CALGARY – Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) announced today the field of competitors set to challenge for the 2016 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22–28.

The 156 player field competing at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club will feature the entire top 10, 46 of the top 50 and 96 of the top 100 on the LPGA Tour’s Official Money List.

The field also includes 34 Olympians, fresh off their experience in Rio, where women are competing in Olympic golf competition for the first time since 1900.

World No. 1 and three-time champion Lydia Ko will look to defend her CP Women’s Open title against a stellar field of the LPGA’s best, including world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Canada’s own Brooke Henderson, who is currently ranked No 3. in the world.

LPGA stars Stacy Lewis, Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Karrie Webb, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Azahara Munoz, Brittany Lincicome, Shanshan Feng, Na Yeon Choi, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull and Jessica Korda will all challenge the world’s top-3 in Calgary.

“We are thrilled to welcome the world’s best to Calgary for the 2016 CP Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “In addition to welcoming a stellar field, together with our proud partners at CP, we look forward to raising significant charitable dollars in the community through the CP Has Heart campaign supporting a very important cause.”

The Alberta Children’s Hospital is the official charity beneficiary of the 2016 CP Women’s Open. All funds raised through the tournament will support pediatric cardiac care and research at the Hospital.

The field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse as the championship returns to Priddis Greens for the first time since 2009, when Norway’s Suzann Pettersen earned her second-ever LPGA Tour victory. The 2016 winner’s share is $337,500.

“The CP Women’s Open is not only set to feature arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, but also the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf,” added McLaughlin. “Golf fans are sure to be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf.”

Brooke Henderson, a three-time LPGA winner, will be joined by a strong group of Canadian talent. Among those players are fellow Olympian Alena Sharp of Hamilton, 2016 Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductee Lorie Kane, Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

Last week, Golf Canada and CP announced that two Calgary natives, Team Canada Amateur Squad member Jaclyn Lee and newly-turned pro Jennifer Ha, would be receiving exemptions into the field.

In all, 16 Canadians are set to compete at the 2016 CP Women’s Open.
On Monday, August 22, the LPGA Tour will conduct an 18-hole stroke play qualifier at the Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary to determine the final four exemptions directly into the 2016 CP Women’s Open.

A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2016 CP Women’s Open is available by clicking here.

Free Admission for Juniors and First Responders…

Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17-and-under. Parents of juniors can take advantage of discounted tickets by using the promotional code JUNIOR and clicking here.

As a small token of appreciation for all the valued work they do in the communities they serve, we’ve also extended a complimentary invitation to the CP Women’s Open to all Southern Alberta First Responders and their families.

Tickets…

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

CALGARY (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) are pleased to announce the names of 14 players who have received exemptions into the 2016 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22–28 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

Calgary natives Jaclyn Lee and Jennifer Ha will have a home crowd advantage as they compete at the 44th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

Lee, 19, is enjoying a stellar year on the course. The Ohio State University sophomore won the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship, tied for third at the Women’s Porter Cup and finished as a quarter-finalist at the PNGA’s Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ha, 22, is playing her first full year as a professional. She earned her first pro win in April at a National Women’s Golf Association (NWGA) event in Florida. The Kent State graduate won another NWGA title the following month at another event in Florida.

Both Lee and Ha play out of Glencoe Golf & Country Club, which is approximately 40 kilometres north of Priddis Greens.

Naomi Ko of Victoria is also enjoying a banner year. The 19-year-old N.C. State sophomore claimed the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last week in Nova Scotia at the Links at Penn Hills. The CP Women’s Open will be the third LPGA event of 2016 for Ko. In May, she claimed medallist honours at a sectional qualifier to earn entry into the U.S. Women’s Open. A month later she won the Portland Classic Amateur Championship to earn a spot in the Portland Classic, where she would play the weekend after making the cut.

Maddie Szeryk, 20, a dual-citizen of Canada and the United States is currently ranked No. 41 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Szeryk, who plays collegiate golf for Texas A&M, will be competing in her second CP Women’s Open.

Lee, Ko and Szeryk are members of the Team Canada’s National Amateur Team, while Ha is a program alum.

