Canadian teenagers were within striking distance of leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan after Thursday’s opening round of the CPKC Women’s Open.
Yamashita shot a season-low 62 on the 6,452-yard, par-70 Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton to sit one stroke ahead of her countrywoman Nasa Hataoka and two up on Kiara Romero of the United States.
Vancouver’s Anna Huang, 17, and 18-year-old amateur Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., were three shots off the lead at 5-under-par 65 in a tie for fourth with China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida.
The 25-year-old Yamashita, who won June’s Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Mich., recorded eight birdies.
“It’s been a while since I finished the first round in good position,” she said. “My putting was really nice, so I felt really good.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson seeks repeat in CPKC Women’s Open
Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., seeking a third win in her home LPGA tournament, finished with a birdie to go 3 under.
“I feel it was very important and it felt great,” Henderson said. “I really wanted it. I hit it really hard. I’m glad I hit the hole, but to see it go in was really nice.
“The scores are very low out here today, the leaders especially, so just trying to go out tomorrow and make a bunch of birdies and try to catch them.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States was also 3 under.
Both Huang and Xing were positioned to make the cut Friday for the first time in their careers after two tries apiece.
“Definitely making the cut would be a really big goal for me, and then hopefully some good weekend golf,” said Huang, who won four European Tour tournaments in the last 11 months.
“I’m definitely a lot more confident than I was the past few years coming into this event, and then also just all the crowds out there really helped.”
Xing was a late addition to the field with a sponsor’s exemption.
“As an amateur, like that’s one of my biggest goals, is to make the cut at an LPGA event, especially when it’s in Canada,” she said. “It would mean a whole lot.”
Anna Huang on the upswing heading into CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton
The first round was played under mostly cloudy skies, a temperature of 24 C and in occasional clouds of insect repellent.
Edmonton’s 56 centimetres of rain since June 1 made the city a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“I’m getting annihilated,” said one caddie as she sprayed herself down at the turn.
The majority of women wore long pants and long sleeves, and paid a price if they didn’t.
“Bad. Bad. Look at my arms,” said Xing, wearing short sleeves. “I have gotten bit all on the front side but none on the back.”
All the more reason to stay out of rain-thickened rough that both houses insects and grabs club heads, she added.
“Especially like when it’s going against you, it’s really hard to get a solid club on it, so hitting fairways is crucial here,” Xing said.
Huang said she was bitten through her pants and long sleeves.
“I would wear shorts out here but because of the bugs, can’t do that,” she said.
Henderson birdied her first three holes of the back nine after making the turn at even par. Her tee shot and second shot found rough on the 16th hole, which she bogeyed.
“If you find the rough or you’re not hitting it so well, it can really be penalizing as well, so you’re just trying to stick to the short stuff,” she said. “Every time I made a bogey, I was able to bounce back with a birdie pretty quickly, which is important.
“Three under, definitely going to need a little bit more tomorrow, but a good start.”
Clairey Lin, a 16-year-old amateur from Langley, B.C., shot a 68 in her tournament debut.
Tour veteran Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., joined her at 2 under. Vancouver’s Leah John turned in a 1-under 69 and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., shot 70.
Lin’s fellow Canadian amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., shot even par, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos was 2 over and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., carded a 78.
Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., shot a 74, Alena Sharp of Hamilton a 77 and Calgary’s Tillie Claggett shot a 78.
