– News and notes from The Vancouver Golf Club for Thursday, August 20 –
Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Karine Icher shot a bogey-free 65 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at The Vancouver Golf Club.
“My putting was very good, and I think today I’ve seen the hole bigger than the other days,” Icher said. “So sometimes you have days like that where everything works, so I’m quite happy with this one.”
Icher’s round was keyed by a stretch of six birdies in seven holes from holes 5-11 to move her from 1-under to 7-under.
“When you make some birdies like that in a row, you have more and more confidence and build some confidence through the round,” Icher explained. “Then it’s good for the tournament, for the season, for everything. I mean, it’s always nice to have some rounds like that where you don’t have so much questions. You know the club, you take the club, you hit the shot, and it’s close to the pin.”
Chasing Icher down will be two-time former champion Lydia Ko, who sits two back after an opening round 67, and a group of four players – Danah Bordner, I.K. Kim, Stacy Lewis and Pernilla Lindberg – who are all at 4-under-par.
Ko birdied the final two holes of her opening round to shoot a 5-under 67 to sit two behind the lead at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
“Yeah, hopefully that will give me good momentum tomorrow,” Ko said of her strong finish. “But playing in the morning and then afternoon tomorrow there is quite a bit of wait, but I’ve just got to keep the positive attitude going. Hit one shot at a time and just have fun out there.”
Three years ago, Ko burst onto the scene at The Vancouver Golf Club becoming the youngest winner in LPGA history at a mere 15 years, 4 months and 2 days in just her third LPGA event.
“I think the biggest difference is me. I don’t have the glasses, and I feel much older,” Ko said with a smile. “But it’s great to come back to a course where you’ve played well and the spectators have been great and they’ve been supporting me today, even in the practice rounds. It’s definitely a great where you feel really welcome.”
Ko has always felt welcome in Canada and admitted that her and her family nearly moved to area when she was younger.
“I just always feel very welcomed when I come to Canada,” Ko said with a smile. “I feel Canada is quite like New Zealand, so I love coming back here. When I was younger we nearly moved here.”
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., has been the early talk of the tournament on the heels of her historic victory this past weekend which earned her full membership on the LPGA Tour. Her steady play continued during Thursday’s opening round, firing a 2-under 70 to sit as the low Canadian with a share of 13th position. The 17-year-old admitted it was a special moment to stand on the first tee Thursday as a newly minted member of the LPGA Tour and fan favourite at The Vancouver Golf Club.
“It was cool. It was the first time as an LPGA member, right after the win last week, I really wanted to get another good number today, and 2-under, I’ll take it,” said Henderson. “The course wasn’t easy out there today, though Karine Icher is making it look that way. But I’m excited to get back out at it tomorrow. The crowds were unbelievable, and just to be back home in Canada and playing in front of them was really cool.”
Second-round action gets underway Friday at 7:04 am PT. Tickets are available at the gate and kids 17 and under are free.
Canadian Leaderboard:
The following are Canadian scores for the opening-round of the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
T13. Brooke Henderson – 70 (-2)
T21. Alena Sharp – 71 (-1)
T71. Jessica Wallace – 73 (+1)
T90. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc – 74 (+2)
T112. Maddie Szeryk – 75 (+3)
T112. Augusta James – 75 (+3)
T124. Tiffany Kong – 76 (+4)
T124. Lorie Kane – 76 (+4)
T124. Brittany Henderson – 76 (+4)
T138. Samantha Richdale – 77 (+5)
T138. Sue Kim – 77 (+5)
T138. Jennifer Kirby – 77 (+5)
T147. Brittany Marchand – 78 (+6)
T147. Elizabeth Tong – 78 (+6)
Media Centre Interview Streaming:
Media not onsite at The Vancouver Golf Club may stream media centre interviews and scrums live by clicking here.
Player Interview Transcripts, Audio Files and Video:
Interview transcripts as well as audio MP3 files for all media interviews and scrums are available online here, while videos are available here.
Pairing and Start Times:
Pairings for the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are available here.
Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Media Guide:
Download the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Media Guide by clicking here.
Broadcast Schedule:
See below for the broadcast schedule for the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. The schedule is subject to change.
Friday, Aug. 21 – Second Round Coverage
- Golf Channel: 3:00pm – 6:00pm PDT / 6:00pm – 9:00pm EDT
- TSN2: 8:00pm – 11:00pm PDT / 11pm – 2am EDT
- RDS2: 3:00pm – 6:00pm PDT / 6pm – 9pm EDT
Saturday, Aug. 22 – Third Round Coverage
- Golf Channel: 4:00pm – 7:00pm PDT / 7:00pm – 10:00pm EDT
- TSN2: 8:00pm – 11:00pm PDT / 11pm – 2am EDT
- RDS2: 4:00pm – 7:00pm PDT / 7pm – 10pm EDT
Sunday, Aug. 23 – Fourth Round Coverage
- Golf Channel: 4:00pm – 7:00pm PDT / 7:00pm – 10:00pm EDT
- TSN2: 4:00pm – 7:00pm PDT / 7:00pm – 10:00pm EDT
- RDS2: 8:00pm –11:00pm PDT / 11:00pm – 2:00am EDT
What to do Onsite
The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open offers something for everyone to do onsite. Fun and interactive partner programs enhance the fan experience and add to the prestige of Canada’s National Open Championship. For a full listing of all the activities taking place at The Vancouver Golf Club during tournament week, click here.
CP Has Heart Campaign in Support of BC Children’s Hospital:
The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is proud to have BC Children’s Hospital as the official tournament charity for 2015. CP and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation have partnered at a variety of events to help raise funds and awareness for the amazing care being given to children across the Province.
Funds raised this year will be dedicated to the pediatric cardiology research program at BC Children’s Hospital. Heart defects and disease are all too common – even among the youngest of children. Last year alone, 378 children were born with heart defects in BC. In 2014, BC Children’s cardiac surgeons performed 337 heart procedures, including 201 open heart surgeries. To find out more about the fundraising activities, click here.
Free Admission for Juniors…
Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17 and under.
Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under Free
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun) $40
Weekly (Mon-Sun) $100
Clubhouse Badge Single $175
Clubhouse Badge Twosome $300
Clubhouse Badge Foursome $550
First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.
ABOUT THE 2015 CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN’S OPEN
The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is proud to name BC Children’s Hospital as the official tournament charity for 2015. Funds raised will be dedicated to the pediatric cardiology research program and are being matched by Canadian Pacific (CP) through its CP Has Heart community program. The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship, is proudly sponsored by Canadian Pacific, RBC, WestJet, Molson Canadian 67, TaylorMade adidas Golf, Shaw, TY KU, Santa Carolina Wines, Coca-Cola, Executive Hotels & Resorts, Ford Motor Company, CVS Controls LTD, Sony and the City of Coquitlam. For information on volunteer opportunities, tickets or corporate hospitality, visit www.CPwomensopen.com, or call 1-866-571-5742.
ABOUT CP HAS HEART
At CP, we know that a railroad may serve as the arteries of a nation, but at its heart is community. That’s why, through CP Has Heart, we’ve already committed more than $5 million dollars to help improve the heart health of men, women and children across North America. And along the way, we’re showing heart whenever we can. Find out more on www.cpr.ca or @CPhasHeart.
ABOUT CANADIAN PACIFIC
Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit www.cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.
GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the National Sports Organization and governing body for golf in Canada representing close to 310,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Pino
Director, Corporate Communications
Golf Canada
(p) 1-800-263-0009 ext. 406
(c) 416-434-5525
(e) dpino@golfcanada.ca