Seven Canadians who primarily compete on the Symetra Tour – the LPGA’s developmental circuit – have also been granted CP Women’s Open exemptions, including Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C.

Other Canadian Symetra Tour players granted exemptions include Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C., Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-sur-le-lac, Que., Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City.

Hannah O’Sullivan, a former World No. 1 now ranked No. 3 in the world, will also be competing in Calgary. The 18-year-old Arizona native competed in both the 2016 U.S. and British Women’s Opens.

The 14 players earning exemptions into the CP Women’s Open will join a world-class field at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club that features the Top-3 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings: No. 1 and three-time champion Lydia Ko; No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand; and No. 3 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.

Other LPGA Tour stars confirmed to compete include international fan favourites Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull, Stephanie Meadow and Morgan Pressel.

The Canucks receiving exemptions will join a Canadian contingent led by Henderson, Canadian Pacific ambassador Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, as well as fellow LPGA Tour players Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.

Sharp and Henderson are representing Canada at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 17-20.

In total, 16 Canadians will compete at Priddis Greens.

“The CP Women’s Open is not only set to feature arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, but also the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf,” said Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “Golf fans are sure to be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf.”

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club for the first time since 2009 and the third time in tournament history.

On Monday, August 22, the LPGA Tour will conduct an 18-hole stroke play qualifier at The Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary to determine the final four exemptions directly into the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Free Admission for Juniors…
Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17-and-under. In addition to free admission for juniors, parents can take advantage of discounted tickets by using the promotional code JUNIOR and clicking here.

Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under                       Free
Early Week (Mon-Wed)                 $10.50
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun)     $31.50
Weekly (Mon-Sun)                            $78.75

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

Calgary – AutoCanada Inc. (TSX:ACQ)  announced today their one-year partnership as an official sponsor of the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

This year’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is set to take place at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary from August 22-28, 2016.

AutoCanada, through the Courtesy Auto Group (Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Courtesy Mitsubishi) and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group (Calgary Hyundai and Crowfoot Hyundai), will be participating on-site throughout the week and will be teaming up with CP for the CP Hole-in-One for Heart activation. Amateur golfers will have the opportunity to shoot for a hole-in-one to take home a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. In addition, Courtesy Auto Group and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group will be showcasing their multiple brands and models with vehicle displays throughout Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

“We are proud to sponsor the 2016 CP Women’s Open and are excited to work alongside Golf Canada at such a fantastic event,” said Tom Orysiuk, President of AutoCanada. “The Courtesy Auto Group and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group have a long-standing commitment to community investment, and partnering with CP for the Hole-in-One for Heart activation is a great opportunity to give back to community in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital.”

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is the official charity beneficiary of the 2016 CP Women’s Open. All funds raised through the tournament will support pediatric cardiac care and research at the Hospital.

“We are grateful to AutoCanada for their support of women’s golf in Canada,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer Gavin Roth. “Their diverse line of quality vehicles will play a key role in ensuring our world-class field gets around Calgary during tournament week.”

They could, in time, wind up being fused forever in our collective imagination. The way Jack and Arnie were. Are.

Or Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Wright. Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. A rivalry to define a generation.

There is that chance. A very real chance. They’re both just teenagers, prodigious toddlers actually, with a big, wide world of golfing nuance yet to explore.

Ko vs. Henderson.

Has a nice ring to it. Looks absolutely smashing up in twinkling lights on a marquee.

In a strong field, Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson are destined to be front and centre at Priddis Greens outside Calgary, Aug. 25-28, when the CP Canadian Women’s Open treks back west. Different storylines for an identical aim.

Ko will be endeavouring to collect her fourth Canadian title in five years, a truly extraordinary accomplishment for anyone, yet someone so young; while Henderson looks to hunt down a first national professional championship and join only Jocelyne Bourassa way back in 1973 as a Canadian winner of our national title.

Given their ages, their abilities and their mutual approach to excellence, golf buffs are anticipating this being a must-watch for the next decade or more.

Great rivalries are healthy for sport.

