Lorie Kane of CanadaReuters
Ninety-six of the top 100 players on the LPGA money list including everyone in the top 10 will be among the field of 156 players who will tee it up next week at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton for the CN Canadian Women's Open.
Headlining the field of LPGA stars are world number one Inbee Park, the 25-year-old from South Korea who already has six wins on tour this year including three of the first four majors.
World number two Stacey Lewis, who ended Park's winning streak at the majors with a win at the Women's British Open, is a three-time winner on tour this year.
World number three Suzann Pettersen is among 10 past champions in the field which includes Cristie Kerr, Karrie Webb, Brittany Lincicome, Michelle Wie and 16-year-old Lydia Ko, who will be back to defend the title she won in Vancouver last year when she became the youngest player ever to win an LPGA Tour event.
Lorie Kane of Charlottetown is among 19 Canadians looking to become the first to win an LPGA Tour event on home soil since Canadian golf legend Jocelyne Bourassa's historic victory in 1973 at La Canadienne Golf Championship. She is joined by LPGA regulars Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Sara Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que. and Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont.
Other Canadian hopefuls include Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont., Isabelle Beisiegel of Saint-Hilaire, Que., Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont. and amateur Anne-Catharine Tanguay of Quebec City.
Four members of Team Canada will also challenge the world's best golfers including Canada's top ranked amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. as well as National Development Squad member Jennifer Ha of Calgary.
"The field is set, it's one of the strongest on the LPGA Tour, and we are looking forward to another tremendous showcase as the world's best professional and amateur golfers challenge for Canada's National Women's Open title," said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin.
An additional four spots into the field will be handed out following on Monday's final qualifier at Edmonton Petroleum Golf Club.
This year's CN Canadian Women's Open will help to raise money for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, the official charitable beneficiary of the CN Miracle Match campaign in 2013. In the past seven years, the CN Miracle Match program has raised more than $8.2 million for children's hospitals and that total is expected to surpass $10-million when the final putt drops at the conclusion of this year's tournament.
Tickets can be purchased online, at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com, or by calling 1-866-571-5742.