OAKVILLE, Ont. – Levelwear, CPKC, Sleeman Breweries and Golf Canada have announced that a combined donation of $120,000 will be made to The Canadian Red Cross Alberta Wildfires Appeal.
As previously announced last week during the CPKC Women’s Open, Levelwear and Golf Canada would commit 100 per cent of the net proceeds from the tournament’s merch tent at Earl Grey Golf Club over the weekend in addition to online sales from July 27 -31.
“The wildfires in Alberta and B.C., and particularly Jasper, are devastating for all Canadians and affect so many families. With the CPKC Women’s Open hosted in Calgary, we felt compelled to extend a helping hand. Partnering with Golf Canada and CPKC, we are thrilled to make this monetary donation to the Red Cross Alberta Wildfires Appeal,” said Hester Ngo, Chief Executive Officer, Levelwear. “Additionally, 4,650 units of Levelwear apparel are on their way to designated Alberta locations for distribution to those impacted by the fires.”
Sleeman Breweries have also made a financial contribution to the combined effort to help those impacted by the wildfires across the province.
“The devastation from these fires is a significant test on Jasper’s resiliency. Being able to support those affected as they cope with these losses and in rebuilding is an important part of Sleeman Breweries’ commitment to community,” said Lorne Zweig, Vice-President, Sales, Sleeman Breweries.
In addition to the record $4.3 million raised for heart health in Alberta during the CPKC Women’s Open, CPKC has matched the combined donations from Levelwear, Sleeman Breweries and Golf Canada. CPKC will also be donating a number of unused water bottles and sunglasses that were available at Earl Grey during tournamnet week.
“As railroaders, we are passionate about giving back,” said Chad Becker, chief of staff at CPKC. “Thank you to Golf Canada, Levelwear and Sleeman Breweries for joining together with us to bring more aid to our neighbors in Jasper. Big thanks also to all those who attended the CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary who made this support possible.”
Along with the combined financial contribution, Levelwear will also be donating 4,650 pieces of brand new apparel in various sizes in men’s, women’s and youth.
“We are incredibly grateful to our partners at Levelwear, CPKC and Sleeman for leading this incredible initiative and the significant financial contribution being made following the CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “We are certainly thinking of everyone in Jasper and across the province of Alberta who have been affected.”
For more information on the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Wildfires Appeal or to donate, please click here.
Lauren Coughlin won the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open on Sunday, claiming her first LPGA Tour title.
The American golfer birdied two of her final four holes at Earl Grey Golf Club for a final round of 1-under 71 to finish the four-day tournament at 13 under.
Playing in her 103rd career LPGA tournament since her rookie season in 2018, Coughlin tapped in a short par putt on the par 4, 18th hole to record her first victory.
Due to her clutch performance, the 31-year-old from Charlottesville, Va., won US$390,000 to boost her earnings this season to $1,542,352.
A day after firing a tournament and course record score of 11-under 61, Japan’s Mao Saigo had a round of 69 to finish alone in second place at 11 under.
Haeran Ryu, who played in the final group with Coughlin, had a disappointing round of 3-over 75 to finish in a tie at 10 under with Jenny Shin. Both Ryu and Shin are from South Korea.
A pair of sub-par rounds on Saturday and Sunday helped move Brooke Henderson up the leaderboard at the Canadian Open.
Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., followed up the 69 she shot on Saturday with a final round of 4-under 68 to finish in a four-way tie for eighth place at 6 under.
“It was a lot of fun today climbing up the leaderboard a little bit, making some birdies,” said Henderson, who had five birdies and just one bogey during her final round. “You always want a little bit more, but I’m really happy with how today went.”
Following her first two rounds of 72 and 73, Henderson was happy to bounce back with a better performance on the weekend.
“If I had cleaned up the first two rounds a little bit, I feel like I could have been right in the mix, which is a great feeling to take away,” Henderson said. “It’s awesome to finish Sunday with a minus-4 round because you feel like you did climb up the leaderboard a little bit.
“You feel you have lots of positives and confidence to take forward which is a good thing for me going into Paris in ten days or so.”
Henderson will represent Canada in the women’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics.
Like Henderson, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp carded a 68 in the final round to improve upon the 69 she shot 24 hours earlier.
Sharp sunk a lengthy putt for birdie on the par 4, 18th hole to move her up into a tie for 14th place at 4 under.