And if this becomes one, they’ve got one helluva first act to build on: Henderson dropping a 7-iron out of the sky from 155 yards away to within three feet for a tap-in bird and her first LPGA Major title, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club, outside Seattle.

In coming from behind to beat the world’s consensus No. 1, Henderson identified herself as the prime contender to the title.

The best part of all this being the attitude both women bring to the course.

Rivalries need not necessarily be duelling-pistols-at-20-paces. They can also be forged on admiration, common ambition and a may-the-best-player-win attitude.

“She’s one of the nicest girls you’d ever want to meet,’’ enthuses Henderson of Ko. “She’s not out there to beat others, she’s out there to beat the golf course; to be better herself. Which I think it’s an amazing way to look at the game, at competition. I try to do the same thing.”

“Golf is about honestly, perseverance and respect, adds Henderson. “She’s a great example of that. I think it’s really cool. She’s 19. I’m going to be 19. Hopefully we do have that rivalry – if that’s what you want to call it – for the next 10 years, push each other to be better and better. That’s good for us, good for the game.”

“If we had more playoffs like KPMG … even if I was one the losing end of all of those for the next 10 years I think it’d be incredible to be at that level, at her level.”

Henderson’s sister, sometimes caddy and aspiring LPGAer, Brittany, says the atmosphere inside the ropes is no different than it seems from outside.

“Well, we hope it’s going to be like that,’’ she said, smiling. “Not so much a rivalry, exactly. But seeing them playing well week after week, in contention for tournaments. They’re friends. Both so composed. Seem mature way beyond their years.”

“Our dad, I know, was a positive influence on us, taught us about sports and being a good person in general. He deserves a lot of credit for what Brooke has done. Lydia, I think it’s her mom that helps her. So parents should get their due.”

“What both Brooke and Lydia are doing is remarkable. It really is. I don’t know how they’re doing it. I wish someone would’ve told me, let me in on the secret.”

When Ko passed through Calgary earlier in the summer the head-to-head battle at Sahalee had yet to be waged. But she had – and has, no doubt – nothing but positive things to say about Henderson.

“I’ve known Brooke since we were both amateurs,’’ said the two-time major winner. “Obviously she had a great amateur career. I feel like she’s had an even more amazing professional career. She’s doing amazing things for the up-and-coming juniors, for the women’s game and growing the game in Canada.”

“She’s doing fantastic. Putting herself in good positions week in and week out. She’s an impressive player, hits the ball a long way but is also very consistent and one of the best putters out there. So, yeah, I think it’s exciting. I think Canada is going to be very excited for the Olympics. A player like Brooke is going to grow golf in Canada the way Lorie (Kane) did.”

Both women had the opportunity to tour the 6,681-yard, par-72 layout earlier in the summer, Ko during that stopover in early June, Henderson in late July.

“I really like it,’’ adjudged Henderson. “It’s tree-lined, there’s lots of elevation change. More back to the grass I grew up on. The views are phenomenal.

I’m excited to come back here in just a few weeks and play in our national championship. I’m excited for the Canadian fans, too. Over the last couple of years, my fans at this tournament have just continued to grow and the fairways were lined last year, so I’m excited to see what this year holds.’’

The top two female players on the planet. One an adopted citizen of Canada by way of wins and support; the other the genuine article, born and reared in Smiths Falls, Ont.

It quite simply doesn’t get much better than the anticipation the Open at Priddis Greens. A rivalry to define a generation? Like Nancy Lopez and Pat Bradley? Anika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb? Tiger and Lefty?

Well, early indications are that the chance most certainly exists. And time is very much on their side.

Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson.

Their names fused together forever in the collective imagination; both linked to high achievements, low scores and the sight of the two of them walking side by side on late Sunday afternoons, the last ones on course atop the leaderboard as the sun begins to set and the shadows lengthen.

There is a rhythm, a tempo, to the sway of a regal train, particularly one grand enough to have carried Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth and other assorted royalty, dignitaries and celebrities, that the most successful, the most consistent of golfers can appreciate.

“Blue sugar!’’ laughs Lydia Ko, setting eyes on the icing of a mini-cupcake as a small lunch plate of salami, prosciutto and a mini-burger is dropped on the table.

