AURORA, Ontario — Annie Park shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the opening round of the CP Women’s Open.
Canadians Brooke Henderson, the defending champion, and Anne-Catherine Tanguay were one shot back along with top-ranked Jin Young Ko, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Nicole Broch Larsen.
Park hit 15 greens in regulation and eagled the par-5 ninth. She could play her way onto the U.S. team for next week’s Solheim Cup with a strong finish in Canada. The top eight players in the points standings after the tournament will make the team, with two additional spots determined by the world rankings and captain Juli Inkster getting two wild-card picks. Park’s easiest avenue to qualify for the team would be via the rankings — she is 42nd, one spot behind Austin Ernst.
Full-field scores from the CP Women’s Open
Tiffany Chan, Marissa Steen, Megan Khang and Louise Ridderstrom shot 67 on Thursday at Magna Golf Club.