome. It’s pretty special to have all these people out there following you around and cheering you on. Sometimes you just see a little kid smiling at you and wanting a high-five, and it takes you on out of the moment for a second. I feel like that’s good. Kind of brings you back to real life I guess you could say. They just have so much belief in you and I think that kind of inspires me a little bit.”

Henderson was one of two Canadians to make the cut, as AC Tanguay finished at 4-under and is T-25 heading into the weekend. After a tough stretch to open her round Friday – she went bogey-double-double on holes 4 thru 6 – Tanguay managed to right the ship.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong. It just went wrong. It went south real quick,” she admitted. “But I knew I was hitting it well and really in a good place. I built so much momentum on the back nine and felt so much better over the ball today than yesterday, so I think I’m going to build on that for the weekend.”

Broch Larsen, meanwhile, said she played similarly to Thursday – where she shot another 66.

“I’m not flushing it, but I’m just playing kind of steady and getting away with my bad shots,” she said. “Today I made a couple good putts out there, which helps.”

Broch Larsen, of Denmark, was the 2015 Ladies European Tour Player of the Year. She hasn’t yet won on the LPGA Tour, but did win the 2016 Symetra Tour Championship to earn her LPGA Tour card for 2017.

The last time Larsen held the lead on the LPGA Tour was two years ago at the CP Women’s Open in Ottawa. She said she learned a lot from being in that position then.

“I feel like I’m more confident in this position now than I was two years ago even though I haven’t been here for a while,” she explained. “I’m just trying to play as free as possible.”

Broch Larsen admitted she had a “terrible” warm-up on the driving range Friday, overthinking everything. She said was having trouble finding the right swing, but she wanted to go out and commit to her shots and see where it took her.

Where it took her, through two rounds at the CP Women’s Open, was the top of the leaderboard.

The cut fell at 1-under with 71 players finding the weekend.

12-YEAR-OLD MICHELLE LIU WRAPS UP CP WOMEN’S OPEN DEBUT

Although it wasn’t the LPGA Tour debut Michelle Liu would have wanted score-wise, the experience for the 12-year-old couldn’t have been better.

Liu (81-82) said she had ‘a lot of fun’ being able to tee it up alongside the best in the world. She was grouped with 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Jennifer Kupcho, a tournament Liu said she’d like to try to win one day.

“I think it’s great that I get to play with such great players,” said Liu. “Hopefully, I learn something from them.”

No amateurs, including Liu, made the cut at the CP Women’s Open. American Brianna Navarrosa – the 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion – had the best finish out of the  six amateurs in the field at 3-over par in her first-ever LPGA Tour event.

Liu said the highlight of the week was her walk up the 18th fairway to a chorus of cheers from the legion of fans she made at Magna Golf Club. The biggest challenge, she said, was with her mental game.

“I’m really glad that I’m able to like experience this challenge as an amateur and at such a young age,” Liu said. “I think being able to get this over with and make it an experience – it’ll really help me moving forward and in other tournaments, because now I it’s going to be pretty hard to play in a tournament larger than this one.”

The 2020 CP Women’s Open will be played at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Liu’s home course in Vancouver. She said she’s already got that event circled on her calendar.

But first Liu, who goes into grade eight this September, will be playing a few local tournaments and then she’ll be off on a camping trip before school starts.  And what a good campfire story this week will make.