Alena Sharp isn’t done just yet.

The 44-year-old is playing in her 20th CPKC Women’s Open this week at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. Although Sharp has been through some rough seasons the past couple of years, she feels her time on the LPGA Tour isn’t over.

“I thought maybe this would be my last year. Well, I don’t want to end like this, but I still have a few events left,” she said at a news conference on Wednesday, noting that next year she would qualify for the senior tour. “I want to get better every day. I still love the game. Maybe don’t love the travel as much as I used to because it tires me out more, but I still love to play.

“I think you get a sign and I’m just not ready to go done yet.”

Sharp made her Women’s Open debut 21 years ago at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont., and she still remembers playing a practice round with World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster of the United States and getting to play alongside Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Gail Graham of Vanderhoof, B.C.

“I played the Epson Tour a few week ago and it was an event with the senior tour and Epson,” said Sharp. “Again, played a practice round with Juli Inkster, saw Gail Graham, saw a lot of people that as a rookie I was playing with.

“They looked like they were having fun. Didn’t look as cutthroat, playing 6,000 yards, probably can’t hit driver very much. It’s a nice option to keep things light.”

Although Sharp says she doesn’t really feel her age, being around “all the young kids” on the LPGA Tour sometimes underscores how long she’s been playing. 

There are 16 Canadians in the field at this year’s national open, including 10 amateurs either trying to reach the NCAA or already playing U.S. collegiate golf.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver will be in a group with Sharp on Thursday and Friday. Huang turned pro in January.

Twenty-three-year-old Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is the second-highest ranked Canadian on the LPGA Tour this season. She’s 137th on the tour, behind No. 53 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. 

“I think we’re really lucky with the support we get from Golf Canada,” said Grewal. “We have a great program and I’m excited to see so many up and coming amateurs and young pros now.

“I think Canadian golf is headed in a great direction, so definitely excited to see more Canadians come out and I hope in the future we will have some more girls on the LPGA.”

Sharp, Huang, Grewal and Henderson will be joined by fellow pros Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont.

Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Joline Truong of Mississauga, Calgary’s Tillie Claggett, Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., and Celina Yeo of London, Ont., are also in the field.

Canadians Wang, Yeo and Truong advance from six player playoff

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Maria Fassi, Ruihan Kendria Wang (a), Celina Yeo (a) and Joline Truong (a) earned the final four exemptions into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open through Monday’s Final Qualifier at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Fassi led the field while Wang, Yeo and Truong earned their spots through a playoff, after finishing in a six-way tie for three spots following an even par 71.

Fassi of Pachuca, Mexico shot a 1-under 70 to lead the field and will be competing in her fourth CPKC Women’s Open. This season, Fassi has made seven starts on the LPGA Tour and her best finish was T47 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June.

Wang (a) of Vancouver, B.C. will be making her debut at the CPKC Women’s Open after earning one of the exemptions through a playoff. The 16-year-old Team Canada NextGen member recently finished as runner-up at the 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship last week in Sainte-Marie, Que.

Yeo (a) of London, Ont. will also be making her debut at the CPKC Women’s Open after shooting an even par 71 on Monday. The 16-year-old has had a strong year on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) with four top 20 finishes, including a T2 finish at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship in June.

Truong (a) of Mississauga, Ont. will be entering her sophomore year at Rutgers University this fall. In her freshman year, Truong earned two top 5 finishes, three top 10 finishes and five top 25 finishes in 13 tournaments. She will also be making her first appearance in the CPKC Women’s Open.

Monday’s Final Qualifier saw a field of 40 golfers competing and featured a mixture of professionals and amateurs. For the final standings, please click here.

13-time LPGA Tour winner, Brooke Henderson leads 13-player Canadian contingent competing with world no. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee and defending champion Lauren Coughlin for the 51^st playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open

CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit to kick off tournament week on Tuesday, August 19

CPKC Has Heart campaign to benefit official charity partner MacKids along with community charity beneficiary Trillium Health Partners

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) together with the LPGA Tour have announced the final field of competitors set to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

The list of commitments features a world class field with six of the current top 10 and 19 of the top 25 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings. The field also includes eight of the top 10 and 19 of the top 25 on the 2025 Race to the CME Globe Standings.

Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., will lead a field that includes current world no. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, world no. 2 Nelly Korda, three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion and 2024 Olympic Gold medalist Lydia Ko (world no. 3). Other notables include Minjee Lee (world no. 4), Haeran Ryu (world no. 9) and Hannah Green (world no. 15), along with rising stars Lottie Woad (world no. 19), Lilia Vu (world no. 20) and Rose Zhang (world no. 56). For the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open final field, click here.

The 156-player field will be competing at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club for the first time in tournament history. This marks the 21st time the province of Ontario will host the CPKC Women’s Open and first since 2022. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will become the eighth club to host Golf Canada’s four premier events: CPKC Women’s Open, RBC Canadian Open, Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

The field will be competing for the $2.75 million USD purse with the champion taking home $412,500.

The CPKC Women’s Open through CPKC Has Heart will once again leave a meaningful impact in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. For 2025, CPKC has selected MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for McMaster Children’s Hospital, as the primary charity partner with a goal to raise more than $2.8 million in support of pediatric cardiac care initiatives from newborn to adolescent. In addition, Trillium Health Partners will be the community charity partner with CPKC generously matching donations up to $250,000 in support of Trillium Health Partners cardiac program equipment needs, with up to $500,000 expected to be raised.

“We are very excited to begin play next week with a world class field of talent at the historic Mississaugua Golf and Country Club for one of Canada’s signature women’s sporting events,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “Led by Brooke Henderson and many of the top ranked players in the world, golf fans across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are in for a special championship that will leave a major charitable impact in our host community.”

Last year, CPKC helped raise $4.3 million for heart health with donations of $3.8 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and $507,000 to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. Since 2014, this tournament, which is the marquee event of the CPKC Has Heart community investment program, has helped raise over $23 million in support of children’s heart health in North America.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among eight past CPKC Women’s Open champions competing for Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship including Megan Khang (2023), Paula Reto (2022), Jin Young Ko (2019), Brooke Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) who will be chasing a record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.

Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will welcome 18 LPGA Tour in-year winners and four in-year major championship winners, including A Lim Kim (Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions), Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup), Angel Yin (Honda LPGA Thailand), Lydia Ko (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Rio Takeda (Blue Bay LPGA), Madelene Sagstrom (T-Mobile Match Play), Mao Saigo (The Chevron Championship), Haeran Ryu (Black Desert Championship), Jeeno Thitikul (Mizuho Americas Open), Chisato Iwai (MEXICO Riviera Maya Open), Maja Stark (U.S. Women’s Open), Jennifer Kupcho (ShopRite LPGA Classic), Carlota Ciganda (Meijer LPGA Classic), Minjee Lee (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Somi Lee and Jun Hee Im (Dow Championship), Grace Kim (The Amundi Evian Championship), and Lottie Woad (Women’s Scottish Open).

Henderson, a CPKC Ambassador, made history at the Wascana Country Club in Regina in 2018 becoming the first Canadian since the late Jocelyne Bourassa won Canada’s National Women’s Open 45 years earlier. Henderson will lead a 13-player Canadian contingent, joined by fellow Canadians with LPGA Tour status, Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

As previously announced, Team Canada members receiving exemptions include, Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta., Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C., Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta., Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. In addition, Megha Ganne of Holmdel, N.J. has also accepted an exemption into the field. Ganne won the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur last week at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. Ganne has also competed in five consecutive Augusta National Women’s Amateur’s and was part of Standford’s 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship winning team.

The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will take place on the Treaty 22 territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), on lands that were once home to the Credit River Mission Village. During tournament week, MCFN will share their culture, history, and enduring connection to the land through ceremony, storytelling, and educational elements on-site. This engagement is part of a broader effort to ensure the tournament honours the history of the territory and creates space for learning, reflection, and meaningful community connection.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open is riding continued momentum from being named as the Gold Driver Award recipient for Best Volunteer Appreciation at the LPGA 2024 Gold Driver Awards. In addition, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open was named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year at the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards.

