LPGA TOUR SEASON CONTINUES AT CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN’S OPEN
A star-studded field of the world’s best female golfers descends on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, this week for the 2017 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Ninety of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour money list will take to Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club for the 23rd stop of the 2017 LPGA season.
The field is headlined by World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu, who won the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club, World No. 3 and defending CPWO champion Ariya Jutanugarn and World No. 10 and hometown favorite Brooke Henderson, who is looking for her first title at her national championship. Henderson, who lives some 60 kilometers away in Smiths Falls, leads a 14-strong contingent of Canadian players.
This marks the third time that Canada’s national championship will be played at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. The first came in 1994, when American Martha Nause captured what was then known as the du Maurier Classic for her third LPGA victory and only career major title. In 2008, Katherine Kirk (then playing under her maiden name of Hull) captured her first LPGA title by one stroke over Se Ri Pak. Kirk, a native of Australia who won earlier this season at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, is one of seven past champions in the field, including three-time champion Lydia Ko, who won the 2012 and 2013 titles as an amateur and won most recently in 2015.
This is the LPGA Tour’s second stop in Ontario this season. In June, Jutanugarn won the Manulife LPGA Classic in Hamilton, draining a 25-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat In Gee Chun and Lexi Thompson.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN’S OPEN
- Since 2001, five Americans have won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open a combined six times – Meg Mallon (2002, 2004), Beth Daniel (2003), Cristie Kerr (2006), Michelle Wie (2010) and Brittany Lincicome (2011)
- Jocelyne Bourassa, who won the inaugural playing in 1973, is the only Canadian to win the country’s national championship
- From 1979 to 2000, the tournament was a major on the LPGA Tour and known by a series of names, most famously the du Maurier Classic. Notable winners of this major include World Golf Hall of Fame members Amy Alcott (1979), Pat Bradley (1980, 1985, 1986), Sandra Haynie (1982), Hollis Stacy (1983), Juli Inkster (1984), Laura Davies (1996), Karrie Webb (1999) and Mallon (2000)
- The 2018 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open will be held at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Saskatchewan
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2016 CHAMPION ARIYA JUTANUGARN
- In 19 starts in 2017, Jutanugarn has one win (Manulife LPGA Classic), three runner-up finishes (HSBC Women’s Champions, Bank of Hope Founders Cup, Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play presented by Aeromexico and Delta) and five additional top-10 finishes
- Currently No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and held the No. 1 spot for two weeks in June 2017
- In 2016, she led the LPGA Tour with five wins and recorded 11 additional top-10 finishes
- In 2016, she became the second player to win the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and the LPGA Official Money Title in the same season, joining Lydia Ko (2015)
WHO’S IN THE FIELD
Past Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Winners (8):
Karrie Webb (1999, as the du Maurier Classic), Cristie Kerr (2006), Katherine Kirk (2008), Michelle Wie (2010), Brittany Lincicome (2011), Lydia Ko (2012, 2013, 2015), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016)
2017 LPGA Winners (15):
Brittany Lincicome (Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic), Amy Yang (Honda LPGA Thailand), Inbee Park (HSBC Women’s Champions), Mirim Lee (Kia Classic), So Yeon Ryu (ANA Inspiration, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G), Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey), Haru Nomura (Volunteers of America Texas Shootout presented by JTBC), Sei Young Kim (Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play presented by Aeromexico and Delta), Shanshan Feng (LPGA Volvik Championship), Ariya Jutanugarn (Manulife LPGA Classic), Brooke Henderson (Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give), Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Katherine Kirk (Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic), Sung Hyun Park (U.S. Women’s Open Championship), Mi Hyang Lee (Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open)
Players from Canada (14):
Jennifer Ha, Hannah Hellyer, Brooke Henderson, Augusta James, Lorie Kane, Naomi Ko, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Jaclyn Lee, Brittany Marchand, Samantha Richdale, Alena Sharp, Grace St-Germain, Maddie Szeryk, Anne-Catherine Tanguay
FROM DES MOINES TO OTTAWA – SOLHEIM CUP STARS AT THE CP WOMEN’S OPEN
Last week’s 2017 Solheim Cup captured the attention of the golfing world, as the United States took home a rousing 16.5 to 11.5 victory over Europe. Eighteen of the 24 players who participated in the Solheim Cup are in the field this week in Ottawa:
USA – Paula Creamer, Austin Ernst, Danielle Kang, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Michelle Wie, Angel Yin
Europe – Carlota Ciganda, Charley Hull, Karine Icher, Caroline Masson, Catriona Matthew, Emily K. Pedersen, Mel Reid, Madelene Sagstrom, Jodi Ewart Shadoff
TWENTY-THREE WEEKS INTO THE RACE TO THE CME GLOBE
This week’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is the 22nd event in the season-long Race to the CME Globe. World No. 2 Lexi Thompson currently leads the standings with 2,642 points, followed by World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu (2,587 points) and World No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (2,204 points).
In 2017, the reset points for the Race to the CME Globe will be modified slightly. As a result of these modifications:
- The top five finishers entering Naples will control their own destiny at the CME Group Tour Championship
- If a player in the top five wins in Naples, she will also win the $1M CME Globe
- The top 12 finishers entering Naples will have a mathematical chance to win the $1M CME Globe
- Please note that previously, the top three controlled their destiny and top nine had a mathematical chance
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