OTTAWA, Ont. – When Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane walked up the 18th green to a soundtrack of adoring applause, it would mark her last stroll as a competitor at the CPKC Women’s Open. The 57-year-old P.E.I. native competed in her record 30th and final appearances in Canada’s National Championship with a legacy worthy of the title: ‘Icon’.
A soggy morning at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club resulted in a two-hour delay for Friday’s second round. The skies would clear after the restart with sunshine lighting her final walk up to the 18th green. Anyone who’s known Kane during her illustrious career would attest, the changing weather reflects her character – in life, as in golf, Lorie Kane always brings the sunshine.
“As I said early in the week, I love what I do and I love to share what I do,” mentioned Kane. “I hope I can continue to do that in some way, shape, or form. You know, I’ve had some loss. I shared my dad passed. We lost Jocelyne (Bourassa). We lost Kyle, one of our CP ambassadors from Magna. And so, I just played golf. To put smiles on people’s faces.”
Since turning professional in 1996, Kane has recorded four career victories on the LPGA Tour, 99 Top-10 finishes, and sits 46th on the Career Money List with nearly $7 million in earnings. She has won on the Legends of the LPGA five times, is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and received the Order of Canada – the highest civilian honour – in 2006. As a CP ambassador, Kane has also supported CP’s charitable platform that has helped to raise more than $13M in support of children’s cardiac care in the host markets of the CPKC Women’s Open.
On Wednesday, Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman also announced that the newly created Community Spirit Awards would be renamed The Lorie Kane Community Spirit Awards in honour of Kane’s longstanding commitment to advancing the sport, charitable activities and giving back to the game that defined her remarkable career.
The skies may have been clear as Kane closed out her CPKC Women’s Open career, but not an eye remained dry in the house. Of all the accolades, a humble Kane points to a personal philosophy, instilled by her late father and inscribed as a tribute on a new club headcover – ‘Leave everything better than you found it.’
Canadian golf is better having known Lorie Kane.
NARIN AN LEADS AFTER PLAY SUSPENDS DUE TO DARKNESS
South Korea’s Narin An recorded a bogey-free round today firing 13-under par 65 to edge the partial-round lead by two strokes. Playing in her rookie season, the 26-year-old has a career-best finish, solo third, at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol.
“I think it’ll be fun,” said An, about playing this weekend. “It’s been a while since I’ve played as a leader, so I think it’ll be fun, and I hope to put up another good round.”
Hye-Jin Choi of South Korea, opening-round leader Paula Reto, and American star Nelly Korda sit tied for second at 11-under following play.
Maddie Szeryk, a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad sits as the low Canadian after play was suspended, with a bogey-free 3-under 68 Friday and score of 7-under (T13) overall. The 26-year-old from London, Ont. secured her LPGA Tour card in 2021 and is playing in her rookie season.
Canadian star and local favourite Brooke Henderson used a second-round 3-under 68 to sit t32 through 36 holes.
Friday’s round featured an ace from French golfer Pauline Roussin (T29) on the 8th hole with an 8-iron.
With the second round suspended at 7:49 p.m., 36 golfers will resume their round at 7:15 a.m. with round three expected to commence at approximately 10 a.m. off the 1st and 10th tee.
CP HAS HEART CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE CHEO FOUNDATION:
Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada are proud to support the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2022 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 15 at Ottawa Hunt with $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CP is also proud to support a community beneficiary in the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation in support paediatric cardiac care. In the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $13 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.