The LPGA Tour is north of the border this week for the CPKC Women’s Open from Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. The field is headlined by 2018 champ – and Canada’s own – Brooke Henderson. World No. 2 Lilia Vu, Minjee Lee, Leona Maguire, Rose Zhang, and defending champion Megan Khang are a few of the tournament’s top contenders. There are 17 Canadians in the field, consisting of pros and amateurs. Henderson is the only Canadian to win the event since Jocelyne Bourassa won the inaugural edition in 1973.
Earl Grey is set to host its first CPKC Women’s Open as the event returns to Alberta for the first time since 2016. The venue is 7,041 yards from the championship tees, playing as a par 72. The course, which opened in 1919, was redesigned in 2018 to accommodate championship-level golf.
Henderson’s outlook
All eyes will understandably be on Henderson, Canada’s most-winning professional golfer. It’s been a tale of two seasons for Henderson this year. She started 2024 off great with five top-10 finishes in her first eight starts and no results worse than T27. However, in her last seven events, she’s failed to come inside the top 20 and missed her first cut of the year at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Perhaps a return home is exactly what Henderson needs to get her season back on track. She’s slipped to 16th in the Women’s Golf World Rankings after reaching No. 5 following her T3 result at the Chevron Championship, the year’s first major. A top-tier finish this week at Canada’s national tournament should move her closer to the top 10, a position she’s consistently held for the majority of her career.
For what it’s worth, oddsmakers at theScore Bet like her chances. Henderson is priced at +1400 (6.7% implied probability) as the third favorite behind Vu and Hae Ran Ryu.
Past Champions
2023: Megan Khang (-9)
2022: Paula Reto (-19)
2021: Canceled
2020: Canceled
2019: Jin-Young Ko (-26)
2018: Brooke Henderson (-21)
2017: Sung-Hyun Park (-13)
2016: Ariya Jutanugarn (-23)
2015: Lydia Ko (-12)
Khang’s winning score of 279 (9-under) last year was the highest at the CPKC Women’s Open since Meena Lee’s victory in 2005. Last year’s tournament was held at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, considered one of Canada’s best – and toughest – courses.
Odds to win
Lilia Vu +1000
Hae Ran Ryu +1100
Ally Ewing +1400
Brooke Henderson +1400
Xiyu Lin +1600
Hannah Green +2200
Rose Zhang +2200
Hye Jin Choi +2500
Mao Saigo +2500
Lexi Thompson +2800
Jennifer Kupcho +3000
Minjee Lee +3000
Allisen Corpuz +3500
Lauren Coughlin +3500
Alison Lee +4000
Jenny Shin +4000
Leona Maguire +4000
Megan Khang +4000
