CPKC Women’s Open 2024 Tips: Hye-Jin Choi at 25/1 attracts

The LPGA Tour heads north of the border to Canada this week for the CPKC Women's Open and a $2.5million purse.

Our golf tipster has put together his in-depth preview and has picked out five names to consider backing each-way this week. Check out who and why along with all his CPKC Women's Open Tips below...

We witnessed an exciting finish on the LPGA last week, as Thai youngster, Chanettee Wannasaen recorded her second tour victory in the Dana Open. 

Entering the final round with a three-shot lead, Wannasaen had increased that advantage to five entering the back nine. However, due to a stumbling start to the closing stretch from her and a blistering four birdies in six holes from Haeran Ryu, her lead completely evaporated and they were all square with three to play. 

Unfortunately for Ryu, a bogey at 16 handed the initiative back to Wannasaen and no doubt calling on her winning experience in last year's Portland Classic, she impressively birdied her final two holes to win by one. At just 20-years-old, and now with two tour wins, she's a player whose development will be exciting to watch over the coming years.  

We have two more events in North America before players head off for a three-week stint in Europe. First with the Olympics at Le Golf National in Paris and then followed by two weeks on the links in Scotland, where the ladies will close out major season on the Old Course at St Andrews. 

With the Portland Classic to come next week, they first head a little north to Alberta, Canada for the CPKC Women's Open at Earl Grey Golf Club. 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The CPKC Women's Open (Canadian Women's Open) is one of the longest-standing events on the LPGA. It was first staged in 1973 and previously held major championship status from 1979 to 2000. Despite this downgrade to a regular tour event, it is still a high-coveted championship. 

Three players have won this title on a record three occasions. Pat Bradley (1980, 1985, 1986) was the first player to achieve this feat, with each of her wins coming in the major championship era. Meg Mallon (2000, 2002, 2004) came next, recording the first of her wins in the last major championship renewal of the event in 2000 and most recently, Lydia Ko (2012, 2013, 2015) entered the three-winners club; the first two of which came when she was still an amateur. 

There have been just two Canadian winners of the event and they were separated by a lengthy 45 years. Jocelyne Bourassa won the first ever renewal of the tournament in 1973 and she was finally joined by Brooke Henderson in 2018. 

Last five winners: 

• 2023 – Winner: Megan Khang (-9, playoff); runner-up: Jin Young Ko (-9) 

• 2022 – Winner: Paula Reto (-19); runners-up: Nelly Korda, Hye-Jin Choi (-18) 

• 2019 – Winner: Jin Young Ko (-26); runner-up: Nicole Broch Larsen (-21) 

• 2018 – Winner: Brooke Henderson (-21); runner-up: Angel Yin (-17) 

• 2017 – Winner: Sung Hyun Park (-13); runner-up: Mirim Lee (-11) 

Megan Khang claimed an overdue first LPGA victory in the event last year at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, beating 2019 champion, Jin Young Ko in a playoff. Khang is back in Canada this week and would become just the third player to successfully defend this title, following Pat Bradley in 1986 and Lydia Ko in 2013.  

THE COURSE 

The CPKC Women's Open changes course most years and will be hosted by Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary for the first time in its history this week.  

Philip Boese completed the original 18 holes at Earl Grey GC in 1932, though it has been altered several times since. It most recently underwent an extensive renovation in 2017/18 at the hands of Wayne Carleton, due to the decision to install a walking/bike path on the boundaries of the course. 

During this renovation, Carleton altered seven of the holes, revitalised all bunkers, added new tees and in the case of the par 3 9th, he essentially created a brand new hole. 

The course has been completely rerouted for the tournament, with the 431-yard par 4 18th usually playing as the 10th hole. This routing will see the back nine play significantly longer than the front (just shy of 700 yards), with only one of the four par 3s on the course coming up on the inward nine. 

Earl Grey GC measures in at a lengthy 6856 yards and plays to a par of 72. It possesses 10x par 4s (311-437 yards), 4x par 5s (533-554 yards) and 4x par 3s (167-192 yards). 

Flanked by Glenmore Reservoir and North Glenmore Park, this picturesque course is framed by mature trees, features subtle elevation changes and is home to numerous water features, which come into play on five holes (5, 6, 11, 12, 14). 

The rolling fairways are narrow, extremely so in places and protected by some strategic bunkering. That being said, whilst there are a select number that are tightly tree-lined, many have a little more room and with rough that looks relatively forgiving, players may not be punished too harshly for missing the short grass, as long as they find the correct side to attack the green. 

Said greens are a poa annua/bentgrass mix and relatively large at an average size of 6100 sq. ft. They're stated to play between 11.5-12 on the stimp this week and with many of the occasionally multi-tiered surfaces sloping from back-to-front, players will need to be smart on approach and leave the ball below the hole. Greenside bunkering does offer decent protection, with some that sit well below the green. 

