By Carey Van Lue

CPKC Women’s Open

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

First-Round Notes

Aug. 24, 2023

Course Setup: 36-36—72, 6,557

Scoring Average: R1: 75.239

Weather: Mostly sunny to sunny skies throughout the day, with temperatures in the low 70s come the afternoon; Winds W/NW progressing through the day, with 16-18mph gusts in the early PM hours

Race to CME Globe Points: 500 (winner)

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

TV/Streaming Times: How to Watch

YUKA SASO TAKES FIRST-ROUND LEAD AT CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

Making her second appearance in the CPKC Women’s Open, Yuka Saso topped the leaderboard at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club after a first-round 66 in Vancouver. Saso, whose lead is her third 18-hole lead/co-lead on the LPGA Tour, led the field in birdies with eight total on Thursday en route to tying her season-best 18-hole score.

“First nine was pretty stable. Hit it okay. Putted okay. I don’t know what happened the back nine. I started hitting some good second shots and having short putts for birdies, giving myself a lot of chances,” said Saso. “I think it was a good day and I really enjoyed playing alongside Allisen (Corpuz) and Hannah (Green).”

Even with a bogey on her first hole, No. 10, Saso rebounded quick with a birdie on No. 11, and notched her second on the par-4 13th. After another bogey on the 18th, Saso came out firing on all cylinders at the turn, making four consecutive birdies on Nos. 1-4 and adding two more for good measure on 6 and 7 before closing with a 30, her lowest 9-hole score of the season.

“I mean, the whole season I think not only me, but everyone wants our irons to be very consistent and really good. I think that paid off a little bit today,” said Saso. “It’s just the first day, so, yeah, see how it goes the next few days.”

Linn Grant fought to join Saso in the lead, but settled for second and one-stroke back after a 5-under 67. Grant, who became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Dana Open this past July, birdied two holes in her first nine holes on Nos. 1 and 6, before settling for a bogey on No. 11. But the Swede picked up the pace immediately after, carding four-straight birdies on Nos. 12-15 for her lowest opening round score since her victory at Highland Meadows.

“I think it was a mix of some lucky birdies and some really good ones. I think after 12 I kind of got confidence going and kind of felt more confident hitting the shots and relying on my golf and myself,” said Grant. “More of a confidence boost on the back nine.”

Six players sit in a tie for third at -3, including 2019 CPKC Women’s Open champion Jin Young Ko, LPGA Tour winner Rose Zhang and Canada’s own Alena Sharp, who already has a win under her belt in 2023 at the Epson Tour. Four players sit in a tie for ninth after 2-under 70s, including eight-time Tour winner Nelly Korda and sponsor invite Gabriela Ruffels.

Newly-minted Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lilia Vu and three-time CPKCWO winner Lydia Ko are both tied for 19th after an even-par 72. The 2022 champion Paula Reto struggled in the first round of her title defense, opening with an 6-over 78.

A LOOK AT THE LEADER

ABOUT THE LEADER

Rolex Rankings No. 22 Yuka Saso

• Saso hit 8 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens with 29 putts
  • She carded eight birdies in her opening round which ranks her first among the field
• The 66 ties Saso’s season-best 18-hole score, which she last recorded in the fourth round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
  • Her career-best 18-hole score is a 62, recorded in the final round of the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand
• Saso’s 66 is also her lowest first-round score this season, and her best since opening with a 64 at the 2022 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the last time she held an 18-hole lead/co-lead
• Saso’s back-nine 30 is a new season-best 9-hole score
• Saso’s four-straight birdies from Nos. 1-4 makes it a new season-best consecutive birdie streak
• This is the third time Saso has held the 18-hole lead
  • She’s slept on the first round lead/co-lead at the 2021 LOTTE Championship as a non-Member (ultimately finished T6) and then at the 2022 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (ultimately finished T32)
• This is Saso’s second CPKC Women’s Open appearance
  • She missed the cut in 2022 after shooting 70-75
• This is Saso’s 15th event of the 2023 LPGA Tour season
  • She’s recorded six top-10 finishes, including a season-best runner-up performance at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
  • Though she missed the cut at the AIG Women’s Open, she has recorded four top-seven performances in her last six starts on Tour
  • She was also a member of the Japan Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown
• This is Saso’s third season on Tour
  • She accepted immediate LPGA Tour Membership after winning the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open
  • She is a two-time winner on the JLPGA