The CPKC Women’s Open also earned the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year award in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023. The 2023 tournament also won additional awards for Best Sponsorship Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Golf Canada and CPKC also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Sponsor Activation in 2019, 2022 and 2023 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Nine members of Team Canada program set to join Brooke Henderson, Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc in 13-player Canadian contingent along with other notable exemptions into the field for Canada’s National Open Championship

CPKC Women’s Open to benefit MacKids through CPKC Has Heart program

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) today announced 13 players that have received exemptions to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Leading the way are nine members of Team Canada, including 15-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. Deng made history last month, becoming the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga. The win was the third of the year for Deng, having previously won two junior titles earlier this season. Deng was victorious at the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open in May where she played alongside then world no. 1, Nelly Korda. Deng will be making her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open and is currently ranked No. 22 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. earned an exemption as the top ranked Canadian on WAGR at No. 17. Kim will compete in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open coming off a strong sophomore season at the University of Texas. Kim captured her second collegiate title at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and earned eight top 10 finishes last season. Kim also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for a second consecutive year, finishing T14 to tie the best-ever Canadian finish at the prestigious championship.

Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. will be competing in her second consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 16-year-old turned professional in January and earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season. Huang has competed in 11 events this season and has earned four top 20 finishes and one additional top 25 finish to date. In 2023, Huang helped Canada win its first-ever World Junior Girls Championship on home soil at Brampton Golf Club, an event where she finished T2 in the individual competition.  

Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. (No. 42 WAGR) will be competing in her third consecutive CPKC Women’s Open. The 19-year-old recently set the record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship last week at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore. Borovilos also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in May. Borovilos recently completed her first year at Texas A&M University, where she earned her first collegiate title at The Chevron Collegiate along with three additional runner-up finishes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The foursome will join several other Team Canada teammates who earned exemptions through the She Plays Golf Championship Series. 14-year-old Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. won the Golf BC Group BC Women’s Open and 16-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., won The Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Both Ding and Liu will be making their first starts in an LPGA Tour event. Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. booked her spot after winning the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. earned an exemption after finishing atop the Order of Merit standings for the three-tournament series. Cranston will be competing in her fourth consecutive CPKC Women’s Open, while Claggett will be making her debut in Mississauga.

Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. recently earned an exemption for winning the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 17-year-old was the only player under par for the tournament and won the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots. Xing will be making her second consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship after earning an exemption through the She Plays Golf Championship Series last year.

The nine members of Team Canada will join previously announced, 13-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. in the field for the CPKC Women’s Open. Additional Canadian LPGA Tour players competing as part of the 13-player Canadian contingent are Mississauga’s own Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

Joining the Canadian contingent is fellow Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship winner, Yurang Li of Fullerton, Calif., who earned an exemption for winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur title in 2024. Li recently transferred to Baylor University ahead of her junior year after spending the previous two years at the University of Illinois. Li will make her first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open.

A trio of international rising stars have also accepted tournament exemptions to compete at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Carla Bernat Escuder of Castellón de la Plana, Spain will be making her professional debut at the CPKC Women’s Open. Escuder won the 2025 ANWA by one shot in her third appearance in the prestigious amateur championship. This season, Escuder has competed in four majors on the LPGA Tour and recently finished T58 at the AIG Women’s Open. She also won five collegiate titles and earned 14 top-fives, and 16 top 10 finishes during her time at Kansas State University.

Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif. will be making her third appearance in tournament history. Davis competed in both the 2022 and 2024 CPKC Women’s Opens and was the low amateur in both tournaments, finishing T39 and T56, respectively. Davis is entering her junior year at Auburn University where she has already won three collegiate tournaments. In addition, Davis won the 2022 ANWA and competed in the 2023 and 2024 tournaments in Augusta, Ga.

Soomin Oh of Ansan, South Korea will also be competing in Mississauga. The 16-year-old earned her exemption after winning the individual title at the 2024 World Junior Girls Championship at the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, right next door to Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga. Oh is currently ranked No. 12 on WAGR and has earned three titles in 2025 after winning five times in 2024. Oh won the Kang Min Koo Cup Korean Women’s Amateur in June for the second straight year and competed in her first ANWA in April.

“We are very proud to add these 13 incredibly talented players into our field for the 51st playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “Our field is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent years and we are excited to offer these Canadian and international rising talents an opportunity to compete alongside the best in the world on the LPGA Tour.”

There are four additional tournament exemptions to be awarded during the CPKC Women’s Open Qualifier on Monday, August 18 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

The CPKC Women’s Open through CPKC Has Heart will once again leave a meaningful impact in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. For 2025, CPKC has selected MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for McMaster Children’s Hospital, as the primary charity partner with a goal to raise more than $2.8 million in support of pediatric cardiac care initiatives from newborn to adolescent. In addition, Trillium Health Partners will be the community charity partner with CPKC generously matching donations up to $250,000 in support of Trillium Health Partners cardiac program equipment needs, with up to $500,000 expected to be raised.

