Career-Best Finish for Broch Larsen and More from the Final Round of CP Women's Open

For the second time in three years Nicole Broch Larsen held at least a share of the third-round lead at the CP Women’s Open. On Sunday in Ontario, Broch Larsen posted a career-best runner-up finish, improving on her previous career-best T3 finish at the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

“Obviously I just like it,” Broch Larsen said of playing in Canada. “I feel like both the course in Ottawa and this week is suiting my game really well. I just seem to enjoy it here with all the people. I was a little nervous about playing with Brooke and her million fans today, but we got through it. I just enjoyed it out there.”

The Denmark native held her own and fired a final-round 69 on Sunday going toe-to-toe with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson. In the end, Ko pulled away for a five-shot lead over Broch Larsen, but she said she took away a lot of lessons from the result.

“I felt like I had a really good week shooting 21-under,” Broch Larsen said. “I would take that on any course, I guess. Yeah, she [Jin Young Ko] just played amazing, no mistakes and putted really well. Yeah, she is just world No. 1.”

OH SO CLOSE FOR HENDERSON

When Sunday’s final group teed off, throngs of fans lined the entire hole from tee to green. Leaders Jin Young Ko and Nicole Broch Larsen received polite applause, but the crowds went wild for Canada’s favorite daughter, Brooke Henderson. While the Ontario native was not quite able to successfully defend her 2018 CP Women’s Open title, she has plenty of positive takeaways from her third-place finish.

“It was a really fun week. I feel like I handled it really well,” said Henderson, who shot a final-round 69 to earn the Sandra Post Medal awarded to the tournament’s Low Canadian competitor. “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.”

Henderson had a front-row seat to the masterful round put together by her good friend Jin Young Ko. Earlier in the week, Ko spoke fondly of Henderson, saying Henderson often helped with her Bible studies. Henderson was ultimately happy for her fellow sister of faith and awed by her incredible display of golf.

“We're both out there to do our job, but we respect each other a lot. If I couldn't win, I'm happy she did,” said Henderson. “You can't ask for a better person or a better golfer to win this championship. Yeah, I think just generally it makes it more fun. We're both focused and trying to do what we need to do, but at the same time you can maybe have a few laughs along the way.”

ALTOMARE PLAYS HER WAY ON TO TEAM USA

The stakes at this week’s CP Women’s Open were particularly high for Brittany Altomare. The 28-year-old entered the week in eighth place on the U.S. Solheim Cup points standings with a few players within reach to possibly take that spot out of her hands. Despite the pressure, Altomare closed with a final-round 68 on Sunday to finish T13 and secure her place on Team USA. 

“It's been a little more stressful than normal, but I just knew I had to play well,” she said. “I felt like I've been doing good all year, so I figured if I just keep doing what I'm doing it'll just take care of itself.”

The Massachusetts native will make her Solheim Cup debut in three weeks at Gleneagles in Scotland.

“Just being part of Team USA and representing the United States,” Altomare said on what’s she’s most looking forward to. “I think it's going be super and, I get to have Juli as my captain which is going to be super fun. I'm excited.”

#CPHASHEART BENEFITS SICKKIDS FOUNDATION

Since CP assumed title sponsorship in 2014, the CP Women’s Open has raised $8.5 million in support of children’s heart health. 

The 2019 tournament benefits SickKids Foundation, which raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children, a pediatric teaching hospital in Toronto. The foundation is Canada’s largest funder of child health research, learning and care. The funds raised at the 2019 CP Women’s Open will help SickKids updated a Cardiac Operating Unit at the hospital. Additionally, a donation will be made to the Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Perhaps the most visible charitable portion of the tournament is the Birdies for Heart program. For each birdie made at the par-3 17th hole, CP donated $5,000 to SickKids. Sunday saw seven birdies at No. 17, which translates to $35,000 donated to SickKids. The Thursday donation was $55,000 off 11 birdies, while Friday raised $80,000 off 16 birdies and Saturday raised $45,000 off nine birdies. 

In total, the Birdies for Heart program raised $215,000, while CP donated an overall $2.2 million to SickKids.

For more information, visit cpwomensopen.com/charity-information/

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko (66-67-65-64) 

• Ko’s 262 is the best 72-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; her previous best was 266, which she shot at the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup
• Ko is in her second season on the LPGA Tour; she has five career victories, including the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup, 2019 ANA Inspiration and 2019 Evian Championship
• This is Ko’s 17th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she is the only three-time winner of the season, taking victories at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship
• She is competing in her second CP Women’s Open; she tied for 23rd in 2018
• Ko is the first player of the 2019 season to reach four victories; the last players with at least four wins in a single season were Ariya Jutanugarn (five wins) and Lydia Ko (four wins) in 2016
• Ko went bogey-free over 72 holes at the CP Women’s Open; the last bogey-free winner of a 72-hole event was Inbee Park at the 2015 HSBC Women’s World Championship
• Ko’s last bogey came on the second hole of her third round at the AIG Women’s British Open, a streak of 106 bogey-free holes
• She has been No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings since July 29

CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE –SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE

The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

No holes-in-one were made this week at the CP Women’s Open. There have been 21 made prior to the week and a total of $420,000 has been donated thus far in 2019. 

LEADERS TOP 10 COMPETITION

The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a $100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the event held immediately prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. In the event of a tie in total top-10 finishes, the award will go to the player with the most official wins, followed by most second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc., until the tie is broken.

After her win at the CP Women’s Open, Jin Young Ko took the solo lead with 10 top-10 finishes. Brooke Henderson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Hyo Joo Kim and Nelly Korda are tied for ninth with nine top-10 finishes.