“To get the result and play well and shoot 4-under today and make that putt on the last hole, I mean, pretty amazing way to finish the tournament,” said Sharp, who was amazed that her 47-foot putt on 18 made it into the hole.
“It was a double breaker. I just wanted to get it to the hole. When it went in, I was like, ‘Oh, my God,’ so that was pretty cool.”
Sharp’s performance in Calgary is the best showing she’s had at the Canadian Open since she finished in a tie for fourth place in 2016 at nearby Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.
The 43-year-old will also compete for Canada in Paris.
“This is the best way to go to the Olympics, I think for Brooke and I, being in Canada and having so much support here,” Sharp said. “I’m going to stay here for a few days and fly out Thursday and get there Friday and do a little bit of Team Canada watching and watch the guys (Nick Taylor and Corey Connors) play on Sunday and then get to work.”
Playing in the group in front of Sharp, Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., had a nice round 69 to end up in a tie for 19th place at 3 under.
“It’s always great to play here in front of the home crowd,” said Leblanc, who finished in a tie for 14th place in 2016 at Priddis Greens. “I think every single hole, I hear people cheer for me. This is not something I get to hear every week so it’s nice to have that here. It makes the event a lot more special, so that’s why it’s my favourite event of the year each year.”
Ellie Szeryk, of London, Ont., carded a 3-over 75 to end up in a tie for 59th place at 7 over.
Savannah Grewal, of Mississauga, Ont., had a disappointing round of 78 to finish the four-day tournament at 11 over.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2024.
Big crowds and memorable performances during the CPKC Women’s Open helped Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) raise a record $4.3 million for heart health in Alberta, with $3.8 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and $507,000 to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation.
Lauren Coughlin finished the week 13 under par to take home her first LPGA Tour victory and the US$390,000 winner’s share of the US$2.6 million purse, one of the largest for a non-major on the LPGA Tour.
“It was wonderful to have the CPKC Women’s Open back in Calgary, home to CPKC’s global headquarters and over 2,000 of our railroaders, many of whom contributed to the incredible success of this week’s tournament,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “Congratulations to Lauren Coughlin on winning the CPKC Women’s Open and her first LPGA tour victory. Calgarians cheered on Lauren and all the world-class golfers while helping make a big difference for kids who are fighting to live the full, healthy lives they deserve.
“Together, this year we raised an incredible record amount to support children’s heart health,” Creel added. “CPKC is honored to continue making a lasting difference in communities across Canada through CPKC Has Heart, our community investment program supporting heart health initiatives.”
Since 2014, CPKC has helped raise more than $22 million for children’s heart health as the title sponsor of the CPKC Women’s Open. This year’s total donation, the biggest in the CPKC title sponsorship’s history, is the result of several fundraising efforts of the CPKC Has Heart campaign. Through CPKC Birdies for Heart, CPKC contributed for each birdie made by Earl Grey Golf Club members prior to the tournament and $5,000 for each birdie made by LPGA players on the 14th hole during championship tournament play at Earl Grey. CPKC also matched donations made during Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation campaign online in February, which is Heart Month.
“We are so grateful for our longstanding partnership with CPKC,” said Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Over the last several months and culminating with this week’s tournament, CPKC has been helping inspire our community to support pediatric heart health and generously matching donations. We are in awe of the amount that’s been raised, which will fuel ground-breaking research to support early detection of heart defects in babies and give them the best possible outcomes in life.”
Red Deer Regional Health Foundation was the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open community partner.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support from CPKC and the participants of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Manon Therriault, CEO of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the various teams that made this happen and were overjoyed to be chosen as a community partner. We were thrilled to engage our community, our donors, and our hospital staff in this initiative.”
“The funds raised will make a significant impact on cardiac care in the Alberta Central Zone, ensuring that our community has access to the best possible heart health services,” added Therriault. “Our hospital is currently undergoing an expansion, and community partnerships like this are the reason why our expanded hospital will have the enhanced care that our community members deserve. This partnership exemplifies the power of coming together to create meaningful change and improve lives.”
“The impact that the CPKC Women’s Open has on the communities that it touches through CPKC Has Heart is immense,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “The legacy and lasting benefit to pediatric heart health saves lives and improves patient care in meaningful ways. In 2024 CPKC Has Heart once again set a new standard strengthening its position as one of the leading philanthropic initiatives in Canada.”
