By Carey Van Lue

CPKC Women’s Open

Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club | Vancouver, BC | August 24-27, 2023

Third-Round Notes

Aug. 26, 2023

Course Setup: 36-36—72, 6,516

Scoring Average: R1: 75.239; R2: 74.039; R3: 73.282

Weather: Clear conditions throughout the day with a dominant array of sunshine as well as an increase of winds up to 8-12mph, with gusts reaching 16-18mph; temperatures will push into the upper-70s into the evening hours

Race to CME Globe Points: 500 (winner)

Purse: $2.5 million (winner’s portion is $375,000)

TV/Streaming Times: How to Watch

MEGAN KHANG HOLDS ONTO THIRD-ROUND LEAD AT CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

It was a busy Moving Day in Vancouver, with multiple players jockeying for the lead at the CPKC Women’s Open. But it was American Megan Khang who finished Saturday alone at the top, holding a three-stroke lead at -11 after a third-round 68 as the final day dawns at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. This is the first time Khang has held the 54-hole lead in her Tour career as she looks to become the season’s ninth Rolex-First-Time Winner in her 191st Tour start.

“I was hitting it really good today. You know, it’s always good when the ball striking is there. I hit some pretty good shots to about 15 feet the first few holes; couldn’t hole them. Jack (Fulghum, my caddie) just kind of reassured me out there, like, ‘hey, you’re putting good strokes on it. They’ll drop soon,’” said Khang, who hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. “Made a good up and down on 4 and was able to kind of keep the momentum going and make some short putts coming down for par, too.”

Khang opened with six-straight pars before her first two birdies on the day at Nos. 7 and 8. After the turn, two bogeys on 10 and 12 brought the rest of the field back into the mix, but the New Englander kept her head up to capitalize on the reachable par-4 14th, making the first of four birdies in her closing five holes.

“It was huge. I mean, with I want to say 13 being reachable, I had a feeling like a lot of people, a lot of the longer hitters were going to be able to get to that green, possibly make eagle, if not birdie or par.

And I just wanted to give myself a chance up there. I knew where the pin was it was gettable. Yeah, I mean, that kind of started it all,” said Khang. “I had to hit some really good shots going in; missed few good putts. Again, stroking it well and just made sure that I wasn’t getting too frustrated with missing putts.”

Sei Young Kim jumped up into solo second, thanks in part to two eagles in her round, including an ace on the 184-yard 8th. Like Khang, Kim also took advantage of the shortened 14th, reaching the green with her driver before sinking the ensuing putt minutes later. A closing bogey on 18 meant ending the day with a 5-under 67, though the 12-time Tour winner wasn’t too discouraged.

“This year is not good so I just need something better play, and so I just working hard. After the British Open I back to the Dallas, so I am working hard,” said Kim, who sits at -8 overall. “Yeah, especially I play Canada, it’s my favorite place, always play good. Yeah, I have good memories when I’m back here.”

2019 CPKC Women’s Open Jin Young Ko sits in third at -6, after three birdies and two bogeys led to just a 1-under 71. Fellow major champions Georgia Hall and Yuka Saso are tied for fourth at -5, with Jodi Ewart Shadoff sneaking into the top 10 after a 67 landed her into solo sixth at -5 after starting Saturday in a tie for 33rd. Hannah Green is seventh at -3 overall, with Jeongeun Lee6, Linn Grant and Linnea Strom lurking at -2 in a tie for eighth.

Brooke Henderson continues to be the low Canadian in the field, and posted a third-round 75 to sit in a tie for 34th at +2.

A LOOK AT THE LEADER

ABOUT THE LEADER

Rolex Rankings No. 27 Megan Khang

• Khang hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens with 28 putts
  • She carded six birdies and two bogeys
    • Her six birdies tied for the second-most on the day
  • She has 16 birdies over 54 holes, the most among the field
  • She carded five bogeys, the lowest among the field as well
• Khang and Jin Young Ko are the only two players in the field to have two rounds in the 60s through three rounds
• This is the third-straight time at the CPKC Women’s Open that Khang has a 54-hole score of 205
• This is the first time she has posted back-to-back rounds in the 60s since the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (R3, R4)
• Her 205 54-hole score ties her season-best 36-hole score
  • She also recorded a 205 at the DIO Implant LA Open
• This is the first time she is leading or co-leading after 54 holes of play
  • She has finished in the top-five after the third round once so far this season at The Chevron Championship
• This is her sixth start at the CPKC Women’s Open
  • She has finished inside the top-25 in all but one start
    • Her best finish was a tie for 13th in 2019 and 2022
• This is her 16th event of the 2023 season
  • Her season-best finish was a tie for third at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
  • She has only missed two cuts so far this season and has three top-10 finishes
  • She has clinched a spot on the U.S. Solheim Cup Team for 2023, her third appearance in the event
• This is her eighth season on Tour
  • Her career-best finish is second, earned at the 2022 Dana Open
  • She has recorded an additional 32 top-10 finishes on Tour in her career

WITH A WIN

Megan Khang

• She would earn her first win in her 191^st career Tour start
  • It would be her 34th career top-10 finish on Tour
• She would become the season’s ninth Rolex First-Time Winner, joining Lilia Vu (Honda LPGA Thailand), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open), Grace Kim (LOTTE Championship), Rose Zhang (Mizuho Americas Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), Linn Grant (Dana Open), Elizabeth Szokol (Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational) and Alexa Pano (ISPS Handa World Invitational)
• She would be the sixth different American winner this season
• She would be the first American to win the CPKC Women’s Open since Brittany Lincicome in 2011
• She would be the 18th different player to win the CPKC Women’s Open since 2001
• She would cross the $1 million mark in season earnings with the $375,000 winner’s check ($1,228,340)

