Brooke Henderson has won on the LPGA Tour 14 times but winning the CPKC Women’s Open a second time is on another level for her.

Henderson shot a 4-under 67 to pull ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee by a stroke in Sunday’s final round to win the Canadian national women’s golf championship. The win ended a drought that spanned more than two years, adding extra lustre to the title for Henderson.

“This one I think might be the longest in between victories, so for that reason it makes it super special,” said Henderson. “To be able to win the Canadian Open, the CPKC Women’s Open, for the second time is so special.”

Henderson also won the Women’s Open in 2018 at Wascana Country Club in Regina. That made her the first Canadian in 45 years — since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1973 — to win the national championship.

She’s now accomplished the feat twice in seven years.

It also added another win to her career tally, already the most by a Canadian professional golfer.

“This week was beyond special. To be able to finish it off and hoist the trophy again is extremely cool. It feels super surreal still,” said Henderson. “When I won in 2018, I woke up Monday morning thinking I still had to play the final round, so I’m wondering if that nightmare will happen again tomorrow.”

Henderson and Lee finished Saturday’s third round tied for first at 11 under, three strokes ahead of the field. 

Between Henderson’s popularity in Canada and Lee’s star quality — she has 11 LPGA Tour wins in her career, including this year’s Women’s PGA Championship — the tournament’s final pairing had massive crowds following them around the river-valley course.

“Today was really tough actually because there was just so many people,” said Lee, who had a 3-under 68 round to move up to second in the LPGA Tour’s points list. “I was very mentally strong today and I just tried to focus on, obviously, myself and the things that I could do to get the score lower.

“That’s pretty much what I did and what I tried to focus on. I think overall I did a fairly good job.”

Henderson’s last win was the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. She said that although she always put a positive spin on her victory drought, she still had her doubts.

“There were some dark times, for sure. I feel like my family was so supportive and just said to keep going, just keep working hard, it’ll come around,” said Henderson, whose sister Brittany Sepanik is her caddie and her father Dave Henderson is her coach. “I’ve been telling everybody for like a long time, it’s close, it’s close, it’s close. 

“To finally break through again is just so exciting.”

Those struggles saw Henderson sink to 53rd on the Race to CME Globe points list and 58th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She’s projected to move up to 26th on the LPGA Tour’s points list, putting her in a position to join the World Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in late October and play in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in late November.

“I’m excited for the rest of the season. I’m excited for what’s coming next,” said Henderson. “I’m super pumped about International Crown, and with this win I think I’ll guarantee my spot into the CME, which was a little bit in jeopardy before this.”

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, who had four LPGA Tour wins in her Canadian Golf Hall of Fame career, was at both of Henderson’s Women’s Open wins. She said that she hoped Canadians would give the 27-year-old Henderson more recognition for what she’s accomplished.

“I thought back automatically to 2018, when we’d been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for years, and that was surreal,” said Kane, standing greenside as Henderson submitted her scorecard. “This is now 14 wins. The first 13, we haven’t given this kid enough credit for.

“I certainly hope that this is something that keeps people talking about how good she is, rather than what’s wrong.”

Fifteen-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary had a 2-over 73 round to finish in a tie for 20th as the tournament’s low amateur.

Aphrodite Deng almost stole the show at her first-ever CPKC Women’s Open.

The 15-year-old from Calgary shot a 2-over 73 in the fourth round to finish 4-under overall as the low amateur at the Canadian national women’s championship. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., won the title on Sunday, but Deng was in contention to start the day in a four-way tie for seventh.

At one point in the third round, Henderson and Deng were first and second on the leaderboard.

“That was really amazing,” said Deng of keeping pace with the best women’s golfers in the world. “I wasn’t really expecting anything coming into this week.

“I was just trying to make the cut, for it to end up like this is really cool.”

It’s the latest accolade in an eventful summer for the high school student, who became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on July 19. That victory helped earn her an exemption into the Women’s Open at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Deng will continue to play in junior tournaments to close out the competitive golf season and, of course, return to school.

She said the highlight of the Women’s Open was all the cheers she heard from Canadian fans during the week, especially as she walked up the fairway to the 18th green in Sunday’s final round.

“It’s so nice to know that I have so many people supporting me,” said Deng. “It was really cool.”

Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said he was impressed with her composure throughout the week, especially when she bounced back from tough stretches on the course.

“She showed that on this big of a stage, she’s got the game to be right there,” said MacDonald by the 18th green after Deng finished her round. “I think that’s going to give her a lot of momentum going forward, just being in the last few groups on a Sunday.

“It’s just great experience.”

Matt Sim, a seven-time club champion at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and former collegiate player at the University of Waterloo, was Deng’s caddie for the tournament.

“It was unbelievable what she can do and how she gets the ball around this golf course,” said Sim, who only met Deng on Monday. “Her game is absolutely unbelievable, and it’s going to take her to the next level.

“No question what she’s done this year and what she did this week is just a statement of what junior golfers can do.”

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 3-under 68 to move 17 spots up the leaderboard to tie with Deng and six others at 20th. The solid performance will move Leblanc up the Race to the CME Globe points list to 141st.

Epson Tour rookie Monet Chun (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 36th at 2-under overall.

Amateur Katie Cranston (74) of Oakville, Ont., finished in a tie for 71st in her fourth Women’s Open appearance and the first time she made the cut at the national championship. She’ll return to Auburn University’s Tigers this week to start her senior year.

Brooke Henderson knew she had something when she stepped into a greenside bunker on the 17th hole of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Henderson lined up her shot and made the perfect out, softly bouncing it a few feet away from the hole and then watching it roll into the cup for eagle, another clip for her highlight reel, and the lead at the CPKC Women’s Open.

“Before I got into the bunker I was thinking, ‘I can make this. It’s very makable,'” said Henderson after her round. “I was really happy with where the tee shot ended up and had a really good line in the bunker.

“I knew I had to hit it soft because it was really fast. It was nice to land it right where I wanted to and see it go in.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., and Australia’s Minjee Lee finished Saturday’s third round as the new co-leaders at the Women’s Open, the Canadian women’s golf championship. Henderson fired a 6-under 65 and Lee caught up to her with a 5-under 66 for them to sit at 11-under overall, three shots clear of the field.

That creates a top-tier final pairing on Sunday, with a total of 24 LPGA Tour titles between Henderson and Lee.

“I love playing with Minjee,” said Henderson. “She has an amazing presence on course, she is like very calm and relaxed and I feel like it’s a great pairing for the final round.”

Lee said she was prepared for the experience of playing alongside Henderson in Canada, as the winningest pro golfer in Canadian history has thousands of fans trail her around the course.

“Oh, my God, countless times. I’ve played with her a lot. I know what to expect,” laughed Lee.

Japan’s Akie Iwai led the only LPGA Tour event in Canada for two rounds but stumbled to a 1-over 72 on Saturday to drop into a tie for third with world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand. Thitikul had a 2-under 69 day to sit at 8-under overall.

Henderson has 13 wins on the LPGA Tour, including the 2018 Women’s Open, where she emerged victorious at the Wascana Country Club in Regina. That made her the first Canadian in 45 years — since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1973 — to win the national championship.

“Winning in 2018 was a huge career highlight. It meant so much to me, it was so special,” said Henderson. “To be in a position to possibly have that opportunity again is really, really cool.

“I’m still a really long way from that. There are so many top players near the top of the leaderboard and still 18 holes to play.”

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary moved up to the top 10, shooting a 3-under 68 to sit in a group tied for seventh at 6-under overall.

“Today was pretty solid,” said Deng. “Just like whenever I hit it out of position I tried to get it back into position. My putting was pretty good.”

The CPKC Women’s Open — a women’s golf major until 2001 — regularly draws some of the largest crowds on the LPGA Tour. Although Henderson always has the largest gallery in Canada, the fans also respect and support some of the bigger names in the field like Lee.

“It’s really nice to see the lovely crowds,” said Lee, noting she drew loud cheers when she made a difficult par on No. 18. “I think we always get really great support from the Canadian people, and they just love the LPGA and love to support Brooke and the women’s game.”

Henderson, however, hopes to draw energy from the spectators as she makes the final push for her 14th title.

“The crowds have been so phenomenal all week, and today starting out on the first tee because I was near the final groups, it was really exciting and a lot of energy,” said Henderson, who has not won since the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. “I feel like I was playing pretty well today, so the crowd continued to grow and grow.

