Canadian amateur Deng tied for 2nd place at CPKC Women’s Open
Akie Iwai Continues Winning Streak at CPKC Women’s Open
Akie Iwai is on fire at the CPKC Women’s Open, picking up right where she left off after her victory at the Standard Portland Classic. The Japanese golfer shot four birdies on her back nine, totaling seven under par to take a two-stroke lead at the Canadian women’s golf championship on Thursday. Despite her recent win, Iwai emphasized the need for a fresh mindset when approaching a new tournament.
“Last week I won, but it’s already in the past,” said Iwai. “That’s why I changed my mindset, to have good focus this week.”
Iwai’s impressive performance saw her leapfrog over a group of players who held the lead for most of the day. Among them were Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, and Megan Khang, all tied at 5 under after the morning wave. Deng, a 15-year-old rising star, recently made history by becoming the first Canadian golfer to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
“It was just like another day at work for me, but then I think I will be excited and a lot of nerves out there as well,” said Thitikul. “I’m not going to lie saying I’m not thinking about that, but like to be honest I just told myself that I can think about it, that I can worry, that I can have nerves.
“But at the end of the day, you’ve got to pass this as well. It’s just another step of my life.”
In the afternoon wave, world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Ireland’s Leona Maguire joined the group tied for second with 5-under 66 rounds. Henderson, the top-ranked Canadian on the LPGA Tour, battled back from a tough start to finish the day at even par, tied for 38th place.
“It was a really unfortunate start that I had, and it was really tough to come back from that,” said Henderson. “But I feel like (caddie and sister) Britt and I, we stayed really gritty and kind of grinded it out.
“Just grateful we were able to get it back to even. I feel like lots of good things going into tomorrow, so just try to keep the momentum going.”
The CPKC Women’s Open promises an exciting weekend of golf as the players continue to showcase their skills on the course. Stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling tournament.
