Miyu Yamashita extended her lead at the CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton, while Aphrodite Deng from Canada made significant progress on Saturday. Yamashita, representing Japan, delivered an impressive performance with a 5-under-par 65 in the third round, elevating her total score to 19 under for the tournament hosted at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.
Heading into Sunday’s final round of the $2.75-million US event, Yamashita held a commanding six-stroke lead, aiming for her fourth LPGA victory and second of the season. The 25-year-old golfer showcased resilience by bouncing back from a lone bogey on the 17th hole with a final birdie on the 18th, expressing her appreciation for the course conditions and her strong putting skills.
Yamashita’s 54-hole score of 191 set a new tournament record, and her six-shot lead tied the existing record for the largest lead after 54 holes. Gina Kim of the U.S. and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida trailed behind Yamashita at 13 under after posting impressive scores of 6-under 64 and 66, respectively, on Saturday.
Among the notable performances was the exceptional play by 16-year-old Canadian talent, Aphrodite Deng, who surged up the leaderboard with the day’s lowest round of 63, reaching a total of 10 under and sharing the sixth position. Deng, who hails from Calgary, emphasized her focus on learning and minimizing mistakes throughout her rounds.
In a historic moment for the CPKC Women’s Open, four Canadian female golfers aged 18 and under, including Anna Huang from Vancouver, Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., made the cut and continued their impressive play into the weekend. Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., showcased her skills by recovering from early setbacks to finish the day at 7 under, trailing Yamashita by 12 strokes.
As the tournament heads into the final day, the weather forecast predicts a temperature of 26°C with potential forest fire smoke in the morning, followed by the possibility of thunderstorms in the late afternoon.