“It was fun to give them some things to cheer about. That’s always one of the goals.”

A last minute call and the chance to bet on herself is paying off for Monet Chun.

Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is in the midst of her rookie season on the second-tier Epson Tour and had planned to play in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan., this week. But a phone call on Sunday inviting her to play in the CPKC Women’s Open, the Canadian women’s golf championship, near her hometown at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club was an opportunity she just couldn’t miss.

“I was pretty committed to Kansas because I wasn’t going to make my flight for the Monday qualifier, but I just really enjoy the CPKC a lot,” said Chun, who had family and friends following her around the course wearing “Team Monet” shirts.

“I wanted to come home, especially for being on the road for so long, so little parts of everything.”

The 24-year-old Chun has been a model of consistency on the Epson Tour this season. She’s made the cut 13 times at the 16 events she’s played in, with a tie for 11th at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship on July 10 her best showing.

Chun is ranked 64th on the circuit’s points list, earning a total of US$21,000 this season. Playing for a share of the purse at the Women’s Open, a minimum winnings of $4,953, could be lucrative for her.

“I’ve been making a lot of cuts on Epson, but I would say the financial part is hard out there,” said Chun, who like all professional golfers is responsible for her own travel and accommodation when on the road. “Being out here and having a good week will definitely help.”

Chun had a 1-over 72 on Saturday to sit at even par after three rounds in a tie for 46th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 6-under 65 to share the lead with Australia’s Minjee Lee. They were at 11 under, three shots clear of the field.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary shot a 3-under 68 to crack the top 10, sitting in four-way tie for seventh at 6 under.

“It’s been incredible with all the people out here supporting me and it’s been really fun,” she said after submitting her score.

Henderson and Deng were briefly Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the leaderboard. Deng said it would have been really cool to have an all-Canadian final pairing at the national championship.

She said that she had a simple plan for the fourth round of her first professional tournament.

“Play my own game and play to my standards,” said Deng.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc (70) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied for 37th at 1 under and amateur Katie Cranston (75) of Oakville, Ont., was tied for 69th at 4 over.

Akie Iwai took a three-stroke lead into the weekend in the CPKC Women’s Open in her bid to win for the second straight week.

Iwai followed her opening 7-under 64 with a 69 on Friday to get to 9-under 133 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

The 23-year-old Japanese player won the Portland Classic on Sunday to join twin sister Chisato as a rookie LPGA Tour champion. She’s trying to keep it simple and not get ahead of herself.

“No change mind. No change swing. Just focus my golf,” she said.

Jeeno Thitikul, the Thai star making her first start since taking the No. 1 spot in the world from Nelly Korda, had a 70 for a share of second place with Minjee Lee (67) and Leona Maguire (70).

Slumping Canadian star Brooke Henderson rebounded from an opening 71 with a 66 to get to 5 under. The 2018 champion won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in January 2023.

“I’m right there,” Henderson said. “Just got to keep going, put two more solid rounds together.”

She played alongside Thitikul and Lottie Woad, the Women’s Scottish Open winner who shot 75-69 to miss the cut by a stroke. Defending champion Lauren Coughlin also dropped out, shooting 74-70. She won last year in Calgary.

Akie Iwai, a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour, is playing in Canada for the first time. On Friday on the tree-lined course, she played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. She birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 17th on the second nine.

“Today, also I gave many birdie chances, but I just didn’t get,” she said. “I left putts short.”

Chisato Iwai, the winner at Mayakoba in May in Mexico, also missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 75 and 69.

Korda was 4 under after her second 69. She had a double bogey on the par-3 third.

Aphrodite Deng, the 15-year-old Canadian amateur who was tied for second after an opening 66, shot 73 to drop into a tie for 15th at 3 under.

A cluster of friends and family started cheering for Katie Cranston as she walked out of the scorers’ room in the clubhouse of the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and up to the spectators’ area.

The 21-year-old from Oakville, Ont., had done it: she made the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Cranston, who begins her senior year at Auburn University next week, shot back-to-back even-par 71s in the first two rounds of the Canadian national women’s golf championship to become one of five Canadians to see the weekend. Making the cut on Friday ended years of frustration for Cranston.

