Richmond Country Club set to host CN Canadian Women’s Tour season opener
05/10/2012
Richmond, B.C. (Golf Canada) – A stellar field of Canadian and international female golf professionals, as well as top female amateurs, will open the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Tour season at Richmond Country Club in Richmond, B.C., from May 14-16.
The winner will earn the season’s first Tour exemption into the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open, August 20-26 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.
A number of LPGA Tour players headline the field at Richmond Country Club, including Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., the reigning two-time Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year Award winner. LPGA Tour rookie and CN Canadian Women’s Tour event winner Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C. is also in the field, alongside Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., two-time CN Canadian Women’s Tour event winner Ashli Bunch of Morristown, Tenn., Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif. and LPGA Tour rookie Melissa’Mo’ Martin of Altadena, Calif.
Team Canada graduates Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., are amongst a talented group of Symetra Tour players taking to the Robert Muir Graves design that also features Ashley Sholer of Hamilton, Ont., Danielle Mills of Pointe-Claire, Que., Melissa Mabanta of Langley, B.C., Amy Eneroth of Colbert, Wash., and CN Canadian Women’s Tour event winner Candace Schepperle of Birmingham, Ala.
“We’re excited to get the Tour season underway at Richmond Country Club,” said Tournament Director Cam Crawford. “The talent and depth of the field competing in Richmond speaks to how competitive the CN Canadian Women’s Tour has become in recent years, and we expect another great season of golf as players vie for exemptions into Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship.”
A total of 18 amateurs are slated to compete for the season-opening CN Canadian Women’s Tour title, including former Canadian University/College Championship winner and reigning B.C. Women’s Amateur and B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C., Ally Shin of Coquitlam, B.C., Kyla Inaba of Kelowna, B.C., and Sydney MacDonald of Calgary.
Coquitlam, B.C. native Jisoo Keel is one of seven Team Canada players in the field. Keel, a member of Team Canada’s National Squad, won last season’s CN Canadian Women’s Tour Top Amateur of the Year Award.
The total season prize money for the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Tour is $180,000 (CDN). Each 36-hole championship purse is $60,000, with each champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque as well as up to three special invitations to compete in Symetra Tour tournaments in 2012.
In addition, the top two players on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into Stage 2 of LPGA Qualifying School. All entry fees will be paid for Stage 2 and, if applicable, Stage 3 (up to a value of $4,000 each).
The first round will tee-off on split tees (Nos. 1 and 10) beginning at 8:00 a.m. PST on Tuesday, May 15.
Spectators are admitted free to the tournament and live scoring will be available online at www.cncanadianwomenstour.com.
Following the season opener at Richmond Country Club, the Tour will head to Club de golf Beloeil from June 11-13 in Beloeil, Que. The final event takes places June 25-27 at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara, Ont., following which a total of five CN Canadian Women’s Tour exemptions into the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open will be awarded.
ABOUT CN
Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company’s website at www.cn.ca.
CN DELIVERS THE GREAT GAME OF GOLF
CN is proud to support golf in Canada and is pleased to bring the best of women’s professional golf to Canada with its title sponsorship of the CN Canadian Women’s Open and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. In addition to supporting women’s golf, CN contributes to the development of golf among young people across the country through its sponsorship of the CN Future Links program. CN is pleased to work with Golf Canada to help develop golf as a sport for women and juniors across Canada and to increase the accessibility of golf to recreational and competitive golfers. Visit www.cn.ca.
ABOUT THE CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S TOUR
One of the world’s premier developmental tours, the CN Canadian Women’s Tour continues to attract rising Canadian and international female golf professionals as well as top female amateurs. Many of Canada’s top professionals, including Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp as well as 2012 LPGA Tour members Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc have competed on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour as a springboard to future success. The 2012 season will see events hosted at Richmond Country Club in Richmond, B.C., Club de golf Beloeil in Beloeil, Que. and Legends on the Niagara in Niagara, Ont. Total season prize money for 2012 is $180,000 (CDN); each championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion earning $10,000. As well, the top two players on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending order of merit will be awarded direct entry into Stage 2 of LPGA Qualifying School. All entry fees will be paid for Stage 2 and, if applicable, Stage 3 (up to a value of $4,000 each). For more information, visit www.cncanadianwomenstour.com.
GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing more than 340,000 members at close to 1,500 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sport Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game.
A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Golf in Schools presented by Callaway, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links – Canada’s national junior golf program – are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. As the authority for golf in Canada, the association also administers the Rules of Golf, amateur status and handicapping and course rating.
In addition, Golf Canada conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships provide world class competitive opportunities for Canada’s top golfers to showcase their talents.
For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit us online at www.golfcanada.ca.
For more information, contact:
Matt Cudzinowski
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Golf Canada
(p) 1-800-263-0009 ext. 258
(c) 289-259-5616
(e) mcudzinowski@golfcanada.ca
