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.

Sandra Williams and Kathi McDougall are the champions of the 49^th Rosebowl held this week in Moose Jaw at the Lynbrook Golf and Country Club.

The Katepwa Beach Golf Club players won the two ball – better ball format event with a 36-hole score of 28-under, 118.

The pair finished three strokes ahead of previous multi-time winners Cheryl Lawrence and Linda Sokul of Wynyard. Last year’s champions, Marie Wachno and Sheila Popowich, also of Wynyard finished in third at 24-under par.

Four other teams tied for fourth at minus-23.

The complete results can be found here.

18 teams took part in the two-day event that is open for players with a minimum combined handicap of 33. No individual can have a handicap lower than 16.5.

The 50^th Rosebowl will take place next year at the Katepwa Beach Golf Club. Dates are tentatively set for Aug. 12 and 13.

Cheryl Lawrence and Linda Sokul – silver medal winners

Marie Wachno and Sheila Popowich – bronze medal winners

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – Top amateur golfers over the age of 25 will gather Aug. 20-23 for the 33rd playing of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship taking place at Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Joseph Deraney of Belden, Miss., captured the title in 2018, becoming only the second non-Canadian to win the championship. Deraney started the final day in sixth position, but a remarkable round of 65 earned him the championship. The 36-year-old is returning to defend his title in 2019.

Deraney and Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., headline a full field of 156 competitors who will take to the fairways of Summit Golf Club. Rank recently won the prestigious Western Amateur and is a three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, having won the tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He’s also a NHL referee and former Team Canada member.

Rank and Deraney are among the five former champions competing in the event, along with Dave Bunker of Brampton, Ont. (2008-10), Rob Couture of Dallas, Tx. (2011) and Todd Fanning of Winnipeg (2017).

“We are thrilled to bring this talented field to Summit Golf Club,” said Akash Patel, the Tournament Director and Rules and Competitions Coordinator with Golf Canada. “The Mid-Amateur is a great opportunity for Canadian amateurs to find success and compete on a national stage. This beautiful course is in great condition and sure to draw out some exciting competition.”

The first round will take place Tuesday, Aug. 20 and the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the final two rounds.

The championship was first contested in 1987 and includes a Mid-Master competition for players over the age of 40 that runs concurrently with the tournament. Todd Fanning of Winnipeg defended his Canadian Men’s Mid-Master title in 2018.

An inter-provincial team competition for the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy is held over the first 36 holes. Team Ontario is aiming for its fifth consecutive inter-provincial team victory. The trio of Rank, Bunker and Toronto native Patrick Forbes won with a score of 8 under. Team British Columbia finished runner-up at 2 over.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2019 champion will receive an exemption into the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

Founded in 1912, Summit Golf Club was partially designed by famed golf course architect Stanley Thompson. The 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will be the fourth Golf Canada championship conducted at Summit Golf Club, along with the 1970 Canadian Junior Girls, the 1973 Canadian Men’s Amateur and the 1999 Canadian Men’s Senior Championships.

“We are truly honoured to host the prestigious Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Summit Golf Club,” said Director of Golf and General Manager Ian Leggatt. “We look forward to challenging this strong field with our historic golf course, in addition to showcasing the beautiful city of Richmond Hill and all it has to offer.”

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee times is available here.

NOTABLES

Garrett Rank, Elmira, Ont.
Rank won the 2019 Western Amateur in early August, becoming the first Canadian since 1977 to capture the prestigious championship. The current NHL referee is a three-time winner of the event, but hasn’t had his named etched on the trophy since 2016. Rank represented Canada at the 2018 World Amateur Championship and the 31-year-old’s older brother, Kyle, is also in the field.

Joseph Deraney, Belden, Miss.
The defending champion is looking to become the seventh golfer to win back-to-back Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateurs. Deraney has won two tournaments in 2019 – the Mississippi State Amateur Championship and the Greenwood Invitational. As the 2018 champion, Deraney earned an exemption to the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, missing the cut.

Dave Bunker, Brampton, Ont.
A three-time winner of the event from 2008-2010, Bunker is looking to rebound after missing the cut in 2018. The 54-year-old has played well in 2019, earning two top-10 results at the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship and the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship.

Todd Fanning, Winnipeg
Fanning has claimed the Mid-Master competition two years in a row, winning both the Mid-Master and Mid-Amateur in 2017. He played the RBC Canadian Open as a 50-year-old in 2018 – the fifth time he played the tournament and his first appearance in 16 years.

Rob Couture, Dallas
The former champion has played four tournaments thus far in 2019, with his best result being an eighth-place finish at the North Texas Mid-Amateur Championship – a tournament he has won on three occasions. Couture was the first non-Canadian to win the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur when he did so in 2011.

FAST FACTS

The Championship was first contested in 1987 and was originally known as the RCGA Pre-Seniors Championship before it was renamed to its current name in 1989.

The inter-provincial team championship for the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy was first conducted in 1992 and is played concurrently over the first two rounds of stroke play.

Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. and Stu Hamilton of Brampton, Ont. captured 11 of the first 20 championships played. Cooke was the inaugural champion in 1987 and has the most event wins with seven.

The defending champion is Joseph Deraney, who won the title by posting a final round of 65.

Three players have won the event three times in a row: Garrett Rank, Dave Bunker and Graham Cooke – no one has won it four straight years.

The format changed from match to stroke play in 2006, with the Mid-Master category introduced for golfers over the age of 40.

In 2018, Team Ontario won the inter-provincial R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fourth straight year.

Saskatchewan will have two golfers play all four rounds at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in Osoyoos, B.C.

Regina’s Debra Duncan and Jo-Anne Schiller of Lloydminster stayed under the cut line with solid second rounds on Monday at the national event. Duncan, who calls the Wascana Country Club home in the Queen City, followed her opening round of plus-eight with an 10-over, 82. She sits in a tie for 32nd at 18-over.

Schiller improved significantly during the second round, the Lloydminster Golf and Country Club member fired a plus-eight, 80 to come in at plus-26, Schiller is tied for 69th.

Kathy Hopfner of Swift Current was just on the outside of the cut, she ended the event tied for 72nd at 27-over par.

As a team Saskatchewan finished in eighth place overall at 41-over par.

Australia’s Sue Wooster is the tournament leader two-under par.

All the results can be found here.

Debra Duncan was convinced by a young Saskatchewan champion to enter the provincial senior women’s championship a couple weeks ago, now the Regina golfer is just outside the top 20 at the national event.

The Wascana Country Club member fired an opening round of eight-over, 81 at the Osoyoos Golf Club in British Columbia on Sunday. She sits in a tie for 21^st at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. 2019 Saskatchewan junior champion and fellow Wascana member Autumn Neiszner urged Duncan to enter the provincial event where she placed in a tie for fourth.

Swift Current’s Kathy Hopfner is at the event as well, she carded a first-round score of plus-15, 88. Hopfner, who plays out of the Elmwood Golf and Country Club is tied for 79^th.

Three-time Saskatchewan senior women’s champion Jo-Anne Schiller of Lloydminster is tied for 96^th at 18-over, 91.

American Amy Ellertson and Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. are tied for the lead after round one at one-under par. They were the lone competitors to finish the round under par.

Round two gets underway at 8:30 a.m. Saskatchewan time Monday. Duncan begins her round at 3:09 p.m. local time. Hopfner is group behind at 3:20 p.m. Schiller tees of at 2:58 p.m.

The results can be seen here.