It's difficult to judge how this course will play with no prior evidence. Despite the narrow fairways it does look playable, although, with there looking a correct side to hit on most fairways, it should require a good level of strategy. I will be interested to see how they tackle it for the first time this week. 

THE WEATHER 

The weather could have a say in just how difficult this debuting course plays, with some strong winds potentially on the way. 

It has been hot and dry in the build up and though it will be much cooler from Thursday, the sun is forecast to stay out and should create some enjoyable playing conditions. However, wind could be a factor, especially over the opening two rounds, with gusts of 35mph+ predicted on Thursday and 29mph+ on Friday.  Which players will have to manage accordingly if arriving. 

KEY STATS 

• SG: Off-the-Tee  

• Driving Distance 

• SG: Approach 

• Scrambling 

• SG: Putting (poa/bent mix) 

• Par 4 Scoring 

There's a lot of guesswork involved but as a lengthy course with narrow fairways, on which players will be compelled to hit driver throughout, it's this club that I expect to be the most important this week. 

I'd especially like to side with longer hitters. With there appearing ample opportunity for these players to carry bunkers and other land features to shorten and simplify several holes. 

A solid all-round ball-striking performance will likely be necessary. As mentioned, these sloping surfaces will require players to leave the ball below the hole and could be pretty treacherous if they fail to do so, especially if they're able to hit 12 on the stimp. 

If those windy conditions do materialise, it is bound to put pressure on the ball-striking and we'll probably see many greens missed, which means some decent scrambling skills may be called upon. Sticking with the short game, we should also look for players who have putted well on a poa/bent mix previously. 

Finally, with the par 5s a lengthy bunch, they don't look as obvious birdie chances as at most courses. The par 4s look reasonably scoreable, many with the potential to be reduced to a strong drive and a wedge, including the drivable 311-yard 6th hole. 

CORRELATING EVENTS 

There is no comp form to go off this week, though I did feel that several courses could provide clues due to the similar characteristics they share with Earl Grey GC. 

Firstly the Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club and the Dana Open at Highland Meadows Golf Club offer us a great way into this event. Each of these two courses feature poa/bent mixed greens, narrow tree-lined fairways and a similar level of bunkering. 

Regular tour stop, Columbia Edgewater Country Club – host of the Portland Classic – is another worth checking out. Though more generous off-the-tee, it is a densely tree-lined course that requires a somewhat strategic approach. Whilst with back-to-front and sloping poa annua greens, players are tasked with a similar challenge in approach and putting to here at Earl Grey Golf Club. 

Two further courses I liked are the 2016 & 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship host, Sahalee Country Club, and 2023's CPKC Women's Open host, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Each of these lengthy courses have poa annua greens, narrow tree-lined fairways and located further west, are played in a similar setting to this week. 

THE FIELD 

World #2, Lilia Vu tops a solid field heading to Canada this week. She is joined by fellow top-10 players Hannah Green (#6) and Rose Zhang (#9), and a further nine of the world's top-25. 

That includes last year's winner, Megan Khang. The American is one of six formers winners in attendance, alongside Paula Reto (2022), Brooke Henderson (2018), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) and Brittany Lincicome (2011). 

We also have a strong amateur contingent among the entries. Involved are top-20 ranked Americans, Megan Schofill and Anna Davis, whilst the top-ranked Canadian amateur at #42, Lauren Kim – winner of last year's prestigious Canadian Women's Amateur – will also tee it up at Earl Grey GC. 

*For all the latest CPKC Women's Open Odds, you can check out our market over on betfred.com

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Lilia Vu 10/1, Haeran Ryu 11/1, Brooke Henderson 14/1, Ally Ewing 14/1, Xiyu Lin 16/1 

This unfamiliar course makes an already open looking contest all the more competitive this week and after hitting form over the last month, I'm taking former star amateur, Hye-Jin Choi to make her LPGA breakthrough. 

Hye-Jin Choi 

Choi actually started the year well, hitting the top-20 in each of her first four starts but endured a somewhat difficult time in the three-month spell following the last of those efforts. Across her next 10 starts she missed five cuts and recorded just two finishes inside the top-40. However, it all started to turn around at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. 

There at Sahalee Country Club, following a run of MC-MC-MC-67-65, she recorded her first top-20 in almost two months, finishing 16th. A solid effort followed back home in Korea, finishing 20th in the LOTTE Open and she's continued to progress since heading back to the big stage, finishing 7th in the Evian Championship and 7th last week in the Dana Open on her last two starts. 

She is gaining strokes across each part of her game this year, but at her best she's a very strong driver; able to balance power with accuracy, as shown by her top-50 ranking in both driving distance and driving accuracy this season. Coming into this after one of her best combined approach/putting performances of the season in the Evian two starts ago, she has all of the relevant areas of her game clicking. 

