Miyu Yamashita extended her commanding lead, while Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng made significant strides in the standings on Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open held in Edmonton. Yamashita of Japan delivered an impressive 5-under-par 65 during the third round, reaching a total of 19 under for the tournament at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton. With a six-stroke advantage going into Sunday, she aimed for her fourth LPGA victory and second of the season.
Yamashita, aged 25, recovered from a lone bogey on the 17th hole by securing a sixth birdie on the 18th. She expressed her satisfaction with the course, particularly praising her putting skills. Her 54-hole score of 191 set a new tournament record, and her six-shot lead matched the record for the largest 54-hole lead in the tournament’s history.
In pursuit of Yamashita, Gina Kim from the U.S. carded a 6-under 64, while Japan’s Yuri Yoshida posted a 66 to trail at 13 under. Notably, 16-year-old Calgary native Aphrodite Deng, last year’s low amateur in Mississauga, surged up the leaderboard with the lowest round of the day, shooting a remarkable 63 to reach 10 under and tie for sixth place.
Deng was among four Canadian women aged 18 and under who made the cut in the CPKC Women’s Open for the first time. Anna Huang from Vancouver, Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ontario, and Clairey Lin from Langley, British Columbia, continued their play into the weekend. Huang, 17, scored an even 70 to sit at 7 under, while 18-year-old Xing posted a 71 at 1 under. Lin, aged 16, carded a 72 to finish 2 over par.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ontario, overcame a rough start to finish at 7 under after shooting a second consecutive 68. Despite hitting 16 greens in regulation, Henderson felt she missed key putts during the round and aimed to improve her putting performance for the final day.
As the tournament progresses, Yamashita maintained a significant lead over her competitors, with Henderson trailing by 12 strokes. Despite the gap, Henderson aimed to finish strong and improve her performance in the last round. The final day’s forecast predicted a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius with some forest fire smoke, later followed by expected thunderstorms in the late afternoon.