Golf Canada and Matt & Steve’s are thrilled to announce a three-year extension of their partnership, ensuring Matt & Steve’s continues as the Official Caesar Partner of Golf Canada, the CPKC Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open through 2027.
Building on the successful collaboration that began in 2022, Matt & Steve’s will continue to offer a selection of their popular ready-to-drink Caesars, Extreme Beans, and pickled garnish products at Golf Canada’s premier events. Spectators will also continue to enjoy the vibrant and popular Matt & Steve’s Caesar Deck as part of the Fare Way food and beverage experience.
“We are excited to extend our partnership with Matt & Steve’s, bringing their unique and flavorful products to enhance the fan experience at the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open,” said Craig Sharp, Sr. Director, Partnerships, Golf Canada. “Matt & Steve’s has been an integral part of our championships, and we look forward to continuing to build a lively and enjoyable atmosphere for our spectators with their innovative offerings.”
The extension of this partnership underscores the commitment of both Golf Canada and Matt & Steve’s to deliver exceptional experiences for golf fans and to celebrate the sport across the country. With this renewed collaboration, fans can look forward to more exciting activations and delicious offerings at Canada’s most prestigious golf events.
“Building on the incredible success of the last three years, we are thrilled to extend our partnership with Golf Canada. We look forward to continuing to bring the Matt & Steve’s Caesar Deck experience to golf fans across Canada. See you on the Caesar Deck in 2025!” said Steve McVicker, Co-Founder/CBO of Matt & Steve’s.
Matt & Steve’s are operating their infamous Caesar Deck at the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary, Alta. where the iconic Caesar was invented, July 25 – 28.
CALGARY, Alberta — Mao Saigo emerged from the wildfire-fed smoky haze Saturday at Earl Grey Golf Club with the lowest round in CPKC Women’s Open history. Five hours later, Haeran Ryu and Lauren Coughlin found themselves well clear of the rest of the field.
Taking advantage of calmer conditions after two windy days, Saigo shot an 11-under 61 to jump from a tie for 46th to a tie for third — five strokes behind Ryu and four back of Coughlin on the tree-lined course with thick rough and small greens.
“I’m very proud of myself because that was the best round probably since I started playing golf,” Saigo said through a translator. “The wind wasn’t blowing much, so I was trying to make birdies on par 5s and try to keep my strengths with my iron shots.”
The 22-year-old Japanese player — an LPGA Tour rookie after winning six times on the JLPGA — holed out from 133 yards for eagle with a pitching wedge on the par-4 10th.
“I was able to feel the energy from the fans and that helped me play well,” Saigo said.
She broke the tournament record of 62 set by Song Hee-Kim in 2009 at nearby Priddis Greens and matched by Mo Martin in 2018 at Wascana in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Paula Reto and Lindy Duncan in 2022 at Ottawa Hunt.
“I never set target score and I always try to hit the best shot each time,” Saigo said. “So, today I kept the same attitude, and that add up to today’s score.”
Ryu shot a 64 to get to 13-under 203, making a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-4 14th.
The 23-year-old South Korean player birdied the first four holes and five of the first six. She added a birdie on No. 10, bogeyed the par-4 12th and rebounded with a birdie on 13.
“She (Saigo) has a crazy day,” Ryu said. “But I started five holes and 5 under, so I’m crazy, too, I think. It’s funny today.”
Second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open, Ryu won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title.
“Last year is just last year. Last week is just last week,” Ryu said. “I just think about now and future.”
Coughlin, the leader after each of the first two rounds, shot 66. Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions.
“Hung in there for sure,” Coughlin said. “She (Ryu) was making everything there to start, so I was just trying to stay in my own bubble and not get too into what she was doing.”
Rose Zhang shot 66 to join Saigo at 8 under. Jennifer Kupcho was 7 under after a a 68, and second-ranked Lilia Vu (69) and Hannah Green (71) were 6 under.
“I felt like today was sort of an easier day because less wind and some moved up tees,” Vu said. “But I didn’t drive the ball well.”
Three-time champion Lydia Ko was 3 under after a 72. She won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.
Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 winner, was tied for 18th at 2 under after a 69. On Friday, she bogeyed the final four holes in a 73.
“This is still a tough golf course,” Henderson said. “Even though the wind was down, you still have to pick your way around and there are better misses than other misses.”
Japan’s Mao Saigo had the round of her life on Saturday at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.
Saigo fired an 11-under 61 — a tournament and course record — to climb the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open leaderboard.