Tickets for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

Picture this: on a bright Sunday at the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, as the final putt drops and the crowd erupts in applause, RCMP Staff Sergeant Carolyn Shaffner stands tall in her red serge, trophy in hand, ready to honour the champion. This moment, set to take place this August, will be more than ceremonial for Shaffner – it will mark a full-circle return to the game that shaped her, a tribute to the sport that taught her patience, perseverance, and purpose.

Born and raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Carolyn’s journey began on the fairways of Ken-Wo Golf Club. Introduced to the game by her father, she quickly found herself immersed in junior tournaments, eventually earning a spot on the provincial team and competing in national championships across Canada. “Golf taught me how to lead,” she reflects. “Even though it’s an individual sport, representing your province with a team of young women… that builds something deeper. It teaches you how to show up for others.”

But Carolyn’s path wasn’t confined to the course. After university, where she played varsity basketball, she took on a grassroots role as a Future Links coordinator with the Nova Scotia Golf Association. Driving across the province, she introduced golf to children who might never have had access to it otherwise. “It was such an incredible experience,” she says. “These kids didn’t have the resources to join a club or take lessons. Being able to give them a taste of the game that gave me so much was powerful.”

That spirit of service eventually led Carolyn to the RCMP. “I’ve always been proud to be Canadian. I wanted to help people and represent my country in a meaningful way.” From rural Newfoundland to Fort McMurray and now London, Ontario, Shaffner’s career has spanned the country. And through it all, the lessons from golf have stayed with her.

“Golf taught me patience — and I needed that,” she laughs. “Especially in this job. You deal with high-pressure situations, and keeping a cool head is everything. I used to be a bit of a firecracker, but golf helped me manage that aspect of myself. It taught me to lead with calm and confidence.”

As a woman in uniform, Shaffner understands the power of representation, not only in the impact she has on others, but in the inspiration she’s drawn from those who came before her. As a young golfer, she looked up to provincial champions like Leanne Jeffcock, and throughout her RCMP career, she’s been mentored by senior female officers who helped shape her path. Now, she finds herself on the other side of that dynamic. Whether mentoring young officers or teaching firearms training, she’s often reminded of that influence: “I’ve had women come up to me and say, ‘I never thought I could do this until I saw you doing it.’ Sometimes, that’s all it takes — seeing someone who looks like you doing something you never imagined for yourself.”

That’s why her role at the CPKC Women’s Open means so much. “I’ll have to try hard not to fangirl,” she jokes. “These women work so hard. They’re not just athletes — they’re trailblazers. When I was growing up, we didn’t see women’s sports on TV. Now, there’s this momentum, and I’m so proud to have a small part in it.”

Shaffner’s message to young girls watching the tournament is rooted in belief and possibility: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Believe in yourself. Set no limits. You never know who might be watching, and who you might inspire just by being you.”

From fairways to the force, Carolyn Shaffner’s story is a testament to the transformative power of sport — and a reminder that leadership, like golf, is built one swing, one step, one act of courage at a time.

—

Witness live history this summer as the best female golfers in the world take on the fairways of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club at the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, August 20–24 in Mississauga, Ont. As part of tournament week, Golf Canada and CPKC will host the eighth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 19, at Toronto’s Boulevard Club — a powerful gathering of leaders and changemakers celebrating the advancement of women in sport, business, and beyond.

For more information, tickets, volunteer opportunities, and corporate hospitality, visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

Katie Cranston also punches her ticket to CPKC Women’s Open through She Plays Golf Order of Merit. 

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Buoyed by a an eight-under 63 in her second round, Team Canada’s Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. finished at 13-under to coast to a seven-stroke victory at the Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. on Thursday to claim the 38th PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and the final event on the She Plays Golf Championship Series 

It was only a matter of time before Claggett – a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. – secured her first victory of the 2025 season after competing for the top spot on the leaderboard numerous times over the last four weeks. Claggett entered this week’s championship with a runner-up finish at the Texas Women’s Amateur Championship in June as well as a semi-final appearance at The Women’s Amateur Championship in Nairn, Scotland that saw her go 4-up on her opponent through 14 holes of match play golf.  

