Ten members of Team Canada program set to join defending champion Brooke Henderson in 15 player Canadian contingent along with other notable exemptions in the field for the
2026 CPKC Women’s Open
EDMONTON, Alta. – Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), announced today 14 players that have received exemptions to compete in the 52nd playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 19-23 at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta.
Leading the way are 10 members of Team Canada, including Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., who will compete in her fourth consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. Kim is currently ranked no. 16 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Kim had a strong junior year at the University of Texas, earning six top 10s including one runner-up finish to add to her previous two collegiate titles. Kim competed in two majors on the LPGA Tour this season including the U.S. Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship where she finished 64th. Last month, Kim narrowly missed out on her second Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, finishing as runner-up.
Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. will also compete in her fourth consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. Borovilos is currently ranked no. 17 on the WAGR and in April finished T11 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, setting a new record for best finish by a Canadian. Borovilos had a successful sophomore season at Texas A&M University, where she won her second career collegiate title at the Moon Golf Invitational in February and added a pair of runner-up finishes at the 22nd “Mo” Morial and the SEC Women’s Golf Championship.
Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. will be making her debut at the CPKC Women’s Open. Last month, Lin became the second consecutive Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship after Aphrodite Deng became the first to win the title last year. Her win also marked the first time in USGA history that back-to-back champions have come from Canada in any championship. Lin earned medalist honours and entered match play as the No. 1 seed and defeated Amelie Zalsman 5 and 4 after 32 holes in the final. Lin, currently ranked no. 56 on WAGR, has earned two additional runner-up finishes and a top 10 this season on the AJGA.
Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. will be making her second consecutive start at the CPKC Women’s Open. The two-time Canadian Junior Girls champion will be competing in her fourth professional championship in Edmonton having competed at The Chevron Championship as well as the Golfjoy Women’s Open and Moutai Singapore Ladies Masters earlier this year. Liu is currently ranked no. 58 on WAGR and is looking to become the fourth player in history to win three consecutive Canadian Junior Girls Championships this week at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (Heathlands Course) in Caledon, Ont.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. will be making her 21st start at the CPKC Women’s Open. In October, Sharp will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, honouring her contributions to Canadian golf for more than three decades. Sharp has competed in close to 400 LPGA Tour events since making her debut on Tour in 2005, earning 16 top 10’s and 68 top 25 finishes. Her top finish at the CPKC Women’s Open came in 2016 where she finished fourth. In addition, Sharp has earned two career wins on the Epson Tour, the first in 2014 at Visit Mesa Gateway Classic and again in 2023 at the Champions Fore Change Invitational. Sharp has represented Canada throughout her career including appearances at three consecutive Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024). She also earned the bronze medal for Canada at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
They will join four additional members of Team Canada who earned their exemptions through the She Plays Golf Championship Series, presented by Audi. Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. won the GOLFBC Group BC Women’s Open and will be making her second appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open. Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. won the Peloton Glencoe Invitational and will be making her fifth consecutive appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open, with her best finish coming last year in Mississauga, when she finished T71. It marks the second consecutive year for Claggett and the third for Cranston to have earned exemptions through the She Plays Golf Championship Series, presented by Audi. Joining them is Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. who won the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and will be making her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open. Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont. finished atop the season long Order of Merit standings for the She Plays Golf Championship Series, presented by Audi to earn her exemption. Zaretsky will be making her third appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open having previously competed in 2022 where she finished 75th and in 2023.
As previously announced, Aphrodite Deng (Calgary, Alta.) and Anna Huang (Vancouver, B.C.) have also earned exemptions into the field. Last year at the CPKC Women’s Open, the then 15-year-old Team Canada – NextGen member, Deng won the Marlene Stewart Streit medal for finishing as the low amateur in a tie for 20th. Deng also won the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and the Mizuho Americas Open, which she successfully defended this May to earn back-to-back titles. Huang is currently in her second season competing on the Ladies European Tour, where she has won four titles since turning professional last year at the age of 16. Huang won the Lacoste Ladies Open de France and the La Sella Open in her first season and added the Lalla Meryem Cup this May in Morocco. This past weekend, Huang won her fourth LET title at the PIF London Championship with an eagle on the final hole to close the wire-to-wire win.
The 10 members of Team Canada will join 14-time LPGA Tour winner and defending champion, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., along with fellow LPGA Tour players Leah John of Vancouver, B.C., Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., totalling 15 Canadians currently set to compete.
Joining the Canadian contingent is 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship winner, Rina Kawasaki of Tokyo, Japan (now residing in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.). The 16-year-old secured the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup last month at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont. by four shots over 2023 champion, Lauren Kim. Kawasaki, currently ranked no. 127 on WAGR will make her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open.
Veronika Kedroňová of Roznov pod Radhostem, Czechia earned her exemption after winning the women’s individual title at the inaugural Women’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational last September. Kedroňová recently completed her junior year at Kent State University and represented her home country at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships. Kedroňová is currently ranked no. 43 on WAGR and finished T6 at the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship last month. She will be making her CPKC Women’s Open debut in Edmonton.
Charlotte Naughton of Morpeth, Northumberland, England will also be competing in Edmonton. The 18-year-old earned her exemption after winning the individual title at the 2025 World Junior Girls Championship. Naughton, currently ranked no. 55 on WAGR, won the 2026 Europeans Ladies Amateur in Sweden last month and will be attending the University of Texas in September. Naughton will also be making her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open this year.
“We are proud to announce these deserving exemptions into the field for the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, bringing together 15 Canadians in total currently set to compete at Royal Mayfair Golf Club,” said Brian Newton, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “Highlighted by a soon-to-be Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and several members of our Team Canada program, we are excited to see the field really take shape for what promises to be another special chapter in the celebrated history of the CPKC Women’s Open.”
There are four additional exemptions to be awarded by Golf Canada and CPKC during the CPKC Women’s Open Qualifier on Monday, August 17 at Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club in Edmonton, Alta.
As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under. General admission tickets provide access to the golf course and enjoy fan activations throughout the property and experience the thrill of major professional golf.
For information about tickets, corporate hospitality or volunteer opportunities, please visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.