“Where did they get that?”

There’s something comforting, even disarming, in seeing the world’s No. 1 female golfer, winner of 12 LPGA tournaments, including two majors, and over $5.9 million in career prize money, still being able to get charged up over something as you-and-me mundane as a dollop of blue icing.

Just an everyday, ordinary teenager jacked by a sugar overload.

Ko, of course, is anything but ordinary. She is, in actuality, a prodigy, in her field what Mozart was to a fortepiano or Bobby Fischer to a chess board.

The youngest-ever player to win a professional tournament, woman or man [a record since bettered by Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson];

• The youngest-ever Major winner, woman or man;
• The youngest ever to be ranked No. 1;
• The youngest ever to claim the Rolex Award as the LPGA’s player of the year;
• Named one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People for 2014.

Aboard the fabled Royal Canadian Pacific on this day, though, promoting the CP Women’s Open at Priddis Greens Golf Club outside Calgary, August 22^nd to 28^th, she’s not the woman to beat each and every weekend or a role model/idol to a new generation of ball-strikers, but a 19-year-old snapping selfies to post, kibitzing with her mom and sister.

That, too, draws us in.

Ko’s Canadian ties stretch back almost to the beginning. Her family immigrated to New Zealand from Seoul, South Korea when she was six years old. Raised in Albany, N.Z. and now living in North Harbour, the family very nearly relocated to Ontario.

“My sister was studying in Toronto at the time,’’ she’s explaining over the click-clack, click-clack of the Royal Canadian Pacific steaming down the tracks. “Our family was actually planning on moving to Canada but some little issues came up so we ended up going to New Zealand. Maybe that connection of me almost living in Canada might be a little spark that happens (when she plays here).”

“Whenever I come to Canada it feels a lot like New Zealand. Even just driving here this morning, I see these houses and it feels like a neighbourhood in New Zealand. It feels a lot like home. I feel a really huge welcome.”

Someone should really make her an honorary Canadian.

As a 15-year-old amateur Ko gobsmacked the golf world at the Vancouver Golf Club, winning the CN Canadian Open by three shots over Inbee Park. She defended that title, again as an amateur, at the Royal Mayfair in Edmonton a year later, then returning to the scene of her B.C. triumph last fall and chalking up a third, besting American Stacy Lewis in a playoff.

No wonder she’s developed a love-in with this land.

“Coming to play in that first Canadian Open, it was two weeks after I won the U.S. Amateur. As an amateur you always dream of winning that tournament.

“So afterwards I was so emotional, so happy. I think it took me a couple days to settle down a little bit. Christina Kim ran up to me and said ‘Hey, congratulations on the win.’ And that’s when I felt,’ Hey how amazing is this sport?’

“For me that week the goal was just to make the cut. I wasn’t expecting anything else. After two days I put myself in good position, after three days I put myself in a really good position. Then the fourth round was one of the best final rounds I’ve had in my career.’’

For someone so young, the expectations people have for her are mighty; the bar she herself has set, dizzying.

“There is pressure and stress, especially the higher you go,’’ she admits. “But if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. You’ve got to have fun to have a long career. And golf is a sport where you can play for a long time. And there’s so much more than the results and the trophies.”

“To be honest, when I was 15 or 14, I did say ‘Hey, I want to go out on a Friday night and, you know, watch a movie with my friends or have a sleepover.’ Now I’m learning you get these rewards afterwards. After our season finale, I go to Korea. Last year I went on a three-four day trip with my friends. Just us.”

“The younger you are, you’re really in the moment, you want what you want and you want it right then. I still do, but I’m slowly learning that at the end of the season, you can enjoy all these things. Go to concerts, etc., etc. I’m having this experience of a lifetime being here, in Calgary, from a small-town in New Zealand. I’m going all over the world, seeing all these places, meeting all kinds of people.”

That balance, between being a happy teenager and the world’s best at what she does, is a

At 19, most kids are still trying to figure out how to parallel park properly.

“Well, I can’t parallel park, either,’’ Ko admits.

