Miyu Yamashita extended her comfortable lead, while Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng made significant progress in the rankings on Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open held in Edmonton. Yamashita from Japan delivered an impressive 5-under-par 65 in the third round, bringing her total score to 19 under at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton. With a six-stroke advantage going into the final day of the $2.75-million US tournament, Yamashita aimed for her fourth LPGA victory and second of the season.
After a lone bogey on the 17th hole, the 25-year-old bounced back with a final birdie on the 18th, expressing her satisfaction with the course and her strong putting performance. Setting a new tournament record with a 54-hole score of 191, Yamashita’s six-shot lead matched the tournament’s largest 54-hole lead. Following closely, Gina Kim of the U.S. scored a 6-under 64, and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida carded a 66, both trailing Yamashita at 13 under.
Calgary’s 16-year-old Deng, last year’s low amateur in Mississauga, made a remarkable leap by shooting the lowest round of the day with a 63, reaching 10 under and tying for sixth place. Deng expressed her satisfaction with her performance, focusing on minimizing mistakes and learning from previous rounds. Notably, Deng was among four Canadian female golfers aged 18 and under who made the cut in the CPKC Women’s Open for the first time.
In addition to Deng, Vancouver’s Anna Huang and fellow amateurs Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill and Clairey Lin from Langley continued their play over the weekend. Huang, 17, scored an even 70 to reach 7 under, while Xing, 18, posted a 71 at 1 under. Lin, 16, carded a 72 to finish at 2 over par. Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls showed resilience after a challenging start, finishing at 7 under with a second consecutive 68.
As the tournament progressed, Henderson acknowledged her missed opportunities on the greens and aimed to improve her putting for the final round. Despite trailing Yamashita by 12 strokes, Henderson remained focused on securing a strong finish. The forecast for the upcoming final round predicts a temperature of 26C with some forest fire smoke before potential thunderstorms later in the day.