Brooke Henderson closes with four straight bogeys as Calgary’s Earl Grey proves to be a test for CPKC Women’s Open contenders

CALGARY—The current buzzwords in Canadian sports are “grey area,” as in the ethical in-between the country’s soccer boss, Kevin Blue, has placed his association in lieu of the spy scandal that ignited in Paris. Some 7,000-plus kilometres away at the CPKC Women’s Open, one of the topics du jour — along with central subject Brooke Henderson — is Earl Grey, the first-time tournament host that’s leaving no question about its ability to challenge the best women golfers in the world.

American Lauren Coughlin has the 36-hole lead at 6-under par, which in some weeks would have a player well down the leaderboard. But the Calgary course, in the city’s southwest quadrant adjacent to the Glenmore Reservoir, is playing firm and fast, with its fairways guarded by penal rough. It is the longest course in tournament history at 6,844 yards — though it plays shorter given Calgary’s altitude — and with blustery conditions this is a week when par is a good score.

Which is how it should be. This is a 50-year-old national championship, and one that carried a major designation for two decades until antitobacco advertising legislation put an end to du Maurier’s sponsorship after the 2000 event. It is how it was last year in Vancouver, too, where Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, with its narrow playing corridors and petite putting surfaces, yielded a winning score in single-digits under par.

“The LPGA certainly understands and celebrates the fact that we are a national open and we are maybe a little bit different than week-to-week events on the LPGA Tour,” said Ryan Paul, the tournament’s director. “To give players the best test of golf to win a national open is not only important to us but to the LPGA.”

Paul said that when he and his Golf Canada team meet with potential host clubs, a course’s ability to grow lush rough to a target mark of three to three-and-a-quarter inches is an important consideration. That’s higher than most other LPGA events and the kind of setup top players relish.

“It is a change of pace,” said Rose Zhang, the world No. 9 who has fashioned back-to-back 1-under 71s. “It’s honestly really nice to, I guess, try to find that grinding mindset within you to be able to beat the golf course. Because at this point we’re trying to beat the golf course, not beat other players.”

“I think it’s great that we get to play these kinds of golf courses — tough,” said three-time tournament winner Lydia Ko, who is 3 under after a 71 Friday. “A lot of Canadian Open courses have been very similar to our KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where it’s traditional, a little longer rough, tighter fairways, taller trees.

“We, as players, want to make as many birdies as we can, and I’m sure the fans love seeing birdies over pars and bogeys. But you’re trying to nail down who has played the best that week.”

Coughlin is handling the test the best so far. The 18-hole leader maintained her advantage Friday with a 2-under 70 that left her one stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. Winless in 92 LPGA Tour stars, she is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Amundi Evian Championship in France, one of the tour’s five majors. Earlier this year, she tied for third with Henderson at the Chevron Championship, another major tournament.

“I think grit is something, and just being mentally tougher than a lot of people, is just something that I’ve learned over the years just because I’ve had to work really hard and persevere a lot throughout my career,” said Coughlin, whose lone pro victory came on the developmental Epson Tour in 2018.

“I think that’s why I can hang in there and I don’t get too down on myself. Always keep fighting.”

This is the first LPGA tournament where Coughlin has held the 36-hole lead. With the last tee time tomorrow, she said she’ll spend her morning like she has all week — exploring Calgary’s java scene as a relatively new coffee connoisseur.

“I get the condensed milk latte from Monogram, and cortado from Sought and Found,” she said.

Henderson, at 1 over, is within striking distance, but she left Earl Grey with a sour taste in her mouth Friday after giving several shots away down the stretch. She reeled off three birdies in her first four holes Friday and the large galleries, delighted to be under sunny skies, were in full “Go Brooke” mode. But Henderson was unable to circle another number on her scorecard. She put together a string of 10 straight pars and then, shockingly, closed with four straight bogeys.

She’ll be among five Canadians playing the weekend, alongside Maude-Aimée Leblanc (1 over), Alena Sharp (3 over), Savannah Grewal (3 over) and Ellie Szeryk (4 over).

“I think just try and take the positives,” Henderson said, “because I was playing really well until basically those four holes to finish — and even those four holes they could have been a little bit different.

“Sixteen was really strange. The green was really burnt out so that three-putt I would like to think was not all my fault. It was just weird conditions. But it definitely did play pretty tough out there. Very windy …

“It stings, the finish, for sure, but hopefully just try to get it back tomorrow.”