“Being 18 or 19 years old now,’’ says her mom, Tina, “is different than being 18 or 19 when we were, our generation. The (golf) field is getting younger. They develop; grow up, faster and faster, because of technology. Same as when she was 15, I do my job as a mom.”

“She played well in amateurs. She’s used to the attention. But not so many tournaments. I’m trying to get her to skip a tournament. But she says ‘I’m a professional. I can’t take a week off because I’m tired.’

“I don’t know what’s happening inside her but she feels pressure, at almost every tournament. She thinks she has to play well, better, best. I tell her ‘You don’t need to get stressed. Relax.’ But it doesn’t help sometimes.”

Like most kids, Ko loves sports, one of her passions being the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. The night she arrived in Calgary, the Warriors played Game 7 of their semi-final series against Oklahoma.

“On the flight from Minneapolis to here there was no TV. None of those little screens. I was getting excited so I decided to sleep through the last two-and-a-half hour flight. When I got off the plane there was like 14 minutes to go so I was refreshing my Twitter account every single minute.”

“I was getting so nervous. I was trying to refresh, refresh. You’re not allowed to have your phones on around customs but fortunately the game just finished before I got there. What a comeback. For them to be down two and win the next three games. It was a lot of fun just to refresh the Twitter. I think I would’ve gone crazy if I was actually watching it.”

Golf people go crazy watching Lydia Ko. Her poise. Her precision. Her beguiling combination of veteran savvy and teenage exuberance.

Imagine. Already tied with Hall of Famers Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley for most Canadian Open wins in a career. And not yet 20. With the chance to move on top, alone, three weeks into August just outside Calgary.

Lydia Ko may hold a foreign passport and live 13,000 kilometres away, but in a staggeringly short period of time this honorary citizen has written a Canadian sporting history that Pierre Berton would appreciate.

“As I said, playing in Canada is like being home for me,’’ she says. “I feel comfortable here. I feel the support here. Winning this tournament again … it would be … would be …Pretty sweet.”

Every bit as sweet, perhaps, as a dollop of blue icing sugar atop a mini-cupcake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COQUITLAM, BC – Lydia Ko beat one of the strongest fields on the LPGA tour this year to win the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title, but it is British Columbia’s kids that will leave with the biggest prize as CP is donating $1.2 million to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (BCCHF) in support of pediatric cardiac research.

“We are proud to have brought professional golf to the Lower Mainland and we are even prouder to make one of the largest charitable donations on the LPGA tour to this important cause,” said CP President and Chief Operating Officer Keith Creel. “The leading edge cardiology research being conducted at BC Children’s Hospital has the potential to change and even save the lives of children living in BC, and the newly established CP Healthy Hearts Research Fund will ensure these benefits continue long after the end of our tournament.”

The CP Healthy Hearts Research Fund will expand the abilities of BC Children’s cardiology department, specifically by way of research. PhD trained researchers will be hired to lead new studies related to Heart Rhythm Disorders and Congenital Heart and Vascular Health. A predominant focus of the research will also connect the effects of exercise on those with congenital heart disease.

“Congenital heart disease affects one in every 100 children; it’s among the most common congenital anomalies,” said Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, head of Cardiology at BC Children’s Hospital. “As the centre for specialized pediatric cardiology care in British Columbia, BC Children’s Hospital treats infants, children and teens with complex heart problems from all over BC, the Yukon and other Western Canadian provinces. This tremendous support from CP will allow us to continue to provide excellent care to this important population. It will also allow us to improve our care by expanding our research efforts to find even better treatments for these children.”

The final donation total was a result of a number of fundraising initiatives leading up to the conclusion of the golf tournament, including BC Children’s Hospital Miracle Weekend, Grind for Kids and online donation matching.

“Through this tournament and its CP Has Heart initiative, Canadian Pacific has engaged the community to support our hospital’s cardiac programs and research,” said Teri Nicholas, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “It’s an ideal partnership: CP takes care of the country’s major arteries while our cardiac specialists take care of the smallest. We are extremely grateful to CP, Golf Canada, The Vancouver Golf Club and all who contributed to help BC Children’s achieve its vision to provide the best care possible.”

