Brooke Henderson enters the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open with a real chance to make another piece of Canadian golf history at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton. She is defending her 2025 title while also aiming for a third win in Canada’s national women’s championship.
The tournament is scheduled for August 19-23, 2026, and the LPGA field includes 156 players at Royal Mayfair in Edmonton. Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner from Smiths Falls, Ontario, is leading the home-country story once again.
Why This Week Matters for Henderson
Henderson has already won the CPKC Women’s Open twice, first in 2018 and again in 2025. A victory in Edmonton would make her the first Canadian golfer to successfully defend the championship and would tie her with Lydia Ko for the most titles in tournament history at three.
Her 2025 win was especially meaningful because it came against a strong international field and ended a title drought of more than two years. That result reinforced her place as the most accomplished Canadian professional golfer in history.
Another victory would also spread her national Open titles across three provinces: Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta. That kind of footprint would give her resume a uniquely Canadian shape.
The Field Around Her Is Deep
Henderson is not chasing history alone. The 2026 field includes world No. 1 Nelly Korda, three-time champion Lydia Ko, and several other top-10 players, making this one of the strongest lineups of the season.
Among the most dangerous contenders are Miyu Yamashita, Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin, Hannah Green, Jin Young Ko, and Minjee Lee. The presence of six of the world’s top 10 and 14 of the top 25 means Henderson will likely need two excellent weekend rounds to stay in striking distance.
- Nelly Korda arrives with multiple wins in 2026, including major championships.
- Lydia Ko is chasing a record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.
- Minjee Lee returns as the runner-up from 2025.
- Miyu Yamashita set an early pace with a strong opening round.
Canada’s Next Wave Gets a Big Stage
The event is not only about Henderson’s title defense. It is also a show for a 15-player Canadian contingent that includes established professionals, promising amateurs, and rising teenagers.
Aphrodite Deng stands out after tying for 20th and earning low-amateur honors in 2025, then winning the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and defending her Mizuho Americas Open title in 2026. Her results have made her one of the country’s most closely watched young players.
Anna Huang brings another layer of excitement. She turned professional at 16 and has already collected four victories on the Ladies European Tour, which has quickly made her one of Canada’s most intriguing prospects.
Clairey Lin also adds to the storyline after becoming the second straight Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, following Deng’s 2025 triumph. The group also includes Lauren Kim, Vanessa Borovilos, Shauna Liu, Tillie Claggett, Katie Cranston, and Eileen Park.
- They are gaining experience against elite LPGA competition.
- They give Canadian fans a clearer look at the sport’s future.
- They help turn the tournament into more than a one-player storyline.
What to Watch on the Weekend
Saturday’s third round is the key transition point, with players near the lead trying to stay aggressive while also avoiding mistakes. For Henderson, the challenge is simple but demanding: close the gap without giving strokes away on a course that rewards control and patience.
Royal Mayfair should test approach shots, decision-making, and discipline under pressure. That matters even more on Sunday, when the final round will determine the champion and the winner’s share of the US$2.75 million purse.
The champion is set to earn US$412,500, but the bigger prize for Henderson would be the legacy boost that comes with a successful defense and a third national title. With Canadian fans behind her, a repeat win would be one of the defining moments of her career.