Canadian teenagers were in close pursuit of leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan following the first round of the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday. Yamashita carded a remarkable 62 at the 6,452-yard Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, holding a one-shot lead over Nasa Hataoka from Japan and a two-shot lead over Kiara Romero from the United States. Vancouver’s Anna Huang, 17, and 18-year-old amateur Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., were tied for fourth place at 5-under-par 65, three shots off the lead alongside China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida.
Yamashita, aged 25, who clinched victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan in June, showcased an impressive performance with eight birdies. Expressing her satisfaction, she mentioned, “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., finished the day at 3 under, closing with a birdie as she aims for her third win at her home LPGA tournament.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States also finished at 3 under. Both Huang and Xing are on track to make the cut for the first time in their careers after two attempts each. Huang, who has secured four European Tour victories in the past 11 months, stated, “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 join the field, expressed her ambition as an amateur to make the cut at an LPGA event, particularly in Canada. The first round took place under cloudy skies with a temperature of 24°C, with some players struggling with insect bites due to the rainy conditions in Edmonton. While most players wore long pants and sleeves for protection, those in short sleeves faced more challenges with insect bites.
Henderson faced some challenges with the rough but managed to bounce back quickly after making bogeys. Other notable performances included Clairey Lin, a 16-year-old amateur from Langley, B.C., shooting a 68 in her tournament debut, and veteran Maude-Aimee Leblanc from Sherbrooke, Que., finishing at 2 under. The tournament showcased a mix of experienced players and promising young talents from Canada and beyond.
