CP Women's Open Round 3 Notes and Interviews

HENDERSON IN PRIME POSITION TO CAPTURE HER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE CP WOMEN’S OPEN

Canadian phenom Brooke Henderson heads to Sunday’s final round of the CP Women’s Open with history on the line. Henderson carded a 2-under 70 on Saturday and holds a one-stroke lead over teenagers Nasa Hataoka and Angel Yin. If Henderson can take the win on Sunday, she would become the first Canadian winner of this tournament since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973

“I'm definitely in a good position heading into the final round, which is very exciting,” said Henderson, whose quiet smile was magnified by the hordes of Canadian golf fans lining Wascana Country Club on Saturday. “I feel like these crowds this week have been totally amazing, and I've been playing well for them, so I'm happy about that.”

Defending champion Sung Hyun Park sits in solo fourth, hoping to become the first repeat CP Women’s Open winner since Lydia Ko in 2012 and 2013.

WITH A WIN…

• Brooke Henderson would be the first Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973
• Henderson would earn her second win of 2018, joining the LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey
• Henderson would earn her seventh LPGA victory and move just one win shy of tying Sandra Post for the most victories by a Canadian player in LPGA history
• Nasa Hataoka would be the first Japanese winner in the history of the CP Women’s Open
• Hataoka would earn her second career LPGA victory, joining the 2018 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by Hershey
• Hataoka would become the first Japanese player to win multiple events in a single season since Haru Nomura in 2016
• Angel Yin would become the eighth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2018 season
• At age 19, Yin would join Hataoka as teenaged winners in 2018; the last time more than one teenager won on the LPGA Tour was 2016, when Lydia Ko, Henderson and Minjee Lee all won as teens
• Sung Hyun Park would join Lydia Ko (2012, 2013) and Pat Bradley (1985, 1986) in successfully defending their CP Women’s Open titles
• Park would earn her sixth LPGA victory and fourth of the 2018 season, joining the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Indy Women in Tech Championship driven by Group 1001
• After winning last week’s Indy Women in Tech Championship, Park would become the first player to win consecutive events since Shanshan Feng won the 2017 TOTO Japan Classic and the 2017 Blue Bay LPGA

HATAOKA ORBITS THE LEAD

Nasa Hataoka posted a 3-under 69 in Saturday’s third round and heads into the final round tied for second, one stroke behind Canadian leader Brooke Henderson. On Saturday, the 19-year-old from Japan, who is making her CP Women’s Open debut, inched up the leaderboard two spots with six birdies against three bogeys, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens.

“Arkansas was only a three-day tournament, so hopefully I can win a four-day tournament next,” said Hataoka, who took her first LPGA win nine weeks ago at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. “I'm playing better day by day, so I want to go out there [tomorrow] with that confidence.”

Searching for her second career victory, Hataoka would become the first CP Women’s Open champion from Japan.

SUNDAY TEE TIMES PUSHED UP DUE TO WEATHER

With the forecast of rain and possible thunderstorms Sunday afternoon combined with the concern of course conditions, the final round will be played in threesomes off the first and 10th tees starting at 7 a.m. The final group of Brooke Henderson, Nasa Hataoka and Angel Yin will tee off the first tee at 9:01 a.m.

ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD GOLF RANKINGS PROJECTIONS UPDATE

Ariya Jutanugarn has a mathematical chance to overtake Rolex Rankings World No. 1 Sung Hyun Park with a finish of 24th or better at the CP Women’s Open. If Jutanugarn wins, she is projected to become No. 1 again regardless of where Park finishes. If Jutanugarn finishes second, she would need Park to finish third or worse. Jutanugarn can finish as low as 24th and regain the No. 1 status, depending on where Park finishes.

After 54 holes, Park sits in fourth at -13, while Jutanugarn is in a tie for 12th at -9.

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 14 Brooke Henderson (66-66-70—202, -14)

• Henderson is competing in her seven CP Women’s Open; she has a best finish of T12 in 2017, where she had a third-round 63
• Her 54-hole score of 206 is the lowest of her CP Women’s Open appearances, besting the 206 she shot in 2017
• Through 54 holes, she has hit 30 of 42 fairways and 40 of 54 greens
• Through 54 holes, she leads the field with 19 birdies
• This is Henderson’s 21st event of the 2018 season; she won the LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey and has seven other top-10 finishes
• Henderson has six career victories, including one major (2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship)
• Henderson is trying to become just the second Canadian winner of the CP Women’s Open; Jocelyne Bourassa won the tournament in 1973 when it was the La Canadienne

Rolex Rankings No. 15 Nasa Hataoka (64-70-69—203, -13)

• Hataoka is playing in her first CP Women’s Open
• Through 54 holes, she has hit 30 of 42 fairways and 40 of 54 greens
• This is Hataoka’s 19th event of the 2018 season; she took victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and has six other top-10 finishes

Rolex Rankings No. 44 Angel Yin (65-67-71—203, -13)

• Yin is competing in her third CP Women’s Open; she finished T22 in 2017 and missed the cut in 2016
• Her 54-hole score of 203 is the third-lowest of her LPGA career; she shot a 199 at the 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup and a 202 at last week’s Indy Women in Tech Championship driven by Group 1001
• Through 54 holes, she has hit 30 of 42 fairways and 41 of 54 greens
• This is Yin’s 20th event of the 2018 season; she has three top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship
• Yin is looking for her first LPGA victory

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Sung Hyun Park (70-64-70—204, -12)

QUICK HITS

• After 54 holes, leader Brooke Henderson is the low Canadian at -14; the low Canadian player after 72 holes will win the Sandra Post Award
• As the only amateur to make the cut, reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Yealimi Noh will win the Marlene Streit Award
• The third round saw 11 sub-par scores (all birdies) at No. 17, which amounts to $55,000 raised on Saturday and $355,000 overall for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital via the CP Birdies for Heart program, which donates $5,000 per sub-par score