BC Children’s Hospital serves close to one million children living in BC and the Yukon, with the Heart Centre seeing thousands of patients a year. Patients like 17-year-old Samantha Armstrong, the CP Has Heart ambassador for the 2015 CP Women’s Open. On the day she was born, Armstrong was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect. At age nine she had open-heart surgery at BC Children’s Hospital.

“When I was born I had a congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly and I’ve been in treatment with BC Children’s Hospital my whole life. The doctors have counselled me to be stronger and work on my cardio, and this has allowed me to live my life as a normal kid, and not have my heart condition hold me back from anything,” said Armstrong. “CP Has Heart is a really great cause that means so much to me, my family and my friends with heart defects. BC Children’s means our lives, to us.”

CP has extended its commitment as the title sponsor of Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship through 2018 and will continue to give back to host communities throughout the lifetime of the sponsorship. The 2016 CP Women’s Open, to be held in Calgary at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, will benefit Alberta Children’s Hospital’s pediatric cardiac care and research.

“People continue to rally around the CP Has Heart cause and we are delighted with all the fundraising success CP had through this event,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “We look forward to working with CP over the next few years as they continue to leave legacies in the host cities of this world-class event.”

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Lydia Ko and Candie Kung share the 54-hole lead heading into the final round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“Overall I played really solid today, so I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it and the way I’m putting it,” Ko said. “I think every round, unless I shoot 18-under par, I’m probably going to say, hey, I knew it could have been better. But no, I’m playing solid, and that’s the mind-set I’ve got to have and just have fun out there tomorrow.”

Ko recorded four birdies against a lone bogey on 18 to shoot a 69. Kung’s play was more up-and-down with four birdies and three bogeys.

“Feeling pretty good today,” Kung said. “I hit the ball good and it was actually one of the best ball-striking days I had all week. Just missed a couple putts here and there. Those were all wrong reads. But I’m hitting it good, putting it good.”

Ko will be looking to become just the third golfer to win three Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship titles, joining Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley.

Kung, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, is coming off of her best finish of the year with a tie for second at the Cambia Portland Classic last week and will be looking for her first victory since the 2008 Hana Bank-KOLON Championship.

“I’m actually very relaxed,” Kung admitted. “After what I went through last week, I’m actually feeling quite comfortable where I’m at right now.”

Chasing Ko and Kung in the penultimate group will be Alison Lee, who shot a third-round 65 to sit two shots back and Karine Icher who is three back at 9-under.

Alena Sharp remains the top Canadian after a 1-under 71 has her tied for 28^th at 2-under for the championship. The Hamilton native will look to go even lower Sunday.

“I want to go out and have a good Sunday here,” Sharp said. “I didn’t look at the scoreboard out there, but a 67 or 68 tomorrow would be nice.”

Brooke Henderson recovered from a rough start to shoot an even-par round of 72. The 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., missed a short birdie putt on her opening-hole, had a bogey on the second hole, and then hit the water on No. 3 for a double-bogey.

Henderson, who had sister Brittany as her caddie Saturday, settled down with birdies on No. 6 and No. 7. and then put together a string of pars before ending the day with a birdie to get her round back to even-par.

The final-round gets underway Sunday at 8:40 am PT with the final pairing teeing-off at 2:50pm PT. Tickets are still available at the gate and kids 17 and under are free.

COQUITLAM, B.C. – Brooke Henderson struggled with her putting and shot 3-over 75 during Friday’s second round at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

The score left the 17-year-old at 1 over, hovering around the projected cut on the 6,681-yard, par-72 Vancouver Golf Club course.

“It wasn’t a great day out there but I ground it out pretty well,” said the Smiths Falls, Ont., native.

“I just missed some shots. Other than that it could have been good. I hung in there and really played well on the back nine.”

Henderson, who began the day on the 10th tee, had five bogeys, including back-to-back ones on No. 18 and No. 1. After finishing the No. 1 hole she walked off the green before the other two players in her group had finished.

Henderson battled back with a pair of birdies on the front nine. On the last hole of the day she had to chip onto the green, then sink a four-foot putt for par.

