Led by Golf Town Athlete Brooke Henderson, the CPKC Women’s Open – the 50th! – is already looking to be the best yet.
The event, which has won ‘Tournament of the Year’ at the LPGA Tour year-end awards in back-to-back seasons, will once again welcome plenty of the world’s best to Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary (a first-time host venue) while the structural build-out will be the biggest ever, and charity dollars raised to a point never-before seen.
“We are less than a month away and are very excited to be back in Calgary and the province of Alberta for the 50th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Ryan Paul, CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director. “Golf fans in Calgary are in for a very memorable week at a beautiful golf course where the world’s best will compete for our National Open Championship.”
Early commitments to this year’s event are led by Brooke, the 2018 champion, along with eight of the top-10 and 83 of the top 100 in the 2024 Race to CME Globe standings.
Among the notables include Lexi Thompson, who announced her retirement from full-time professional golf earlier this year and will be competing in her final CPKC Women’s Open.
Defending champion Megan Khang is one of eight past champions returning to try to win Canada’s National Open Championship, including a pair of former world No.1s Jin Young Ko (who lost in a playoff to Khang last year in Vancouver) and Ariya Jutanugarn.
“(The CPKC Women’s Open) is like our sixth major on the LPGA Tour. Winning in Canada is huge and has definitely given me a ton of confidence to keep letting me play my best and keeping myself hungry for more,” Khang said.
Three-time winner Lydia Ko will tee it up again looking to make history as the only four-time winner of this event. Ko is just one point away from making the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
Earl Grey Golf Club will also welcome nine in-year winners like former world No.1 Lilia Vu, superstar-in-waiting Rose Zhang, and two-time winner this season Hannah Green.
“When I set out my schedule this year, pretty much the rest of the summer is all circled of weeks I wanted to peak for. It’ll be a big summer, but I feel like my game is trending in the right direction right now,” Brooke said. “A lot of good things happening. Seeing a lot of positives. Hopefully it will all come together in month’s time at the CPKC Women’s Open.”
Part of the busy summertime stretch will include another Olympic Games for both Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp. Brooke will be making her third Olympic appearance when she tees off this summer in Paris. Sharp was confirmed as the second member of Team Canada Monday morning at the conclusion of the qualifying period.
“Every week we play as an individual, so I always feel a lot of pride wearing the red and white. You go there and you are part of Team Canada, it’s not just you’re playing for yourself – yes to win a medal but you’re representing your country and there is no greater honour,” Sharp said.
As of mid-June, Ryan Paul, the Tournament Director, said ticket sales at the CPKC Women’s Open (the 50th playing of the event) are up 30 percent at this point year-over-year. They hit their goal of 1,200 volunteers all the way back in March, and the scope of the spectator build out on site is up to 95,000 square feet – far and away the biggest on the LPGA Tour. The Rink, as well, will make its return on No. 17 at Earl Grey. CPKC is aiming to raise $2.75-million for Alberta Children’s Hospital, which is the most ambitious charity goal ever.
“The CPKC Women’s Open is one of the top three women’s sporting events in Canada and this year is shaping up to be a special one,” said Paul.
The CPKC Women’s Open goes July 25-28 and there will be a huge contingent of the Brooke Brigade cheering on Brooke in Calgary! Stay tuned for more fun announcements as we get closer to tournament time.