Sharp’s fourth place ‘feels like win is close’
It’s the finest finish of her LPGA Tour career.
And for Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, who sizzled to a fourth-place showing this week at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, it’s especially meaningful to achieve that feat on home soil.
“I can’t really describe how great it feels to play this well in Canada because I have not played well at the Canadian Open in recent years,” Sharp said after Sunday’s final round at Priddis Greens, the first of back-to-back LPGA Tour stops north of the border.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to come back from Rio than to play in Canada for two weeks, and playing well here is icing on the cake ...
“I can’t really put into words how happy I am right now.”
When Priddis Greens last played host to the Canadian Women’s Open in 2009, Sharp lipped out a must-have putt on No. 18 to miss the cut by one.
On this shivery Sunday afternoon, the 35-year-old drained a birdie try on her final test to drop to 16-under 272 and climb into solo fourth on the leaderboard.
When she arrived in Calgary after an unforgettable experience in Rio, Sharp’s career-best in LPGA Tour action was a split of fifth. She’s optimistic that T-4 won’t stand as her top result for too long.
“I feel like I’m knocking on the door. I keep putting myself in great position, and I feel like a win is close,” said Sharp, who admitted Sunday’s celebrations would be low-key due to an early-morning flight to the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont., not far from her hometown of Hamilton.
“I feel like I’ve got everything. Today was a really good test, because I came out and I wasn’t as nervous as (Saturday). I was calm. I hit great shots. I made putts. I felt like I had things under control for four rounds this week, and it’s been a while since that happened.”
Sharp posted the best Canadian result at this annual showdown since Lorie Kane’s third-place performance in 2001, but she wasn’t the only success story during a historic week for the homegrown hopefuls.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., finished in a tie for 14th at 11-under 277, marking the first time three golfers from the Great White North have pegged among the top-15 on the final leaderboard at their national tournament.
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay checked in at T-59 at 2-under 286.
“When I look back at how great this whole week has been, I’m kind of speechless, to be honest,” said the 19-year-old Lee, a regular at Glencoe and member of Golf Canada’s national amateur team. “From the fans and just the golf that I played, it’s been amazing.”
While Sharp accepted the Sandra Post award as the low Canadian pro and Lee scored a medal as low amateur, Henderson — the emerging superstar was under immense pressure as the poster-girl for the 2016 CP Women’s Open — left Priddis Greens with the feeling she is trending in the right direction when competing on home turf.
“Canadian Opens, I haven’t always finished my best here just because it’s so busy and I have so many commitments and a lot of other things going on,” said the 18-year-old Henderson after Sunday’s final round just outside of Calgary.
“But since I started when I was 14, I’ve just continued a little bit every year, which is always a good sign. It looks like it will be my best finish here, so hopefully next year and the years after, I’ll get closer to that No. 1 spot.”
That’s what they’re all shooting for.
A host hasn’t hoisted this particular trophy since 1973, but the Canadian contingent didn’t disappoint this week.
“Obviously, every Canadian wants a Canadian to win, so if it’s me or another player, that’s what we want,” Sharp said. “I would love to come and better my finish that I had here in Ottawa next year.”