It’s been three years since Hamilton’s Alena Sharp performed in a significant and he or she appears like her sport has advanced to higher swimsuit the best-on-best ladies’s golf event.
The 43-year-old Sharp joins Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., on the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship on Thursday. Sharp final competed in a significant in 2021, taking part in within the Ladies’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship that yr.
“I’ve undoubtedly modified fairly a bit,” stated Sharp. “I used to hit a draw and now I’m hitting a fade, so I believe that helps somewhat bit in majors as a result of often issues are agency, so it may not run out as a lot on the inexperienced.
“It’s worthwhile to hold evolving and I really feel like my sport has, so I’m prepared for the problem for the week.”
Sharp tied for twenty fifth on the Ladies’s PGA Championship in June 2021 and tied for seventieth a month later on the Evian Championship. Though a daily on the LPGA Tour in 2022, she didn’t qualify for any of the 5 majors in ladies’s golf.
She held twin membership with the highest ladies’s circuit and the second-tier Epson Tour in 2023, taking part in in 4 LPGA occasions that yr.
Sharp certified for this yr’s Ladies’s PGA Championship based mostly on her 146th rating on this season’s CME Globe factors listing.
“We’re taking part in superb golf programs and the PGA of America does an important job in elevating the occasion,” stated Sharp, who famous she was glad to see the event return to Sahalee Nation Membership in Sammamish, Wash., outdoors of Seattle. “The purse has gone up a lot since we began, it’s gone up like 300 per cent.
“Every thing concerning the event is prime notch.”
Henderson was additionally glad to return to Salahee, the place she received the Ladies’s PGA Championship in 2016, the primary main title of her profession and her second win on the LPGA Tour.
“It undoubtedly modified my life again in 2016,” stated Henderson. “I obtained much more consideration from the followers and the media, and simply what I believed I may do shifting ahead I believe modified.
“Felt like something was potential after this victory. I actually gained loads from taking part in and successful right here in 2016.”
The ladies’s world golf rankings might be finalized for Olympics {qualifications} on Monday, following the conclusion of the Ladies’s PGA Championship. Because the world No. 13 participant, Henderson is a lock to symbolize Canada on the Paris Video games in August.
“Any time you possibly can go and symbolize your nation it’s a really proud second,” stated Henderson, who performed for Canada on the 2016 Rio Video games and once more in Tokyo in 2021, each occasions with Sharp. “To have the ability to put on the Maple Leaf and go to Paris is de facto thrilling for me.”
Regardless of primarily taking part in within the Epson Tour over the previous two years, Sharp is the front-runner to be Henderson’s teammate for a 3rd consecutive Olympics.
“It’s been on my thoughts,” stated Sharp. “I’ve been watching (the rankings) clearly, and I used to be desperate to get again out on the LPGA Tour since you don’t get a variety of factors taking part in on Epson.
“The final two tournaments I used to be capable of make the lower after which simply didn’t play properly on the weekend however I’ve discovered from these two experiences and hope to use it this week.”
EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., leads a bunch of 5 Canadians into the Island Resort Championship on Friday. She’s No. 111 within the Race for the Card standings. Maddie Szeryk (a hundred and fortieth) of London, Ont., in addition to unranked gamers Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., Vancouver’s Leah John and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., are additionally taking part in at Sweetgrass Golf Membership in Harris, Mich.
RIVERS GOES PRO — Collegiate star Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., has turned skilled. The Wake Forest College freshman will play the B.C. Open at Pitt Meadows Golf Membership on Thursday. She will even play within the ORORO PGA Ladies’s Championship of Canada at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., on July 2.
PGA TOUR — Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., remains to be the top-ranked Canadian heading into the Vacationers Championship on Thursday though the rankings are very shut. He’s thirtieth, Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is thirty first, Corey Conners of Listowel, is thirty third and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford is thirty seventh. All 4 are within the area at TPC Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. Mackenzie Hughes (forty sixth) of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Svensson (88th) of Surrey, B.C., will even tee it up.
KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman is the best ranked Canadian taking part in on this week’s Compliance Options Championship. Bateman is thirtieth on the second-tier tour’s factors listing. He’ll be joined at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Membership in Norman, Okla., by Etienne Papineau (forty eighth) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellmaraju (96th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (117th) of Kimberley, B.C.
CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames leads the Schwab Cup factors listing heading into DICK’S Open En-Joie Golf Membership in Endicott, N.Y. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is thirty fifth on the factors listing heading into Friday’s first spherical.
PGA TOUR AMERICAS — The North American swing of the Americas Tour begins on Thursday with The Beachlands Victoria Open at Uplands Golf Membership in Victoria. Matthew Anderson of Mississauga and Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald are Nos. 1 and 4 on the Fortinet Cup standings popping out of the break between the Latin American and North American legs of the third-tier circuit.