Choi finished 2nd in this event in 2022, though her affinity for golf in Canada stretches back much further than that. She took the gold medal in the World Junior Golf Championship in the country in 2015 and in 2016, when aged just 17, she emphatically won the Canadian Women's Amateur by four shots. Beating major champions, Hannah Green and Allisen Corpuz, along with LPGA winner, Andrea Lee into 2nd place.  

These experiences can only be a positive when returning to the country and when added to her recent form, I fancy this 12-time Korean LPGA winner to become a first-time LPGA winner this week. 

Jennifer Kupcho 

Jennifer Kupcho is enjoying arguably the most consistent season of her career, but is just missing that win. She can put that right this week, at a course where her superb driving ability will surely be a huge asset. 

Kupcho has made 15 starts this season and missed just one cut, which came at the brutally difficult US Women's Open. She's recorded six top-25s, with her best effort coming when finishing 3rd in the Mizuho Americas Open and she arrives here after her second major top-25 of the year last time out, finishing 22nd in the Evian Championship. 

The key to that performance in France was her driving and it's an area in which she ranks 13th on tour this season. At 21st in driving distance, she's long and marries that with a rock-solid 51st in driving accuracy. She's putting competently too, often showing an ability to putt on poa and as a decent scrambler, she has many desirable assets for this test. 

Kupcho is another with strong amateur form in Canada, taking the Canadian Women's Amateur in 2017. Two top-10s in the Dana Open show what she can do on similar courses and if she gets in the zone off-the-tee, she'll be a danger this week.  

Narin An 

Narin An has been in terrific form of late and as a player with many of the required attributes for the challenge that awaits at Earl Grey GC, she can gain the first LPGA win this week. 

An is in her third year on tour and it looks likely to be her best. She's recorded six top-25 finishes in 15 starts and missed just three cuts, two of which came right at the start of the year. Among those starts she's hit the top-6 on three occasions, finishing 3rd in the T-Mobile Match Play and over her last four starts she has finished 6th in the Shoprite LPGA Classic and 5th in the Meijer LPGA Classic. A 12th-place finish in the Evian Championship when we last saw her also means that she's made the cut in each of the four majors so far. 

This level of performance has been down to her strong tee-to-green game, for which she ranks 8th for the season. Ranking 3rd in scrambling, 8th in par 4 scoring and 9th in approach, she ticks several statistical boxes and whilst her lack of power means she doesn't rank especially high off-the-tee, she is very accurate, and should at least be playing from the fairways more than most. 

An held a share of the lead heading into the final round of this event in 2022 – alongside Hye-Jin Choi – before a final round of +1 saw her slip to 6th. A 3rd-place finish in Portland that same year suggests she could go equally well again this time around and if she does, I'd expect her to fare better for that experience. 

Chanettee Wannasaen 

Chanettee Wannasaen did the business for us in the Dana Open last week and with that potentially acting as a good comp, I'm taking her to record back-to-back LPGA victories this week in Canada. 

Wannasaen was ultra-consistent at the start of the year, making her first 10 cuts and though missing half of her last eight, she has recorded her two best finishes of the season over that period.  

A 3rd-place finish in the Mizuho Americas Open was her previous best effort but she blew that away last week with that impressive victory at Highland Meadows, becoming a two-time LPGA winner in the process. 

She went into last week after producing her best ball-striking performance of the season when 17th in the Evian Championship on her previous start, ranking 7th in GIR, 12th off-the-tee and 24th in approach. Though we don't yet have full stats for last week, she appeared to again drive the ball well over the first few days, finding plenty of fairways and she certainly doesn't lack for distance. 

This strength should serve Wannasaen well at this course and with that win at the Dana Open now added to her victory in Portland last year, she has some very appealing pieces of form on comp courses that suggest her third win may arrive sooner than expected. 

Yealimi Noh 

Yealimi Noh is my third former Canadian Women's Amateur winner of the week, taking the title in 2018. This talented youngster has rediscovered some consistency this year and with some interesting comp form, she can turn that consistency into a breakthrough win at Earl Grey GC. 

Noh has only missed three cuts across her 12 starts this season, two of which came in the elite fields of major championships. She's recorded three top-25s, the best of which came when she was 9th in the Chevron Championship on a similarly long setup. 

She has been excellent off-the-tee this season, ranking 11th, which is largely down to her abundant power, ranking 18th in driving distance. Her iron play has also been strong and she arrives here in decent form with those clubs, recording three of her six best approach performances of the season over her last four starts. 

Noh has made three of four cuts in this event, including an encouraging 19th in 2022. I'm also buoyed by her excellent record in Portland at Columbia Edgewater - a course at which she's finished 2nd and 3rd – and if that ball-striking is in full flow, she can record a new season's best result in Canada. 

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