The impressive outing saw her drain nine birdies while holing out from the fairway for eagle on the par 4, 433-yard 10th hole.
“I’m very proud of myself because that was the best round probably since I started playing golf,” said Saigo through an interpreter. “I had 133 yards left and I hit pitching wedge and I was able to make it. I was very happy about it.
“(My) eagle on No. 10, I will probably remember the most.”
Through two rounds of play, Saigo was sitting at 3-over and only made the cut by one stroke.
That all changed in Round 3 as the 22-year-old LPGA rookie turned her tournament fortunes around in a span of about 4 1/2 hours.
“I played on Japanese tour for three years, and from that experience I was able to qualify for LPGA Tour,” Saigo said. “Just because I am rookie I wasn’t going to be intimidated. I just wanted to play my own game, and to be able to shoot this score, I’m very happy about it.
“I was able to feel the energy from the fans and that helped me to play well.”
Just after Saigo made her par putt on the 18th hole, Round 2 leader Lauren Coughlin was getting set to start her afternoon trip around Earl Grey’s par 72, 6,858-yard layout.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp both carded rounds of 3-under 69 on Saturday to inch their way up the leaderboard.
Heading into Sunday’s final round, Henderson is sitting as top Canadian at 2-under.
“Today was a really solid day,” said Henderson, who will represent Canada along with Sharp in the women’s golf competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. “I was really happy to get six birdies on the card — unfortunate to drop three shots to three bogeys, but I feel like I’m right there. I think I’m trending in the right direction, so hopefully we’ll just get off to a fast start (Sunday).”
Henderson received the largest ovation of the day when she drained a lengthy birdie putt on the par 3, 17th green.
“I’ve just felt so much love all week,” said Henderson, whose diehard fans are known as the Brooke Brigade. “It’s really been incredible, 17 was really special. I was really happy to see that putt go in because it was not an easy putt. Everybody was so energetic and just so supportive. It was a lot of fun to hear that loud of a cheer.”
Sharp started her day at 3-over, but was able to make it back to even-par.
“Really happy,” said Sharp of her round that included four birdies on the front nine and just one bogey on the 10th hole. “Obviously shooting under par on this golf course, I think it’s a good score. I saw there was 11-under so that’s just amazing golf.”
About 15 minutes after Saigo drained a short birdie putt on the 17th green, Sharp walked up to the tee box on the hockey-themed feature hole, which is dubbed The Rink.
Like she had done the past two years of her national women’s championship, Sharp was planning to impress the fans by wearing an NHL jersey.
“I was going to (wear) it today but someone forgot to bring it,” said Sharp, who received a warm reception from the fans a year ago at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club when she donned a Canucks sweater. “I don’t want to get booed. I will definitely be wearing a Flames jersey (Sunday).”
Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 71 and is tied with Sharp through three rounds at even par.
Ellie Szeryk, of London, Ont., remained at 4-over after shooting 72, while Savannah Grewal, of Mississauga, Ont., fell back to 5-over following her round of 74.
Levelwear, CPKC and Golf Canada have announced that 100 per cent of net proceeds from the CPKC Women’s Open Merchandise tent at Earl Grey Golf Club over the weekend will be donated to the Red Cross Alberta Wildfire Relief to help those impacted by the wildfires across the province.
This will also extend to all Levelwear merchandise purchased online at levelwear.com. The online campaign will be effective from July 27 -31.
In addition, 2,000 pieces of brand new Levelwear apparel will be donated in various sizes in Men’s, Women’s and Youth.
CALGARY, Alberta — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.
Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.
“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”
Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.
“Most of the day I was 3 under, so feeling pretty great,” Henderson said. “To walk away 1 over, that’s not the best feeling. But all you can do is move forward and try to learn from some of the things you did out there.”
Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.
On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she’s 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.
“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”
Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.
“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”
Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.
“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”
The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.
Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.
“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”
Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.
“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”
Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.
Australian Hannah Green has high hopes that a Canadian connection can help her win one of her favourite golf tournaments.
Sitting at 5-under par through two rounds of play at the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open, Green commended her Canadian caddie Nate Blasko, of Kingston, Ont., for helping her take on the challenging conditions at Earl Grey Golf Club.
“He’s from the other side of the country, but (it would) be pretty cool for us to both win here,” said Green, who had five birdies and three bogeys during her round of 2-under 70 on Friday. “It was tough again out there. There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult. I’m kind of glad that I’m finished for Friday and I can go relax now.”
