Miyu Yamashita further extended her lead, while Canadian teenage golfer Aphrodite Deng made significant progress on the leaderboard during the third round of the CPKC Women’s Open held in Edmonton. Yamashita from Japan carded an impressive 5-under-par 65 in the third round, bringing her total score to 19 under for the tournament at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton.
Maintaining a six-shot lead going into the final day of the $2.75 million US event, Yamashita aimed for her fourth LPGA victory and second win of the season. Despite a lone bogey on the 17th hole, the 25-year-old bounced back with a final birdie on the 18th, expressing her fondness for the course and her confident putting skills.
Yamashita’s 54-hole score of 191 set a new tournament record, while her six-stroke lead tied the record for the largest 54-hole lead in the tournament’s history. Gina Kim from the U.S. shot a 6-under 64, and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida posted a 66 to follow Yamashita closely at 13 under.
Sixteen-year-old Calgary native Aphrodite Deng, the tournament’s low amateur last year, surged up the leaderboard with the day’s lowest round of 63, reaching 10 under and tying for sixth place. Reflecting on her performance, Deng emphasized her focus on learning from previous days and minimizing mistakes.
In a historic moment for the CPKC Women’s Open, four Canadian female golfers aged 18 and under made the cut. Among them, Vancouver’s Anna Huang, along with amateur players Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., continued their strong play over the weekend. Huang, 17, shot an even 70 to stand at 7 under, while Xing, 18, posted a 71 at 1 under, and Lin, 16, carded a 72 at 2 over.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., recovered from early struggles to finish the day at 7 under after shooting a second consecutive 68. Despite trailing Yamashita by 12 strokes, Henderson remained optimistic about her performance and aimed for a strong finish in the tournament.
As the competition heated up, the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open was anticipated to feature favorable weather conditions with a forecast of 26°C, accompanied by some forest fire smoke before potential thunderstorms in the late afternoon.