Sei Young Kim

• She will earn her 13th career win and her first of the 2023 season
• It would be her first win since the 2020 ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, (1,009 days)
• She would be the first player from the Republic of Korea to win the CPKC Women’s Open since Jin Young Ko in 2019
• She would be the fourth player from the Republic of Korea to win the CPKC Women’s Open joining Ko, Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu
• She would be the 18th different player to win the CPKC Women’s Open since 2001
• She would be the second winner on Tour this season to hail from the Republic of Korea
• She would become the 17th different winner on Tour this year
• She would move into 13th on the All-Time Official Money List ($12,756,298) becoming the second-highest earning player from the Republic of Korea and surpassing Se Ri Pak

Jin Young Ko

• She would earn her 16^th career win
• She would win her third tournament this season, joining Lilia Vu and Celine Boutier as three-time Tour winners in 2023
  • It would be the third time in her career since 2018 she has won at least three tournaments and the first time since 2021
• She would become the third player to win the CPKC Women’s Open multiple times since 2001
  • She would join Lydia Ko and Meg Mallon
• She would move into a tie for 36th on the All-Time Career Wins List in LPGA Tour history
• She would move into the top-20 on the All-Time Official Money List ($11,972,358)
• She would earn her 21st point towards the LPGA Hall of Fame
  • 27 points are needed for induction into the LPGA HOF

Georgia Hall

• She would earn her third-career victory on Tour, and her first since the 2020 Portland Classic
  • She became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 AIG Women’s Open
• She would become just the fourth player from England to win at least three times on Tour, joining Trish Johnson (3), Alison Nicholas (4) and Laura Davies (20)
• Her first-round 73 would make it the highest start by a winner this season on Tour on a par 72 course
• She would be the first player from England to win this season, making England the 11^th different country represented by 2023 winners
• She would be the 18^th different player to win the CPKC Women’s Open since 2001
• She would become the 17th different winner on Tour this year

Yuka Saso

• She would earn her second career win on Tour, and first since the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open
  • She won the 2021 USWO under the Filipino flag
  • It would be 813 days since her last win on Tour
• She would be the first player from Japan to win the CPKC Women’s Open
• She would be the first Japanese player to win on Tour since Ayaka Furue won the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf in 2022
• She would be the 18th different player to win the CPKC Women’s Open since 2001
• She would become the 17th different winner on Tour this year

THINGS TO KNOW

• There are five players within six strokes of the lead
  • Lilia Vu holds the season record for the biggest come-from-behind victory this season (six strokes, Honda LPGA Thailand)
• Sei Young Kim carded an ace on No. 8 from 184 yards with her 5 iron
  • Kim’s hole-in-one is the 12^th of the 2023 season
  • This is her second ace in LPGA Tour competition; her first one was recorded at the 2021 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
  • Kim also drove the green on the par-4 265 yards No. 14, and knocked in an eagle putt to help her get to -8
    • She became the 16^th different player this season to record two eagles in one round
    • Her 208 is her third-lowest 54 hole score this season
    • 67 is her second-lowest score of the year
• Georgia Hall went bogey-free in her third round to help get her to a share of fourth place
  • She was only one of two players to go bogey-free in the third round
  • There have only been five players have recorded at least one round without a bogey through 54 holes
• Gabriela Ruffels is currently in a tie for 11th after 54 holes (-1, 215)
  • There are currently two holding spots for the Portland Classic field for LPGA Tour Members/non-Member from the top 10 of the CPKC Women’s Open
• Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Sei Young Kim both tied for lowest score of the day at 5-under 67
  • Ewart Shadoff began her day tied for 33rd and ended it in solo sixth place

QUOTABLE

Megan Khang (1, 205) on what she’ll draw on as she heads into Sunday with the solo lead:
“Honestly, it’s a lot of like learning over the past few years to stay patient, don’t get you ahead of myself. I told Jack before the round, hey, I feel like I’m a little anxious right now and I really need you to be there for me. I might not talk as much. Shocker for most people who don’t know me. No, at the end of the day, you know, I know Jack is there for me and I’ve obviously trying to do my best and he knows that. So he’s there to remind me that like, hey, let’s not try so hard and just play our game.”

Georgia Hall (T4, 211) on being in contention once again at a tournament:
“Yeah, I’m playing really well, and obviously I had really, really strong start to the season. I think really want to get that win but unfortunately two seconds. Then being in contention four or five times throughout the last six months was really key and crucial for me. Yeah, to be back in contention again, that’s just the goal every week. Hopefully get that win one week, but as long as I’m playing good golf I’m still really happy with that to be honest.”

Sei Young Kim (2, 208) on her hole-in-one:
“Right after hole 7 I made a birdie, so I feel like really exciting after birdie so I try to calm down. That hole kind of is not easy because to the pin is 160 meters. I took the 5-iron and hit the really solid, ball flight really awesome. A lot of people like louder so it sounds like it’s got in, so I was like, oh, my body is like goosebump. So, yeah, feel great, awesome.”

NOTABLE

Sei Young Kim Drives the Green on a Par 4

Megan Khang Third Round CPKC Women’s Open Highlights

CPKC Women’s Open Third Round Highlights

Nelly Korda Long Par Putt

CPKC Women’s Open Full Leaderboard

Chasing First LPGA Tour Victory, Megan Khang Opens 3-Shot Lead in CPKC Women’s Open

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

18 holes: 62, Paula Reto (R1, 2022), Lindy Duncan (R2, 2022), Mo Martin (R4, 2018), Song-Hee Kim (R2, 2009)

36 holes: 129, Narin An (2022)

54 holes: 196, So Yeon Reyu (2014)

72 holes: 262, Jin Young Ko (2019)

COURTESY LPGA TOUR COMMUNICATIONS