Miyu Yamashita extended her commanding lead, while Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng surged up the rankings on Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton. Yamashita from Japan delivered a stellar performance with a 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 Sunday, the 25-year-old is aiming for her fourth LPGA victory and second win of the season.
Yamashita finished strong by bouncing back from a bogey on the 17th hole with a birdie on the 18th, expressing her affinity for the course and her exceptional putting skills. Her 54-hole score of 191 set a new tournament record, while her six-shot lead equaled the record for the largest 54-hole lead in the event’s history.
Meanwhile, Gina Kim of the U.S. and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida trailed Yamashita at 13 under after posting impressive rounds of 6-under 64 and 66, respectively. Notably, 16-year-old Deng, hailing from Calgary, made a significant impact by carding the day’s lowest round of 63 to reach 10 under and secure a tied sixth position.
Deng was one of four Canadian female golfers aged 18 and under who made the cut for the first time in the CPKC Women’s Open. Vancouver’s Anna Huang, along with fellow amateurs Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., continued their strong performances into the weekend rounds.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., showed resilience by recovering from a shaky start to finish at 7 under after shooting consecutive rounds of 68. Despite trailing Yamashita by 12 strokes, Henderson remained focused on delivering a strong finish in the tournament.
As the competition heats up, Sunday’s final round is expected to see temperatures of 26C, with possible forest fire smoke followed by thunderstorms later in the day.