Amateur Lydia Ko leads heading into final round of CN Canadian Women’s Open
08/25/2012
Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Amateur sensation Lydia Ko carded a third-round even-par 72 to lead the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. Ko leads by a single stroke over Rolex Rankings World No. 2 Stacy Lewis, Rolex Rankings World No. 11 Inbee Park, Rolex Rankings World No. 15 Jiyai Shin, and Rolex Rankings World No. 45 Chella Choi, heading into final round action on Sunday.
Ko, 15, the world’s top ranked female amateur and winner of the 2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, posted three birdies and three bogeys on the day. She currently sits at 8-under par 208 for the championship, while Lewis, Park, Shin and Choi are T2 at 7-under par 209.
“Today, I tried to have more fun, but my score wasn’t as good,” said Ko, referencing the identical rounds of 4-under par 68 she carded back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. “I mean, 72 is better than 73 or any other score, so I’m pretty happy…It’s good to stay at the top of the leaderboard, but my first goal was to make the cut and hopefully top 15 or something. But to be up there is just an honour, especially playing against the world’s best.”
Lewis, meanwhile, shot the low round of the day, a 6-under par 66 in which the three-time LPGA Tour event winner posted four birdies and an eagle on the par-5, 10th hole to mount a charge up the leaderboard.
“I finally got off to a good start which I hadn’t done any of the previous days,” said Lewis, who has already earned two LPGA Tour wins in 2012 at both the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic and the Shoprite LPGA Classic. “I had quite a few chances that I missed, so I’m a little frustrated with that, but definitely happy to be up in contention and giving myself a chance tomorrow.”
Defending CN Canadian Women’s Open champion, Rolex Rankings World No. 12 Brittany Lincicome, is T21 at 1-under par 215, seven shots off the lead.
Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., the lone Canadian to qualify for weekend play, shot 2-under par 70 on Saturday to sit T32 with a three-day tally of 1-over par 217. Shepley, who has already wrapped up low Canadian honours at the CN Canadian Women’s Open for the second straight year, was particularly proud of her steady performance on Saturday.
“I just think I just enjoyed it,” said Shepley. “I’m at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. It’s a beautiful day. I’m playing on the weekend, my family’s here, my friends are here. I’ve kind of had a few hiccups this year, so I’ve just been kind of trying to be patient and hoping that things would come together, and I had a good round.”
THE FOLLOWING ARE THIRD-ROUND CANADIAN SCORES FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2012:
T32 - Jessica Shepley – 73-74-70-217, +1
-Missed Cut-
CUT - Lorie Kane – 72-76-148, +4
CUT - Samantha Richdale – 77-72-149, +5
CUT - Rebecca Lee-Bentham – 75-74-149, +5
CUT - (a) Natalie Gleadall – 78-72-150, +6
CUT - Isabelle Beisiegel – 76-74-150, +6
CUT - Alena Sharp – 75-76-151, +7
CUT - (a) Christine Wong – 79-73-152, +8
CUT - (a) Brooke Henderson – 77-76-153, +9
CUT - Kirby Dreher – 75-78-153, +9
CUT - (a) Augusta James – 75-78-153, +9
CUT - Sara-Maude Juneau – 81-73-154, +10
CUT - (a) Jisoo Keel – 77-78-155, +11
CUT - (a) Brittany Marchand – 80-77-157, +13
CUT - (a) A Ram Choi – 84-77-161, +17
FINAL ROUND TEES OFF SUNDAY
The CN Canadian Women’s Open concludes Sunday with the final round teeing off at 7:40 a.m. PDT off the 1st and 10th tees at The Vancouver Golf Club. Pairings and start times are available on-line at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com and www.lpga.com.
KIDS 17 & UNDER GET IN FREE
As in past years, the CN Canadian Women’s Open is committed to providing affordable family entertainment with the playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open golf championship. Any child 17 years of age or younger will gain free admission onto the grounds of the CN Canadian Women’s Open provided they are accompanied by a ticketed adult. Tickets are available at the gate or can be purchased online at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com or by calling 1-866-571-LPGA (5742).
CN MIRACLE MATCH PROGRAM STILL ACCEPTING DONATIONS
The 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open will help to raise money for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the official charitable beneficiary of the CN Miracle Match campaign in 2012.
CN Miracle Match is a national charitable initiative designed to rally communities across Canada behind a very worthy cause, supporting children’s hospitals. Each year since 2006, CN and Golf Canada have raised funds to support children’s hospitals in the CN Canadian Women’s Open host cities by matching funds raised through various initiatives that are connected with the championship. In the past six years, the CN Miracle Match program has raised nearly $6.5 million for children’s hospitals.
Individuals and corporations looking to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation can visit www.CNMiracleMatch.ca to make their donation.
ABOUT THE 2012 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN
Stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 20-26 at The Vancouver Golf Club. The CN Canadian Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CN, CVS Controls Ltd., TaylorMade adidas Golf, Molson Coors Canada, The Globe and Mail, The Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre, Reader’s Digest, Shaw, The Glenlivet, AutoCanada and CBC. Tickets can be purchased online, at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com, or by phone, at 1-866-571-5742.
ABOUT CN
Canadian National Railway Company -- and its operating railway subsidiaries – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company’s website at www.cn.ca.
ABOUT GOLF CANADA - LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing more than 340,000 members at almost 1,500 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in Canada, Golf Canada is responsible for promoting participation in and a passion for the game of golf in Canada.
A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada actively conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Golf in Schools presented by Callaway, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. As the authority for golf in Canada, the association also administers the Rules of Golf, amateur status and handicapping and course rating.
In addition, Golf Canada conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships provide world class competitive opportunities for Canada’s top golfers to showcase their talents.
For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit us online at www.golfcanada.ca.
Media Contacts:
Dan Pino
Director, Corporate Communications
Golf Canada
M: (416) 434-5525
dpino@golfcanada.ca
Matt Cudzinowski
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Golf Canada
M: (289) 259-5616
mcudzinowski@golfcanada.ca