CP Women’s Open brings heart and pro golf to Saskatchewan for the first time ever this August
When the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open stops in Regina this summer, it will be the first time in the history of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship the event will be hosted in Saskatchewan. The Wascana Country Club is set to welcome 90 to 95 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour from August 20-26 and Golf Canada’s tournament director Ryan Paul knows fans will be in for a show.
“For golf fans who’ve only ever seen professionals play on television, seeing them compete in person will be a treat,” said Paul. “It’s unbelievable to be up close to these players: if you go to any other sporting event and are way up in the stands, you almost feel you’re better off watching it on TV. We have miles of front row seats and being right there along the rope lines is amazing. To see how deadly accurate they are and how long they can hit the ball is truly spectacular.”
While the official list of players competing in the tournament is still being confirmed, we know that Canadian golf phenom Brooke Henderson, currently ranked fourth on the LPGA Money List and a six-time winner on tour, will headline a starstudded field that includes defending champion Sung Hyun-Park, American superstars Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson and former champion Lydia Ko. One of the reasons so many top players make the trip north is the prize money.
“Our purse of $2.25 million is the largest purse on tour outside of the majors and the tour championship,” said Paul. “Additionally, a lot of the players speak highly of the hospitality at the courses, the clubs and the communities they are in when they come to Canada. They really feel welcome, embraced and comfortable.”
In its fourth year as title partner, CP will once again make a significant contribution to the host community through its community investment program, CP Has Heart. Money raised from this year’s tournament will support a dedicated pediatric cardiology space and specialized equipment in the Pediatric Outpatients Clinic, called the “Frog Pod”, at the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. From now through the end of the tournament, CP will be matching all donations made at pattisonchildrenshasheart.ca, with the goal of raising $1.5 million this year. Since 2014, CP has raised $6.5 million in support of children’s heart health across Canada.
During the tournament, all players will have the opportunity to increase the donation total by participating in “CP Birdies for Heart.” Positioned on the par-5 17th hole, every birdie made during the tournament will result in CP donating an additional $5,000. CP ambassadors and Canadian golf superstars Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane will also be in attendance promoting their fellow athletes’ contributions and donations made by spectators through onsite activities.
You can bet that when tees start flying in August, Henderson, who represented Canada in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, will have her sights set on becoming the first Canadian to win the tournament since Jocelyne Bourassa, winner of the inaugural tournament held in 1973.
Since the event is Canada’s national open, organizers will be awarding spots to the next generation of Canadian golf talent, where they will be provided experience competing on the world stage against the best players. This year’s event should see 15 Canadians in the field, including Canadian Olympic team member Alena Sharp, Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ontario and Quebec City’s A.C. Tanguay.
Considering Saskatchewan’s reputation for hospitality, Paul expects the players to feel extra welcome when they come to Regina. “The time that we’ve spent here since we announced the tournament last June has been amazing,” said Paul. “The community has been great: the support from Wascana Country Club, the interest from volunteers and how the city has embraced us — and just the people and the general excitement around the event — has been excellent.”
Tickets start at $15 for the Monday to Wednesday practice rounds and at $45 for competition days. Kids under 17 get in free. Weeklong passes are also available, as well as upgraded experiences with extra perks. About 1,200 volunteers are also necessary to help the event run smoothly and anyone who wants to help out will get passes to the tournament and a full uniform.
For more information on the tournament, to purchase tickets or to register as a volunteer, visit