Miyu Yamashita extended her impressive lead, while Canadian teen Aphrodite Deng surged up the rankings on Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton. Yamashita, from Japan, recorded a remarkable 5-under-par 65 in the third round, bringing her total score to 19 under for the tournament at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton.
Heading into Sunday, Yamashita held a commanding six-stroke lead in the $2.75-million US event, aiming for her fourth LPGA victory and second of the season. The 25-year-old finished strong with a sixth birdie on the 18th hole, bouncing back from her sole bogey on the 17th.
Yamashita expressed her fondness for the course, emphasizing her strong putting performance. Her 54-hole score of 191 set a new tournament record, with her six-shot lead matching the tournament’s largest 54-hole lead record. Gina Kim of the U.S. carded a 6-under 64, and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida posted a 66 to trail Yamashita at 13 under.
Calgary’s 16-year-old prodigy, Aphrodite Deng, who was the top amateur in last year’s event, delivered an outstanding round of 63 to reach 10 under and tie for sixth place. Deng highlighted her focus on learning from her previous rounds and minimizing errors.
Notably, four Canadian female golfers aged 18 and under made the cut for the first time in the CPKC Women’s Open. Vancouver’s Anna Huang, along with amateurs Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., continued their participation over the weekend. Huang, 17, finished at 7 under with an even 70, while Xing, 18, posted a 71 at 1 under. Lin, 16, carded a 72 to be 2 over.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., recovered from a shaky start to finish at 7 under, trailing Yamashita by 12 strokes. Henderson expressed her determination to finish strong in the tournament despite facing a significant deficit.
The final round on Sunday is expected to have a temperature of 26°C with some haze from forest fires, later followed by potential thunderstorms in the afternoon.