CP WOMEN’S OPEN
Sharp’s custom bag salutes Broncos
Green and yellow are the colours of Alena Sharp’s distinctive golf bag at the CP Women’s Open.
Sharp is using a custom-made golf bag and towel during the LPGA event at the Wascana Country Club to signal her support for the Humboldt Broncos.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured as a result of an April 6 collision involving a semitruck and the Broncos’ bus while the team was en route to an SJHL playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks.
“Growing up playing hockey, I’ve been on a lot of buses going to hockey tournaments,” Sharp said during a media conference. “So I’ve been there and done that. What happened still makes my skin crawl.”
Sharp, who hails from Hamilton, has an aunt and cousins in Humboldt. The tragic event hit even closer to home because of those ties, and it provided impetus for her to help out.
“I wanted to do something for the community,” Sharp said. “Giving back and being on this platform as an LPGA Tour player … it was just something I could do to help.”
Sarah Bowman, Sharp’s caddy, came up with the design for the bag. Along with the Broncos’ team colours, the bag features the slogan “Humboldt Strong ” on the strap and at its base.
“Every week is a privilege to carry Alena’s bag,” Bowman said. “This week is certainly an extraspecial privilege in remembering the tragedy that occurred with the Humboldt Broncos.”
Sharp and Bowman timed the unveiling of the bag to coincide with the CP Women’s Open in Regina, which is situated about 220 kilometres south of Humboldt.
The CP Women’s Open is taking place the same weekend that the Broncos open their first training camp since the deadly crash.
“We felt that, by the time we would be in Regina, a little time had passed and it wouldn’t be as prominent and talked about until they started the hockey season,” Bowman said.
“Having lost a parent, I know at the beginning the outpouring of support is fantastic and helps get you through those times. As time passes, it becomes silent. This is another way to let the families know they aren’t forgotten.”
It’s not the first time that Sharp has recognized the Broncos.
A week after the crash, the LPGA Tour was in Hawaii for the LOTTE Championship. Sharp and Bowman, following the lead of Canadian female golfers on the Symetra Tour, placed green-and-yellow ribbons in the lockers of the Canadian players to wear while playing in the tournament.
That practice continued at the Wascana, where a number of Canadian golfers were wearing green-and-yellow ribbons.
Many people around the world placed hockey sticks outside their homes to honour the Broncos. Sharp didn’t have a hockey stick with her in Hawaii, so she improvised by leaving a golf club — her driver — outside her hotel room.
“It’s hard to believe that the whole world came together through the tragedy,” Sharp said.
Brooke Henderson was one of the five Canadian players wearing a green-and-yellow ribbon in Hawaii. She won the tournament and dedicated the victory to the Broncos.
“Growing up playing hockey, I know how close a team can get,” Henderson said.
“With so many of your close friends (on the team), and seeing them go through that, that would have been terrible. It’s very tragic and I’m really sorry they all had to go through that.”
After the tournament, Sharp’s bag will be donated to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation in Saskatchewan, the recognized charity of the CP Women’s Open.
Until then, Sharp and Bowman will continue to show their support for the Broncos.
“A lot of people have commented on it and it’s definitely bringing attention, but I think it’s for the right reasons,” Sharp said. “I see it as a good thing and it definitely gives you perspective.”