After finishing fifth in the LPGA’s Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings in 2018, Green was looking to hire a new caddie.
That’s when Blasko entered the picture, she said.
“We both met when I was playing on the Symetra Tour, now Epson Tour,” explained Green, who was in the clubhouse sitting third behind Nelly Korda and Ayaka Furue in the LPGA’s season-long Race to the CME Globe points competition.
“I was looking for a caddie in the off-season and he was looking for a player.”
The partnership paid almost immediate dividends, as she made 19 of 23 cuts in 2019 and surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings while winning her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, then adding a victory at the Cambia Portland Classic.
“Our first event was together in Australia and then later that year we won KPMG together,” Green said. “Been together ever since.”
With Blasko on her bag at last year’s CPKC Women’s Open at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Green finished in a tie for fourth place to earn a payday of $117,507.
“I always really enjoy coming to Canada,” said Green, who will represent Australia in the women’s golf competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. “I played well last year in Vancouver, so hopefully I can do a few better and get my hands on that big trophy.”
When she finished her round, Green didn’t even know that she was tied for first place with Round 1 leader Lauren Coughlin, who had just birdied her first hole after teeing off in the afternoon wave of golfers.
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t like peeking at the leaderboard while out on the course.
“I’m definitely a leaderboard watcher,” said Green, who noticed that Jennifer Kupcho was ahead of her at one point before the American golfer struggled on her back nine and finished at 3-under after reaching 8-under at one point.
“The last time I probably saw a leaderboard, I would have been at 5-under and she was at 7. I just assumed she continued to play well.”
Also on Friday morning, Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a round of 2-over 74. Her total score of 1-over has put her in position to play on the weekend for the final two rounds, a feat she hasn’t accomplished since finishing in a tie for 14th place in 2016 at her national championship at nearby Priddis Golf and Country Club.
“It’s our only tournament in Canada for the whole season, so I love being out here,” said Leblanc, who started her round with her lone birdie of the day on the Par 5, 550-yard opening hole. “It was a good start. I gave myself a lot of opportunities at the beginning and wasn’t able to make putts. Overall, I hit the ball pretty well. It’s just tough conditions out there.
“The greens are starting to get firmer and faster, so if you’re not in the fairway, it’s almost impossible for the ball to stay on the green.”
CALGARY — Lauren Coughlin shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions to take the first-round lead in the CPKC Women’s Open.
Fellow American Jennifer Kupcho was a stroke back with Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Australians Minjee Lee and Hannah Green.
Coughlin opened the round that began on No. 11 with eight straight pars, then had five birdies and bogey on the final 10 holes with the temperature barely climbing into the 60s at Earl Grey Golf Club.
“It was a lot windier than I was expecting, so just had to stay super patient in the beginning,” Coughlin said. “Kind of started getting some putts dropping. It was tough out there for sure, but I hit a lot of really good shots and a lot of good putts.”
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions.
“Pretty much ever since Evian I’ve been hitting the ball extremely well,” Coughlin said. “To keep it going, even in an off week, felt really good. It’s just trying to be myself and have fun, and then see what I shoot.”
Kupcho had four birdies and a bogey.
“The weather was a bit crazy,” Kupcho said. “I feel like we had three different seasons in 18 holes. Definitely got sunny at the end and that’s when I made all my birdies. Really, just tried to stay patient all day.”
Green is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.
“It was difficult out there,” Green said. “It’s nice that the sun has peeped out. It was pretty cold towards the middle of our round. Just super happy to finish under par this afternoon.”
Three-time champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand topped the group at 70. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.
“It was cold. It was windy,” Ko said. “Tuesday, Wednesday was warm and no wind. So, it felt like I was playing a different golf course. I I knew I needed to stay patient.”
Hye-Jin Choi also was 70 with Alison Lee, Haeran Ryu, Jenny Shin and Gigi Stoll.
Savannah Grewal and Maude-Aimee Leblanc each shot 71 to top the Canadians in the field. Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 champion, opened with a 72.
“Not really the hot start that I wanted to get off to, but felt like we fought pretty hard,” Henderson said. “It was pretty tough out there this morning. A little cooler and very windy.”
Second-ranked Lilia Vu also shot 71.
Lexi Thompson had a 72. She plans to play a limited schedule after this season.