THINGS TO KNOW

• Hye-Jin Choi ended her day as the only player to card a bogey-free opening round
  • She finished T13 with one recorded birdie
• Linn Grant finished her day -5 for sole possession of second place
  • She carded six birdies, tied for the second-most among the field
  • Her 67 is her second-lowest first round this season
  • This is her first start at the CPKC Women’s Open
    • This is her 11th Tour start this season; she has yet to miss a cut
• Danielle Kang is among those tied for third after a 3-under 69
  • She carded five birdies and two bogeys
  • Her 69 is her best first-round score since the JM Eagle LA Championship earlier this season
  • This is her ninth start at the CPKC Women’s Open
    • It is her third-best opening round score at this event
      • She shot a 66 in 2014
    • Her best finish came in 2014, a tie for fifth
• Jin Young Ko carded five birdies and two bogeys en route to her 69
  • This is her fourth start at the CPKC Women’s Open
    • She missed the cut in 2022 after winning in 2019
    • In every appearance in this event, she has opened with a round in the 60s
  • This is her 14th event this season
    • She has won twice with three additional top-10 finishes
• Weiwei Zhang finished tied for third after her first-round 69
  • She carded five birdies, including three in a row, and two bogeys
  • Her 69 is her second-best first round in 2023
    • She has ended her opening round with a 68 twice this season
  • This is her eighth start this season
    • She has finished in the top-25 twice this year
      • Her best finish was a T21 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with Min Lee
    • She has missed four cuts
• Ontario native Alena Sharp sits tied for third after her opening round 69
  • She carded five birdies and two bogeys in her first round
  • She is the lowest Canadian among those in the field
  • This is Sharp’s 18th start at the CPKC Women’s Open
    • Her best finish came in 2016, a fourth place finish
  • This is her fourth event this season
    • She has missed one cut and has one top-10 finish
• Sei Young Kim ended her first round with a -3 69
  • Kim carded six birdies on the day, including three in a row from holes 5-7
    • She also recorded three bogeys
  • This is Kim’s seventh start at the CPKC Women’s Open
    • Her best finish came in 2016, a second place finish
    • She has finished inside the top-25 in all but one of her six previous starts
      • She missed the cut in 2019
• Rose Zhang carded four birdies and one bogey on her way to a T3 finish after her first round
  • 69 ties her second-best opening round score this season
    • She ended her first round of the Dana Open with a 66
  • This is her first start at a CPKC Women’s Open
• 18-year-old and Ontario native Brooke Rivers ended her first professional tournament at -1, tied for 13th
  • She recorded one eagle, three birdies and four bogeys
    • She was one of five players to card an eagle in their opening round
  • Rivers is a freshman this year at Wake Forest University
• Defending champion Paula Reto ended her day +6 after recording seven bogeys, six coming on the front nine
  • 78 is her lowest opening round in her previous six starts at the CPKC Women’s Open
• World No. 1 Lilia Vu finished T19 at even par
  • She carded four birdies and four bogeys in her opening round

QUOTABLE

18-year-old and Canadian amateur Brooke Rivers (T13, -1) on playing among people she’s followed for years:

 “I remember being here when I was really young back when it was called ManuLife. My dad is from New Zealand, so Lydia Ko was always like one of my favorites, so I met her back then, so seeing her on the range this morning. As well as Mel Reid. I’ve always looked up to her, so it was really fun to play with her today.

Hannah Green (T9, -2) on playing alongside clubhouse leader Yuka Saso:

“It was a grind. I played really well on my front nine, which was the back nine. Then the wind got really gusty. Got pretty tough to hit the greens. I was just fortunate enough that I missed in the right areas to be able to make up and down. Shaughnessy is a tough golf club. I played with Yuka today and she shot 6-under on the back nine, our front nine. I was like, damn, that is a really great round. We were just kind of feeding off each other today.”

Alena Sharp (T3, -3) on letting go of any nerves at her national open this week in Vancouver:

“I’m walking down 10 and 11 and I’m like, what are you doing? You’ve been in the hunt on the Epson Tour, which those players are solid. Like the top 10, solid. You have to play good golf. It’s not any different. You’re making a big deal out of this. Stop. Stop it. And, yeah, once I hit that fairway on 13 I knew I was good to go. I actually made a good swing. First two on 10 and 11 were a little kind of like steery. I’m like, no, we’ve worked on my — I’ve worked on my swing all year and it feels like it’s in the best shape it’s been in a while. I know where my ball is going. Let’s play golf. Come on, you know.”

Brooke Henderson (T71, +3) with a summary of her first round at Shaughnessy:

“I just wasn’t sharp today so hopefully just go out tomorrow morning early, get off to a quick start, make more birdies. It’s kind of funny because early on in the round, like three shots better and I was in the top 10. So it’s like it’s a really tough golf course. It can really jump up and bite you sometimes. If you get on the right side of momentum you can make things happen, and hopefully that’s what I’ll do tomorrow.”

NOTABLE

Rose Zhang Zips Up Leaderboard with Opening 69 at CPKC Women’s Open

Szeryk Sisters Set to Shine at CPKC Women’s Open

Gabriela Ruffels on Top of her Game

Lilia Vu and Cole Pensanti – Rolex Rankings No. 1 Bib presentation

First Round Highlights | 2023 CPKC Women’s Open

Linn Gran First-Round Interview | 2023 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