Miyu Yamashita extended her impressive lead further, while Canadian youngster Aphrodite Deng made a significant move up the standings on Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton. Yamashita from Japan carded a 5-under-par 65 in the third round, reaching a total of 19 under for the tournament at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton. Heading into the final day with a six-shot advantage, she aimed for her fourth LPGA victory and second of the season after bouncing back from a lone bogey on the 17th with a final birdie on the 18th hole.
Yamashita expressed her fondness for the course, highlighting her strong putting performance. Setting a tournament record with a 54-hole score of 191, she equaled the record for the largest lead after 54 holes. In pursuit, Gina Kim of the U.S. and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida followed closely at 13 under, with Kim posting a 6-under 64 and Yoshida carding a 66 on Saturday.
Calgary’s 16-year-old talent, Aphrodite Deng, who was last year’s low amateur in Mississauga, made a remarkable climb with the day’s best score of 63, reaching 10 under and sharing sixth place. Reflecting on her round, Deng emphasized her focus on minimizing mistakes and learning from previous days.
Notably, four Canadian female players aged 18 and under, including Anna Huang from Vancouver, Michelle Xing from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin from Langley, B.C., progressed to the weekend rounds, a first for the tournament. Huang, Xing, and Lin maintained solid performances, with Huang at 7 under, Xing at 1 under, and Lin at 2 over.
Defending champion Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., recovered from early setbacks to finish strong, shooting a second consecutive 68 to reach 7 under. Despite facing a 12-stroke deficit behind Yamashita, Henderson remained focused on delivering a strong finish in the tournament.
As the final round approaches, the weather forecast predicts a temperature of 26C with some forest fire smoke before potential thunderstorms later in the day.