“I’m very happy because it’s my fourth time playing, and last year I definitely was closer, so I’m just really excited to get the chance to just go play free on the weekend,” said Cranston, who missed the cut by two shots at last year’s Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. “Being so close to home and having so many people come out, it’s so much fun.”

Cranston birdied on No. 12 to get to even par on Friday, but then bogeyed on the par-4 16th hole to move up to 1 over. Around the same time, the projected cut line moved from 1 over to even par, putting her in danger of missing the cut. 

She recovered with a birdie on the par-4 17th hole and parred No. 18 to finish her day.

“I had no idea. I kind of thought in my head it would be 1 over,” said Cranston, covering her mouth in surprise at how close she had been to not playing the third round. “Once I made that birdie, I felt pretty good. I definitely left myself a bit of a tester on 18, too.”

As the afternoon wave went out on the course the projected line again moved to 1 over, giving Cranston a bit of a buffer. Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s women’s head coach, said that Cranston had grown as a player.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve seen out of Katie this year, in general, is a lot of maturity,” said Mussani, who was in the group of friends and family waiting for Cranston outside the clubhouse. “You could see in the last two days that she’s in control of what’s going on here. Nothing really got away from her. She managed her emotions. 

“She bogeyed 16 today, followed it up with the birdie on 17. She went from plus 1 back to even, and then hit a great shot into 18 and gave herself an opportunity.”

There were 16 Canadians in the field, 10 of whom were amateurs and six of those players were juniors. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian after shooting a 5-under 66 on Friday to rocket 33 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth at 5-under overall, four shots back of leader Akie Iwai of Japan.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng, from Calgary, shot a 2-over 73 to drop into a tie for 15th at 3-under overall. Monet Chun (68) of Richmond Hill, Ont., was tied for 29th at 1 under. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (68) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied with Cranston for 49th at even par.

Mussani said having five Canadians make the cut was a sign that women’s golf in the country is in a very healthy spot.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls coming up the pipeline, which is obviously exciting for me, because they’ll eventually get to our program,” said Mussani. “Whether it’s (the growth of recreational golf during the COVID-19 pandemic), or it’s Brooke Henderson, or just participation in women’s sports in general, it’s exciting for us.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Vancouver’s Anna Huang and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., didn’t make the third round.

Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Calgary’s Tillie Claggett, Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill and Joline Truong of Mississauga also missed the cut.

Even Brooke Henderson, the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history, can still learn on the job.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., climbed 33 spots up the leaderboard on Friday at the CPKC Women’s Open, shooting a 5-under 66 to sit in a tie for fifth at 5 under after two rounds.

It’s not the first time Henderson has put together a solid second round at the Canadian national women’s golf championship and she’s beginning to see a pattern.

“Getting used to the crowd and the fans and the energy and learning the golf course a little bit more, just getting a little bit more comfortable with myself,” said Henderson on what was working for her at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. “I also think I had to go low today to get away from the cut line, so that was a big goal of mine was to shoot minus-5 and I was able to do that, which is cool.

“I just wanted to get away from the cut line as fast as I could and I’m in a good spot.”

Japan’s Akie Iwai was the second-round leader, building a three-stroke lead over the pack after she had a solid 2-under 69 round to improve to 9 under.

Despite her sizable lead, Iwai felt she let some scoring chances slip between her fingers.

“I had many birdie chances, but I just didn’t get any,” said Iwai. “I left many short putts, no distance, short. That’s why tomorrow I need more.”

Australia’s Minjee Lee (66), Ireland’s Leona Maguire (70) and world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul (70) shared second at 6-under overall.

Henderson and her group at 5-under was next on the leaderboard.

“Any time you can see your name near the top of the leaderboard it’s always a great feeling,” said Henderson. “I’m so excited to be playing the weekend in front of these amazing fans, and just hopefully I can give them some more to cheer about tomorrow.”

Lee said that having to chase a player like Iwai — who won her first-ever LPGA Tour title on Sunday at the Standard Portland Classic — changes her mindset.

“When you have the lead, I’m sure you’ll be in like a really good condition and you’ll be hitting it well. But I do think you feel like you need to keep the lead more than when you’re chasing,” said Lee, an 11-time LPGA Tour champion. “You can kind of be a little more aggressive and you’re trying to chase and make as many birdies as possible.”

