Alberta, Canada is the destination this week as the LPGA Tour train rolls into town. Earl Grey GC is the host venue for a milestone 50th anniversary of the CPKC Women’s Open, a trailblazing event in the women’s game. A stacked 156-strong field will tee it up this week to battle for their share of the $2.6 million purse, with Megan Khang defending her crown.
You know, I’ve always loved Canada. For me, I’ve always said it’s like our one unofficial major. The crowds here are always great. We play stellar golf courses,” said Khang, waxing lyrically about her title defence. “When we come play the CPKC Championship, we’re always treated like royalty here. That goes out to the volunteers, staff, the golf courses, everyone involved in making this tournament possible. So not only that, kind of what they also do with the CP Has Heart. And for that, it’s just all the aspects of this tournament, it’ll always have a special place in my heart.”
Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow fly the standard in Canada before heading to Paris with Team Ireland and Le Golf National in search of Olympic glory. Maguire comes into the event after a tumultuous couple of weeks; victory at the Aramco Team Series, followed by a MC at the Evian culminating in a split with her caddie of three years Dermot Byrne. A solid week needed to steady the ship in the Maguire camp.
Maguire’s manager, Mark McDonnell of Modest! Golf Management said, “They’ve had a wonderful, wonderful run together, and they’ve achieved a lot together. It was just time for both of them to start something new.”
Meadow heads to Earl Grey GC after a solid final day at last week’s Dana Open with a T53 under her belt. She too will come into this prestigious event looking to lay a marker down as the season heats up. 500 Race to CME Globe points are on offer this week and with Maguire and Meadow in 35th and 91st spot respectively, the CPKC offers an opportunity to make ground and built a platform heading to the Summer Games.
Six past champions will take part this week including 2022 winner Paula Reto and the formidable three-time champ Lydia Ko. Brooke Henderson will head up the home contingent in Alberta as part of more of a dozen home-turf players in the pack. Earl Grey will set up a challenging par-72 test for the field with a 35-37 split.
Scoring opportunities on the outward nine come in the shape of three par-3s but a par-5 start with another coming on the 4th lurk to keep the players honest. Expect much of the movement to come on the opening nine as the homeward walk, with two par-5s and just the single three will prove a totally different prospect as the players head back to the clubhouse.
Yeah, I’m so excited to be back in Canada and playing in front of the amazing fans and the Brooke Brigade,” local hero Henderson said. “I love seeing the red shirts and seeing everybody out there with all their support and love that they show me every single year. What an amazing opportunity to be back and competing for my national championship.”
All the action kicks off on Thursday with the opening three-ball of Kaitlyn Papp Budde joined by Jiwan Jeon and Annie Park as the pathfinders in match one at 7am in Canada. Megan Khang will begin her title defence in the afternoon groupings in a blockbuster group with Hannah Green and Lexi Thompson. 1.27PM for what will be one of the most followed matches of the day on course.
A back-nine start to the week for Leona Maguire who will have Minjee Lee and Allisen Corpuz for company on her first two days, they kick off at 8.21 in the early groupings. Meadow too has an afternoon tee time and begins on the back nine from 12.47 with Vanessa Borovilos and Jeongeun Lee5 for company.
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