Coquitlam welcomes the World of Professional Women Golfers to the Vancouver Golf Club which will have 48 of the top 50 players on the current LPGA Official money list.
The event “tee’s off” August 20th and runs to the 26th which will see the field challenge for the $2.0 million (USD).BC golf will also be well represented with a B.C. contingent of Samantha Richdale (Kelowna), Sue Kim (Langley), Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John), So Yeon Park (Vancouver), Christine Wong (Richmond) and Coquitlam’s own Jisoo Keel looking to impress in front of the hometown crowd.
CN has partnered with Canada’s governing body of Golf (Golf Canada) in an event which will include Brittany Lincicome, Yani Tseng (world # 1), Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen to name only a few.
Canada has been an important stop on the LPGA Tour since 1966 and has operated under various auspices the event officially became the Canadian Women’s Open Championship in 2001 when the Golf Canada assumed management.
For those too young to remember the event dates back to 1944 where it was founded and incorporated the Women’s Professional Golf Association.
Individuals who were passionate about the game were Hope Seignious, Betty Hicks and Ellen Griffin, who wanted nothing more than to see the Women’s game become competitive in the golf game.
The newly formed WPGA was not without issues and it was Wilson Sporting Goods Company that is currently based out of Chicago that came to the rescue in 1948.
This company’s history dates back to 1913 where Sulzberger founded the Ashland Manufacturing Company and bought animal products from it’s slaughterhouses.
From here it started making tennis racket strings, violin strings and surgical sutures, but expanded its line of products to tennis racquets and baseball shoes.
The field will include 16 Canadians looking to become the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event on home soil since Canadian golf legend Jocelyne Bourassa’s historic victory in 1973 at La Canadienne Golf Championship.
Set to compete are Alena Sharp (Hamilton), Lorie Kane (Charlottetown), Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Richmond Hill), Stephanie Sherlock (Barrie), Samantha Richdale (Kelowna), Isabelle Beisiegel (Saint-Hilaire), Jessica Shepley (Oakville), Sue Kim (Langley), Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John), Sara Maude Juneau (Fossambault) as well and Natalie Gleadall (Stratford).
Also included are Team Canada members Augusta James, Jisoo Keel, Brittany Marchand, Brooke Henderson and Christine Wong who was recently granted a tournament exemption.
Five members of Team Canada will challenge the world’s best golfers including National Amateur Team members Augusta James, Brittany Marchand, Christine Wong and Jisoo Keel as well as National Development Squad member Brooke Henderson who’s victory at the CN Canadian Women’s Tour event earlier this year made her the young golfer ever to win a professional golf tour event (14 years, 9 months & 3 days).
Henderson will be the youngest player ever to compete for Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.
B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation True Winner!!
“The field is set and we are looking forward to another tremendous showcase as the world best professional and amateur golfers challenge for Canada’s National Women’s Open title,” said Tournament Director Sean Van Kesteren. “With the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation designated as the event’s community beneficiary, our hope is that Canadian golf fans will continue to show their support for the CN Canadian Women’s Open and help us raise even more money for children’s hospitals through the CN Miracle Match Program.”
The 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open will help to raise money for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the official charitable beneficiary of the CN Miracle Match campaign in 2012.
To date since 2006, CN Miracle Match has helped to raise close to $6.5 million in support of children’s hospitals in the name of the CN Canadian Women’s Open.
Photo’s to follow in the Gallery section of the site, so don’t delay – have a look!!
