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Canadian Pacific Women’s Open players to watch: Ryu, Henderson, Yin

By Elizabeth Bethel

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open field is packed with possibilities for a new champion, from world no. 1 So Yeon Ryu to Canada’s Brooke Henderson to the standout rookie, Angel Yin.

The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, coming on the heels of the Solheim Cup, could be an afterthought in the LPGA’s late summer schedule, but it’s not.  To the contrary, it marks the beginning of the run-up to the season’s final major, The Evian Championship.

With the pro-am and practice rounds completed, it’s time for the players to get down to work at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. Let’s take a brief look at the field.

Who’s missing?

Charley Hull is playing although I wouldn’t be surprised to see her withdraw if her wrist problems recur. Suzann Pettersen, and Jessica Korda are both missing, also dealing with injuries. Anna Nordqvist, Gerina Piller, and Lexi Thompson are taking the week off.

But we’ll be seeing Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Angel Yin, Michelle Wie, and Austin Ernst as well as Mel Reid, Catriona Matthew, Emily Pedersen, and Madelene Sagstrom. In other words, it’s back to work for the Solheim Cup stars, which is as it should be.

The oddsmakers are liking So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park, Amy Yang, Shanshan Feng, Inbee Park, and Sei Young Kim for the CP Women’s Open. Certainly they’ll all be highly competitive, but I’m thinking Brooke Henderson is going to make a supreme effort to capture this win. She’s primed and she’ll enjoy tremendous gallery support, which is always a positive incentive.

Watch for the “Solheim Cup effect”

In addition to Henderson, I’ll be closely watching several players who are coming to Ottawa with what I think of as a “Solheim Cup effect” – a boost to their game.

Carlota Ciganda inexplicably faded during the Solheim Cup Saturday fourball and Sunday singles matches. I’m thinking she’ll be coming to Ottawa on a hunt for redemption, althogh I’m not confident that she’ll find it.

Two other players who merit very close monitoring are Solheim Cup rookies Angel Yin and Danielle Kang.  Yin emerged as a surprise power player in Iowa and I suspect she’s gained a huge boost in self-confidence from her Solheim Cup experience.

Kang, the newly minted KPMG Women’s PGA Champion, is on a tear. She relishes competition like Cristie Kerr relishes competition and we’re going to see her playing aggressively for the top of the leaderboard.

Who to watch on Thursday and Friday

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Brooke Henderson, Cristie Kerr, So Yeon Ryu: Could you ask for a better pairing? This group is certain to deliver some golf that’s well worth watching. World no. 1 Ryu, who consistently delivers a flawless game, vs Kerr, who always plays for the win, vs Henderson, a superb competitor who will be carrying Canadian hopes and dreams in her bag.

Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park, Angel Yin: Defending champion Jutanugarn will be challenged by two of the Tour’s standout rookies. Park, who has a lock on the Tour’s Rookie of the Year honors, is the newly minted U.S. Women’s Open champion. Angel Yin is just as powerful and talented as Park, but she only recently discovered that fact about her game. Watching these three young athletes ply their trade is going to be delightful.

Golf Channel will begin broadcast coverage of the CP Women’s Open first round at 10:30am ET. Follow this link for a full list of 1st round pairings and tee times.

Next: Solheim Cup Sunday takeaway: A win for women's golf

Who are you liking for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open win? Will Ariya Jutanugarn finally find her game? Can Lydia Ko come back from her slump. Will Angel Yin emerge as the Tour’s newest young talent this week? Share your thoughts about the field and the state of the women’s game in the comments section.

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