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, a 15-year-old amateur, was the low Canadian after Thursday’s first round. She shot a 2-over 73 on Friday to drop into a tie for 15th at 3 under.

“She’s been playing amazing. I don’t know if she needs any advice from me,” said Henderson, who won her first LPGA Tour event when she was 17. “It’s cool she’s playing so well and just to see her name up there yesterday it was like, ‘oh, I need to get playing better here.’

“I am looking forward to seeing what she does the next couple days.”

Mississauga – Akie Iwai was right back on top of the leaderboard in the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday, four days after her breakthrough victory in the Portland Classic.

Iwai closed her afternoon round at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club with birdies on the par-4 eighth and ninth holes for a 7-under 64 and a two-stroke lead.

“Last week I won, but already it’s in the past, already past,” Iwai said.

Fifteen-year-old Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng was tied for second with top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, Leona Maguire, Gaby Lopez and 2023 winner Megan Khang.

On Sunday in Oregon, Iwai joined twin sister Chisato as a rookie LPGA Tour winner. The 23-year-old Japanese player had second-place finishes in Thailand in February and Los Angeles in April, then watched her sister win at Mayakoba in May in Mexico.

She’s playing in Canada for first time.

“Really beautiful course,” said Akie Iwai, a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour. “Looks like something similar in Japan course.”

Chisato Iwai bogeyed Nos. 8 and 9 to shoot 75.

Deng was born in Calgary, Alberta, and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her father’s work. She mostly lives now in Orlando, Florida, but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

“Just trying to hit each shot and play in the fairway,” Deng said.

Thitikul played her first round since taking the top spot in the world from Nelly Korda.

“I think just like another day at work for me,” Thitikul said.

Korda opened with a 69.

Slumping Canadian star Brooke Henderson had four birdies and four bogeys in a 71. The 2018 champion won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in January 2023.

“Just grateful we were able to get it back to even,” Henderson said.

She played alongside Thitikul and Women’s Scottish Open winner Lottie Woad, who shot 75.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin had a 74. She won last year in Calgary.

Aphrodite Deng leaned on a club, cooly crossing a leg at the ankle as she stood on the 18th fairway of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, waiting her turn to shoot with all the confidence of a seasoned LPGA Tour pro.

As soon as Deng was up, she strode directly to the ball, set her feet, and connected on her approach shot, seemingly with no doubt about her club selection or her target.

It’s hard to believe that the Canadian amateur is just 15 years old.

Her score in the first round of the CPKC Women’s Open was also hard to believe, as she finished her round tied for the clubhouse lead with Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and Megan Khang of the United States at 5-under 66. Japan’s Akie Iwai took over the lead with a mistake-free 7-under round in the afternoon, with world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Ireland’s Leona Maguire tying Deng, Lopez and Khang two shots back.

Even Deng’s answers when asked about her demeanour on the course give off a sense of effortless cool.

“I’m trying to hit each shot and play in the fairway,” she said after submitting her scorecard. “I don’t really like playing slow because then I think too much.”

Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

For most of her first round at the Canadian national women’s championship Deng was alone atop the leaderboard until Khang and Lopez caught up to her in their final holes. Although a little nervous about doing media on live TV, Deng was nonchalant about leading a professional golf tournament.

“I did look at the leaderboard a few times, yeah,” she said. “I thought it was pretty cool, but I just knew I had to keep the same game plan.”

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said that Deng’s quick pace and unperturbed style of play is typical for her.

“No matter how big the event is, she just handles herself the same way over and over again,” he said. “Doesn’t change anything, doesn’t make too too much of the moment.

“And with the quickness, she just gets that decision her head, and she knows what she wants to do, and she’s committed to the shots. I think it’s an asset to her.”

Deng’s strong showing in Thursday’s opening round put her in the spotlight but she’s actually just a part of Golf Canada’s youth movement. There are 16 Canadians in the field at the Women’s Open, 10 of them are amateurs and six of those amateurs are juniors.

Lauren Kim, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Texas, was the second lowest Canadian on Thursday. The Surrey, B.C., native shot a 1-under 70 to sit in a tie for 21st.

