Players 23 or younger have won 21 of the 23 tour events this year.
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The three-time victor of the tournament – twice as an amateur and previous year as a professional – mixed five birdies and two bogeys in her second-round 69, heading into moving day on eight-under and in a share of fourth. She sank back-to-back birdies to close out Sunday’s final round.
“Sometimes I feel more confident with my irons, so I feel like this one I’ve got to make sure it’s in the fairway, so it’s good enough”, said Jutanugarn, who is now No. 2 in the Rolex women’s world golf rankings behind New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and just ahead of Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont. “But after that I feel like I changed my focus, so right now my focus is like what’s going to be good, like what I have to do to be good, so I’m thinking about like what is under my control, not thinking about like anything else”.
“I played pretty solid the last few days”, Ko said.
Three Canadians finished in the top 15 for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Local favourite Alena Sharp (67) was fourth overall, while a brilliant final round from Karrie Webb (64) saw her claim equal fifth alongside Anna Nordqvist (68).
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew is tied 41st on five under, with England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff one shot further back.
“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.
Henderson, 18, walked off smiling after a birdie putt on No. 18. Leblanc, 27, was not as happy after missing a short par putt for a bogey there.
“It was very important to play well here”. The Golf Canada National Amateur Team member gained a wealth of experience and memorable moments in her first LPGA Tour event.
“This is our national championship and the crowds always seem to be awesome here wherever it is in the country, which is really cool”, Henderson said.
“Honestly, I don’t think it suits with my game. I think she is inspiring for the new generation”, Moriya said.
The 35-year-old from Hamilton is still seeking her first LPGA Tour triumph, but it’s becoming more and more common to see her name near the top of the leaderboard. Those really got my game going.. “To me, it’s a little bit narrow and I can’t hit my driver”. The only thing I want to be is I really want to be happy on the course.
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“I was not hitting it well the first nine holes, but I hung in there”. The bigger the crowds, the more energy I feel and the better I play normally. Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay shot 74 and is 1 over for the tournament heading into the final day on Sunday.