“It was a tricky up-and-down,” she said. “I played really smart with that chip and was happy to make that putt.”

It’s been a busy week for the teenager, who was granted her Tour card on Tuesday after becoming the youngest Canadian to win an LPGA or PGA Tour event with her victory last weekend at the Cambia Portland Classic.

Henderson has been dealing with extra media attention, playing before large galleries. When not facing a television camera she’s been surrounded by autograph seekers of all ages.

“It’s been busy,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of attention and a lot of things that I’ve had to do over the last couple of days.

“That is not an excuse for how I played today. Hopefully I will get used to all that attention because hopefully I will be winning more often.”

Henderson fed off the energy of a Canadian crowd that cheered her every shot.

“It’s pretty cool that so many people are watching and wanting me to do so well,” she said. “I think it is a much different atmosphere than if I was playing across the border. It’s the same conditions, just a different crowd.

“It’s fun. I have to really learn to enjoy it and just build off their energy. It is pretty cool that they are cheering for me.”

The win in Portland moved Henderson to No. 17 in the world rankings and boosted her earnings over US$660,000.

The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open has a purse of US$2.25-million, with the winner taking home US$337,500.

The tournament ends Sunday.

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Karine Icher shot a bogey-free 65 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at The Vancouver Golf Club.

“My putting was very good, and I think today I’ve seen the hole bigger than the other days,” Icher said. “So sometimes you have days like that where everything works, so I’m quite happy with this one.”

Icher’s round was keyed by a stretch of six birdies in seven holes from holes 5-11 to move her from 1-under to 7-under.

“When you make some birdies like that in a row, you have more and more confidence and build some confidence through the round,” Icher explained. “Then it’s good for the tournament, for the season, for everything. I mean, it’s always nice to have some rounds like that where you don’t have so much questions. You know the club, you take the club, you hit the shot, and it’s close to the pin.”

Chasing Icher down will be two-time former champion Lydia Ko, who sits two back after an opening round 67, and a group of four players – Danah Bordner, I.K. Kim, Stacy Lewis and Pernilla Lindberg – who are all at 4-under-par.

Ko birdied the final two holes of her opening round to shoot a 5-under 67 to sit two behind the lead at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“Yeah, hopefully that will give me good momentum tomorrow,” Ko said of her strong finish. “But playing in the morning and then afternoon tomorrow there is quite a bit of wait, but I’ve just got to keep the positive attitude going. Hit one shot at a time and just have fun out there.”

Three years ago, Ko burst onto the scene at The Vancouver Golf Club becoming the youngest winner in LPGA history at a mere 15 years, 4 months and 2 days in just her third LPGA event.

“I think the biggest difference is me. I don’t have the glasses, and I feel much older,” Ko said with a smile. “But it’s great to come back to a course where you’ve played well and the spectators have been great and they’ve been supporting me today, even in the practice rounds. It’s definitely a great where you feel really welcome.”

Ko has always felt welcome in Canada and admitted that her and her family nearly moved to area when she was younger.

“I just always feel very welcomed when I come to Canada,” Ko said with a smile. “I feel Canada is quite like New Zealand, so I love coming back here. When I was younger we nearly moved here.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., has been the early talk of the tournament on the heels of her historic victory this past weekend which earned her full membership on the LPGA Tour. Her steady play continued during Thursday’s opening round, firing a 2-under 70 to sit as the low Canadian with a share of 13th position. The 17-year-old admitted it was a special moment to stand on the first tee Thursday as a newly minted member of the LPGA Tour and fan favourite at The Vancouver Golf Club.

“It was cool. It was the first time as an LPGA member, right after the win last week, I really wanted to get another good number today, and 2-under, I’ll take it,” said Henderson. “The course wasn’t easy out there today, though Karine Icher is making it look that way. But I’m excited to get back out at it tomorrow. The crowds were unbelievable, and just to be back home in Canada and playing in front of them was really cool.”

Second-round action gets underway Friday at 7:04 am PT. Tickets are available at the gate and kid’s 17 and under are free.