“It’s quite inspiring, honestly. Just looking at it from an outsider’s perspective, I think it’s amazing that we have so many young amateurs coming out,” said Kim who said she felt old compared to some of the amateurs competing at Mississauga. “I think that the future is looking really bright for Canada.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian golfer on the LPGA Tour, sitting 53rd on the points list and 58th in the world heading into this week’s women’s national championship. She had an even-par 71 to sit in a tie for 39th with, among others, amateur Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont.

A golfing prodigy who won her first LPGA Tour event as a 17-year-old, Henderson’s 13 victories are the most for any Canadian professional golfer. She was also impressed by Deng’s performance.

“She’s been playing well all summer, so it’s pretty cool to see, especially on a big stage like this,” said Henderson after her round. “Just keep it going and ride the momentum.”

Amateurs Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., and Calgary’s Tillie Claggett as well as 16-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, who turned pro in January, were tied for 65th at 1 over.

Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and amateur Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., were tied for 87th at 2 over.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., as well as amateurs Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto and Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., were tied for 110th at 3 over.

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., as well as amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill and Joline Truong of Mississauga were tied for 131st at 4 over.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 156th at 11 over.

MISSISSAUGA – Brooke Henderson has played in more than a dozen CPKC Women’s Open tournaments, winning the national women’s golf championship in 2018. And she’s loved every moment. 

But as Henderson has struggled on the LPGA Tour this season, she’s gone back to old video of herself playing in previous national championships to recapture her mojo.

“Just trying to get some motivation and try to lean back on some things that I’ve learned over the years just to see the progress that I’ve made, and it’s pretty cool,” said Henderson in the media centre at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. “I played in this event a lot and I’ve had a lot of success, winning in 2018 and multiple Top 10s, even when I was young to make the cut was super cool.

“Just trying to think back to what was going through my mind when I was answering those questions back then or out there playing. (…) There are so many cool things that have happened at this event, so just trying to take positive energy from that and use it this week.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is the winningest player in Canadian golf history, taking 13 titles on the LPGA Tour including two majors. She peaked at No. 6 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. 

As the biggest name in Canadian golf and a returning champion, Henderson is the face of the CPKC Women’s Open.

But she’s also in the midst of her most frustrating season as a professional golfer, where she has made 12 of 17 cuts but only reached the top 10 of a leaderboard once. Although still the top-ranked Canadian on the women’s rankings, she’s sunk down to 58th.

“I think just getting four solid rounds of golf together in a row is really key. Just being a little bit more consistent, said Henderson, who tied for 23rd at last week’s Standard Portland Classic. “For a while the ball striking was a bit of an issue. I feel like we worked diligently on that and it’s back to a better spot.

“So just piecing everything together. Golf is hard and I found that out more recently than I ever have. Just trying to take it day by day, figuring it out.”

The level of competition on the LPGA Tour hasn’t made it easy for Henderson, either.

“The golf has just gotten so much better. Everyone is getting so good,” said world No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States. “If you just look at the teams that the girls have around themselves, they’re investing so much into themselves, their game, everything, so they can compete week in, week out at their best ability.”

Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul leapfrogged Korda in the rankings on Aug. 4 to become the world’s top golfer. She agreed that the LPGA Tour has never been more competitive.

“I would say it’s so hard, especially this year,” said Thitikul. “All the winners are different faces. I don’t think any players have got multiple wins yet this year.

“I think the group of people that have the talent and potential to win is bigger and bigger.”

Although no longer a major — the Women’s Open lost that honour in 2001 — the Canadian women’s championship remains one of toughest fields on tour. Six of the current top 10 and 19 of the top 25 players on the world rankings are in the field.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among eight past winners in Canada, along with Megan Khang (2023), Paula Reto (2022), Jin Young Ko (2019), Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012).

Last year’s two-stroke victory at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary was the first LPGA Tour win of Coughlin’s career and she said on Wednesday it continues to shape her as a player.

“I think it gave me the confidence that I could get it done when I needed to, that I could hit shots, make putts when I needed to coming down the stretch,” said Coughlin, who followed that up with a win at the Scottish Open last season. “I think I just learned I don’t need to do anything other than being myself out there and have a lot of fun and be really relaxed. 

“If I can do that, I can contend.”