Canadian teenagers closed in on leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan at the start of the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday. Yamashita shot a season-best 62 at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, putting her one stroke ahead of Nasa Hataoka from Japan and two strokes ahead of Kiara Romero from the United States. Vancouver’s Anna Huang, 17, and amateur Michelle Xing, 18, from Richmond Hill, Ont., were tied for fourth place at 5-under-par 65, three shots behind the leader along with China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida.
Yamashita, 25, who won the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan in June, scored eight birdies during the round. She expressed satisfaction with her putting performance, stating, “It’s been a while since I finished the first round in good position. My putting was really nice, so I felt really good.”
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., aiming for her third victory in the tournament, finished at 3 under, ending her round with a birdie. Henderson commented, “I feel it was very important and it felt great. I really wanted it. I hit it really hard. I’m glad I hit the hole, but to see it go in was really nice.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda from the United States also finished at 3 under. Both Huang and Xing were in a good position to qualify for the cut on Friday for the first time in their careers after two attempts each. Huang, who secured victories in four European Tour events in the past 11 months, expressed confidence, saying, “Definitely making the cut would be a really big goal for me, and then hopefully some good weekend golf.”
Xing, who received a sponsor’s exemption to participate, shared her excitement, stating, “As an amateur, like that’s one of my biggest goals, is to make the cut at an LPGA event, especially when it’s in Canada. It would mean a whole lot.”
The first round took place under mostly cloudy skies and a temperature of 24°C, with occasional clouds of insect repellent due to Edmonton’s heavy rainfall since June. The city’s mosquito population had surged, causing discomfort for players and caddies. Many players wore long sleeves and pants to protect themselves from insect bites.
Henderson showcased a strong performance, birdieing three consecutive holes on the back nine after starting at even par. Despite facing challenges with the rough, she managed to bounce back quickly after making bogeys. Henderson emphasized the importance of hitting fairways due to the challenging rough conditions on the course.
Young amateur Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., made an impressive debut with a score of 68, while tour veteran Maude-Aimee Leblanc from Sherbrooke, Que., finished at 2 under. Other Canadian amateurs also put up competitive performances in the opening round.
