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Best Coast: Henderson eager to play in CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy in Vancouver

Aug 22, 2023 | 4:23 PM

VANCOUVER — Brooke Henderson headlines a stacked field of golfers at this week’s CPKC Women’s Open.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., has won four times in the Pacific Northwest and is eager to play in Vancouver for the first time at the professional level.

Recently crowned world No. 1 Lillia Vu will be back in action after taking two weeks off following her win at the AIG Women’s Open.

South Africa’s Paula Reto returns to the Canadian national championship to defend her title.

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., is the other full-time Canadian LPGA Tour player in the field.

A total of 15 Canadians will tee it up at the national women’s championship.

Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club is finally hosting the event after it was originally scheduled at the Vancouver course for 2020.

The only LPGA Tour tournament in Canada was cancelled that year and in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s edition was held at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

An air quality advisory in metro Vancouver’s southwest region was cancelled early in the morning with further improvement expected overnight. Smoky conditions from ongoing wildfires in British Columbia’s interior had made the air quality advisory necessary.

The European team for the upcoming Solheim Cup was finalized on Tuesday, with six captain’s picks announced. The best-on-best international tournament sees a team of Europeans play a team of Americans, much like the Ryder Cup in men’s golf.

The CPKC Women’s Open serving as the last qualifying event for the U.S. team. Vu is eager to see who will join her on the American squad when the captain’s selections are announced Monday.

“It gets me really excited because I know all the girls and know how good they are,” said Vu, who was an automatic selection based on her world ranking. “It makes me excited that we get to go compete for our country with such a strong team.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press