Her play in the second round of the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada on Wednesday helped Claggett break through on home soil and book her spot in next month’s CPKC Women’s Open – awarded to each winner in the She Plays Golf Championship Series.  

Claggett stitched together five birdies and consecutive eagles on Wednesday to move ahead of her Team Canada teammate and first-round leader Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. and manufacture a six-stroke lead for herself atop the leaderboard. Starting her second round one back, Claggett made her move early, playing the first seven holes at four-under par and setting the table for her most dominant stretch of the tournament that featured back-to-back eagles Nos. 11 and 12.  

The Albertan failed to take her foot off the gas on Thursday, finishing her final round with a two-under 69 that included birdies on holes three, 10 and 16 to secure her maiden win of the season. 

Meanwhile, as Claggett put the finishing touches on her final round, fellow Team Canada members, Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont. and Katie Cranston of Oakville Ont. battled for the final available spot in the CPKC Women’s Open – awarded to the highest player on the Order of Merit following the conclusion of all three events on the She Plays Golf Championship Series.  

Cranston entered the tournament leading Gal on the Order of Merit after finishing T2 and T9 in the first two events on the She Plays Golf Championship Series. Cranston fell behind Gal who opened her final round with birdies at the fifth and eighth holes to get to two-under par. Her ascension continued at the scorable par-5 11th hole, rolling in another birdie putt to move into a tie for fifth.  

Shifting to the back nine on Thursday, Cranston was able to regain momentum following the turn with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 14 to get within a shot of Gal and maintain her place atop the standings. Gal finished the tournament T5 at 2-under, while Cranston finished T9 at 1-under to earn the final exemption from the Championship Series following another top 10 finish. 

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the 38th PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, please click here.  

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National women’s Open.  

Team Canada NextGen members, Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. and Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. earned their exemptions into the CPKC Women’s Open through the She Plays Golf Championship Series, winning the Peloton Glencoe Invitational and GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open respectively.  

Joined by Claggett and Cranston, the four members of the Team Canada program will be part of a world-class field set to compete at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. for the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open August 20-24. 

To view more information on the CPKC Women’s Open, click here.  

MISSISSAUGA – James Hutchison is as eager as ever for the spotlight to shine bright on the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

“We know it’s a great club,” Hutchison explains, “and this will cement us as one of the very top clubs in the country.

“Personally, I’m excited for the public in general to see the club the way that we see it every day.”

Hutchison has been at Mississaugua for nearly 10 years and currently acts as the Director of Instruction. With the CPKC Women’s Open just around the corner, there is a palpable buzz amongst both the staff and the membership – and with plenty of big reasons.

The biggest, perhaps, is that when the first ball is in the air in late August, Mississaugua will join an elite group of clubs that have hosted all of Canadian Men’s Amateur, Canadian Women’s Amateur, RBC Canadian Open, and CPKC Women’s Open. With Mississaugua’s inclusion, that number will be just eight.

The latest to join the group was Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in 2023.

Hutchison said it was a “fairly quick” timeline to lock in the LPGA Tour at Mississaugua, which was originally founded in 1906. This will be the first time since 2019 that the championship will be contested in the Greater Toronto Area.

“Hosting this wonderful tournament at our historic club gives us the opportunity to not only showcase our championship golf course but proudly share Mississaugua with the rest of Canada and the world,” said Rodger Leslie, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club President, at the time of the announcement that the club would play host.

“The Members of Mississaugua are thrilled to welcome the very best LPGA Tour players to the Club for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.”

The field is already set to be one of the finest of any event on the LPGA Tour schedule, and Hutchison said the key for a players’ success will be around the greens. Off the tee Mississaugua is fairly generous, he says, but it will come down to ball-striking and who can make putts. If they get the greens rolling fast, he explains, the greens and the green complexes are the challenge of the course.

While the course has hosted the RBC Canadian Open six times previous, the last was in 1974 (won by Bobby Nichols). Sam Snead and Walter Hagen are also past champions. Hutchison says days of hosting the PGA Tour are likely gone, as he knows the club isn’t long enough – nor would it be able to handle “the kind of crowds” the RBC Canadian Open now gets. Total attendance at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley this summer was, for example, upwards of 100,000.

