Toronto
Just four days after her first LPGA Tour win at the Portland Classic, 23-year-old Japanese rookie Akie Iwai continued her strong form at the Canadian Women’s Open. She shot a bogey-free seven-under 64 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round at Mississauga Golf and Country Club, just outside Toronto.
Iwai began her round on the back nine with two birdies in a row, finishing her day with four more birdies over her last six holes. “I was able to focus well and my swing was in good tempo,” said Iwai, currently ranked 24th in the world.
Tied for second at five-under 66 are 15-year-old Chinese-Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng, American Megan Khang, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, Ireland’s Leona Maguire, and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul — the current world No. 1.
China’s Liu Yan briefly led at six-under but fell back to finish two-under 69 after a rough final stretch. Other notable scores included South Korea’s Joo Soo-bin at 67, and several Chinese players finishing over par.
Notably, world No. 5 Yin Ruoning was absent, with organizers stating she chose not to participate to manage her schedule. The tournament carries a $2.6 million prize purse.
