OTTAWA, Ont. – The CP Women’s Open gets started Thursday from the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Canada’s capital city.
Click here for a link to all groups and tee times.
Brooke Henderson, Cristie Kerr, So Yeon Ryu
8:16 a.m. – First tee
There’s been much pomp and circumstance around Brooke Henderson so far already the last couple of weeks, but come Thursday morning, it’s time to put the tee in the ground and get this tournament underway. Henderson, who is a member at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, has one win already this year (the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give), sits 10th on the Rolex Rankings, and will be the crowd favorite this week.
She’s paired with Cristie Kerr, who is coming off the American victory at the Solheim Cup last week, and who won this championship in 2006. Kerr won earlier this year at the LOTTE Championship, and lost in a playoff the very next week.
World No.1 So Yeon Ryu rounds out the group. Ryu has won twice already this season, including the year’s first major, the ANA Inspiration. She started her season on a blistering stretch, notching eight-straight top 10s.
Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, Michelle Wie
8:27 a.m. – First tee
Although Lydia Ko is of course, from New Zealand, it wouldn’t be surprised if she unveils she’s part Canadian too, as Ko is a three-time winner of this event. Ko has had a bit of an up-and-down season, but has still locked up seven top-10 finishes.
Paired with Ko is Michelle Wie, who is coming in from the Solheim Cup win last week, and Nelly Korda, who is in the running for the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year award, but would certainly need a victory to push her over-the-top. Her best result of the year was a tie for fifth in the Bahamas, but she’s had two other top 10s since then.
Paula Creamer, Katherine Kirk, Inbee Park
1:20 p.m. – 10th tee
The last time this event was contested at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, it was Australian Katherine Kirk who was victorious (in 2008). That marked Kirk’s first LPGA Tour win, and this year she found the winner’s circle for the third time in her career.
She’s paired with Inbee Park, who captured the HSBC Women’s Champions earlier this year and sits 13th on the Race to CME Globe thanks to five top-10s.
Paula Creamer rounds out the group, and although Creamer has had only one top-10 finish in 2017, perhaps she will be buoyed this week on the strength of her fine performance last week on the victorious Solheim Cup team.
Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park, Angel Yin
1:42 p.m. – 10th tee
Ariya Jutanugarn won last year’s CP Women’s Open and comes into this week refreshed after an injury forced her to withdraw a few weeks ago. Jutanugarn has either withdrawn or missed the cut in four of her last seven events, however, she captured the Manulife LPGA Classic in that stretch, and looks to continue her excellent play north of the border this week.
Jutanugarn is joined by LPGA Tour rookie sensation Sung Hyun Park, who captured the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this summer. To go along with her victory she also has four other top-5 finishes, and already sits fourth in the Rolex Rankings after less than a year as a professional.
Angel Yin, a fellow rookie, rounds out the group. Yin’s best result has been a tie for fifth (twice), and Yin was a fixture on last week’s winning Solheim Cup team for the American side.