But having the CPKC Women’s Open is “the” event for them to host, Hutchison says.

And he, along with the rest of the team at the iconic club, couldn’t be more excited.

“It’s the top of the top,” Hutchison says. “If we can continue to host this, and the other top amateur events, that would continue to keep us in the conversation as a top club.

“I think everyone is just excited to put the course on showcase.”

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Wearing a blueberry-coloured power suit, Claire Welsh confidently walks to the podium at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and addresses a room of dozens – her first official public appearance as the new tournament director of the CPKC Women’s Open.

There’s confidence and grace. And there’s joy and excitement. The event is set to be big – it’s returning to the Greater Toronto Area for the first time in more than half a decade, and Welsh gets to announce that the game’s top player, Nelly Korda, is returning to the field. The Rink is back, too, and Mississaugua will become one of just a small handful of clubs to host the Canadian Men’s Amateur, Canadian Women’s Amateur, RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open.

It’s all happening. And Welsh is at the helm.

“What a privilege,” she says.

Welsh has made a big-time return to Canada after a decade with the Royal and Ancient, where she served as director of player relations for the R&A, with a focus primarily on the AIG Women’s Open and The Open Championship.

Prior to that, she spent six years working for Golf Ontario.

Golf Canada was, of course, looking for a new tournament director after Ryan Paul moved over to take the reins at the RBC Canadian Open, with Bryan Crawford moving on to become commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League.

Welsh had taken a year off and ended up getting a call from someone at Golf Canada encouraging her to apply for the role.

“My husband and I were travelling, and we weren’t really looking in Canada – we were just trying to figure out what we wanted to do next,” Welsh says. “When I saw the opportunity, I thought, ‘OK, this is something really interesting,’ and it was the catalyst for us moving home.

“That felt like all the cards had fallen into place.”

The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the most impressive sporting event properties in the entire country. It won back-to-back “Tournament of the Year” titles in both 2022 and 2023 at the LPGA Tour’s year-end awards.

At the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards, it was also named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year.

“Coming home to help shape the next chapter of our national women’s open feels incredibly special, especially at a time when women’s sports are experiencing remarkable growth and recognition,” Welsh said at the time of her hiring. “I know how important this historic event is for golf’s top players, and I’ve also seen its ability to inspire communities right across the country.”

Welsh is also aware of how important a north star the event has in Brooke Henderson. Henderson, who won the event in 2018, is also a CPKC ambassador, along with being a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Welsh had some history with Henderson after following her while she was at Golf Ontario. The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., was “teeny tiny” and just following in her sister Brittany Henderson’s footsteps.

“To be around to watch that journey and see her become this incredible woman that she is today – it just feels so amazing that she is the face of the event and being a CPKC ambassador and everything she does with them,” Welsh says. “There’s awe. There’s admiration. And how lucky are we to have such an amazing ambassador for women’s golf in Canada?”

Welsh was also quick to heap praise on Mississaugua. The course will have a modified routing for the tournament as golfers will go from Nos. 1 through 10, and then Nos. 11 through 18, for the split-tee starts, with No. 10 being The Rink hole for 2025.

Welsh had a front-row seat to the importance of venues when she was at the R&A, and how giving women priority for the best venues mattered as they reviewed the championship rota for The Open. When Welsh was at the R&A, the AIG Women’s Open was contested at Royal Troon (2020) and Muirfield (2022) for the first time, for example. The Open Championship also visited Royal Portrush (2019) and Northern Ireland for the first time in more than half a century.

Welsh knows it’s different for the CPKC Women’s Open as it moves across the country, but golf has been her passport to the world, and now she says she’s thrilled with the opportunity to do it at home.

“For me, personally, I’ve seen the world and seen amazing golf courses, but now I get to do it in Canada. I was out in Banff a few weeks ago, and I was like, ‘This is amazing.’ Seeing iconic courses – this is a privilege,” Welsh says. “How cool is this?”

A cool opportunity, and a wonderful return home.

Two-time LPGA major champion Brooke Henderson has some advice for fellow Canadian Savannah Grewal as she prepares for a hometown start at the CPKC Women’s Open: Have fun with it.

The 23-year-old Mississauga native will tee it up at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club when the national women’s championship comes to town next month.

Henderson knows the pressure of playing close to home, having twice competed in the national women’s championship at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, about an hour from her hometown of Smiths Falls, Ont.

“She’s a great player and she has been playing well on tour,” Henderson said Monday at a press conference to promote the 51st edition of the CPKC Women’s Open, Aug. 21-24. “It will be fun for her.

“But it is really different playing at this tournament so close to home. I was about an hour away, and Savannah will be even closer. But it’s such an amazing opportunity to have your friends and family out there, to feel the crowd and the energy as the hometown person. It’s really, really special.”

The 27-year-old Henderson claimed the 2018 CPKC Women’s Open, the first Canadian to accomplish the feat since Jocelyne Bourassa won in 1973. 

Henderson’s results at Ottawa Hunt were mixed, with a tie for 12th in 2017 and a tie for 49th in 2022.

“(Playing at home) definitely comes with you wanting to perform well, there’s a little bit extra pressure and things like that. But if (Grewal) can really soak it in, really enjoy the moment, and focus on what she’s really trying to accomplish, I think that’ll help.”

Grewal, 23, is in her second season on the LPGA Tour. She’s currently ranked 289th in the world, while Henderson has slipped to No. 44 after years as a perennial top-10 performer.

Henderson has made the cut in 10 of 14 events this season, with just one top-10 finish — back in early April — and hasn’t won since January 2023.

She’s also still adjusting to life after eye surgery last fall. Henderson now wears contact lenses instead of glasses on the course.

The 13-time LPGA Tour winner has 83 career top-10 finishes but has slipped to 57th on the LPGA money list.

She hopes to save her season with significant results at the final two majors of the season in the next five weeks at the Evian Championship in Switzerland and AIG Women’s Open in Wales.

Henderson also has her past experiences in Canada to look forward to next month.

“That trophy is special to hold, and I’d like to do it again,” the three-time Canadian Olympian said.

Golf Canada also announced that world No. 1 Nelly Korda will be part of the tournament field, as will three-time champion Lydia Ko.

Ko and Henderson performed and won this event as teenagers. There will be two Canadian teenagers making their LPGA debuts in Clara Ding, 14, of White Rock, B.C., and Shauna Liu, 16, of Maple Ont.

The two youngsters won She Plays Golf Championship series events to qualify.

Mississaugua will become the 17th course to host both the men’s and women’s Canadian Opens, having staged the men’s championship six times.

Like the RBC Canadian Open, there will be a hockey-themed rink-hole. Will Henderson dare to wear an Ottawa Senators jersey to show her colours?

“I might sneak it in,” she said.

Jeeno Thitikul, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang and defending champion Lauren Coughlin join Henderson, Korda and Ko in the field for the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

CPKC Has Heart campaign to benefit official charity partner MacKids along with community charity beneficiary Trillium Health Partners

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Golf Canada and the LPGA Tour today announced the early commitments scheduled to compete in the 51st playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, August 20-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

The list of early commitments features six of the current top 10 and 15 of the top 25 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings. The field also includes six of the top 10, 15 of the top 25 and 66 of the top 100 players on the 2025 Race to the CME Globe Standings. The final field will be announced on Friday, August 15.

Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., will lead a field of 156 golfers that includes current world no. 1 Nelly Korda, three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion and 2024 Olympic Gold medalist Lydia Ko (world no. 3), and current leader in the Race to the CME Globe, Jeeno Thitikul (world no. 2). Other notables include Ruoning Yin (world no. 4), Haeran Ryu (world no. 5) and Hannah Green (world no. 8), along with rising stars Lilia Vu (world no. 11) and Rose Zhang (world no. 44). Minjee Lee (world no. 24) has also committed to compete in Mississauga. Lee recently won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, earning her 11th career win and third major championship.

The CPKC Women’s Open through CPKC Has Heart will once again leave a meaningful impact in the host community of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. For 2025, CPKC has selected MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for MacMaster Children’s Hospital, as the primary charity partner with a goal to raise more than $2.8 million in support of pediatric cardiac care initiatives from newborn to adolescent. In addition, Trillium Health Partners will be the community charity partner with CPKC generously matching donations up to $250,000 in support of Trillium Health Partners cardiac program equipment needs, with up to $500,000 expected to be raised.

“The growth and impact of this incredible event, which continues to attract the world’s top golfers, is undeniable,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President & Chief Executive Officer. “Our ultimate goal with the CPKC Women’s Open has been, and always will be, to help the youngest hearts across Canada. We are excited for the community to come together to raise millions of dollars for MacKids.”

Last year, CPKC helped raise $4.3 million for heart health with donations of $3.8 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and $507,000 to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. Since 2014, this tournament, which is the marquee event of the CPKC Has Heart community investment program, has helped raise over $23 million in support of children’s heart health in North America.

Defending champion Lauren Coughlin is among six past CPKC Women’s Open champions competing for Canada’s Women’s National Open Championship including Megan Khang (2023), Jin Young Ko (2019), Brooke Henderson (2018), Brittany Lincicome (2011) and Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) who will be chasing a record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.

Mississaugua Golf and Country Club will welcome eight LPGA Tour in-year winners, including Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup), Lydia Ko (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Madelene Sagstrom (T-Mobile Match Play), Haeran Ryu (Black Desert Championship), Jeeno Thitikul (Mizuho Americas Open), Jennifer Kupcho (ShopRite LPGA Classic), Carlota Ciganda (Meijer LPGA Classic) and Minjee Lee (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship).

Henderson, a CPKC Ambassador, made history at the Wascana Country Club in Regina in 2018 becoming the first Canadian since the late Jocelyne Bourassa won Canada’s National Women’s Open 45 years earlier. Henderson will be joined by fellow Canadians with LPGA Tour status, Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

In addition, an important pathway to the CPKC Women’s Open is through the She Plays Golf Championship Series, a three-stop circuit that offers competitive opportunities for elite Canadian players with exemptions into the tournament available. Two Team Canada athletes have claimed the first two exemptions as 14-year-old Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. won the Golf BC Group BC Women’s Open and 16-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., won The Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Both Ding and Liu will be making their first starts in an LPGA tour event. The final stop in the series will take place at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Burlington Golf and Country Club, July 7-10. One additional exemption will be awarded to the player ranked highest on the order of merit for the series, if not already qualified. For more information, click here.

“We are excited to announce the early commitments led by Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko for the 51st playing of our National Women’s Open Championship. The CPKC Women’s Open draws one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour and we look forward to watching these incredible athletes compete in Mississauga,” said Claire Welsh, Tournament Director, CPKC Women’s Open. “We have welcomed nearly 1,000 volunteer registrations, highlighting the excitement to be part of this special tournament. The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the top yearly women’s sporting events in Canada and fans are in store for a very memorable week this August.”

The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will take place on the Treaty 22 territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), on lands that were once home to the Credit River Mission Village. During tournament week, MCFN will share their culture, history, and enduring connection to the land through ceremony, storytelling, and educational elements on-site. This engagement is part of a broader effort to ensure the tournament honours the history of the territory and creates space for learning, reflection, and meaningful community connection.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open is riding continued momentum from being named as the Gold Driver Award recipient for Best Volunteer Appreciation at the LPGA 2024 Gold Driver Awards. In addition, the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open was named Sport Tourism Canada’s International Sport Event of the Year at the 2025 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards.

The CPKC Women’s Open also earned the LPGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year award in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023. The 2023 tournament also won additional awards for Best Sponsorship Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Golf Canada and CPKC also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Sponsor Activation in 2019, 2022 and 2023 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the eighth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership summit on Tuesday, August 19 as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open. The summit will be held at the Boulevard Club in Toronto, Ont., and be hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton. The day will bring together like-minded business leaders from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. For more information, click here.

HALL OF FAME DAY SET FOR TUESDAY OF TOURNAMENT WEEK
Golf Canada will host Hall of Fame Day on Tuesday, August 19. Accomplished amateur golfer, Richard Scott, former professional golfer Jerry Anderson (posthumous) and renowned course architect Charles Blair Macdonald (posthumous) will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. For more information on the honoured members, click here. In addition, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. will be inducted into Golf Ontario’s Hall of Fame during the ceremony after previously being announced in March.

“THE RINK” HOLE AND THE FARE WAY FEATURING THE KEG FAN EXPERIENCE RETURNS

Fans of all ages will once again be able to experience the week-long celebration of golf highlighted by The Rink on the 10th hole at Mississaugua, and a variety of food and patio experiences in The Fare Way featuring the Keg.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE

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.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE

Experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.