A look back on 50 years of the LPGA in Canada, a former major championship that’s still beloved

Bourassa wins the inaugural La Canadienne tournament, a 54-hole event, in the summer of 1973 at Municipal Golf Club in Montreal. The year prior, Bourassa had won LPGA Rookie of the Year honors as well as Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year and the Order of Canada.

While injuries kept Bourassa’s LPGA career limited to eight seasons, she had an extraordinary influence on Canadian golf as executive director of the du Maurier Classic and creator of the du Maurier Series, a developmental program for female amateurs and professionals.

In all, there were six stagings of the event before it became a major and those champions included Judy Rankin, JoAnne Carner, Donna Caponi and Carole Jo Skala. Imperial Tobacco Canada took over sponsorship of the event in 1974, and it expanded to 72 holes in 1978.

In 1979 the event, now known as the Peter Jackson Classic, was elevated to major championship ship status. Amy Alcott won the first edition as a major at Richelieu Valley Golf Club. For most of the 1970s, there were only two LPGA majors.

The event’s name changed to the du Maurier Classic in 1984. Du Maurier is brand of Imperial Tobacco.

The who’s who list of champions in Canada includes a number of LPGA Hall of Famers like Pat Bradley, who won it three time as a major from 1980 to 1986. Sandra Haynie, Hollis Stacy, Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and Karrie Webb are among the stars who won the du Maurier Classic while it was a major.

Meg Mallon was the last player to win the event as a major in 2000. She’d go on to win it again in 2002 and 2004. With the event’s future uncertain, it was fitting that Kane, playing in the final group with Annika Sorenstam, made the last putt on Sunday as fans lined the 18th wearing “I am a Kane-adian” shirts.

Kane had just won on the LPGA for the first the week prior in St. Louis after nine runner-up finishes.

“I don’t mind telling you that that’s the one that got away,” said Kane, who ultimately tied for fifth that week at Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

It was the Bank of Montreal that ultimately stepped up to save the event, coming in as title sponsor for the next five years. Sorenstam won in 2001 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ontario. Kane, who once again played in the final group with Sorenstam, tied for third.

It was Sorenstam’s sixth victory of the season. She won eight times that year, and her presence in Canada went a long way.

In 2006, the Canadian National Railway took over as sponsor and the event was renamed the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Cristie Kerr won that first edition with the new sponsor. CN was title sponsor through 2013, when the Canadian Pacific Railway took over.

At 15 years, 4 months and 2 days, Lydia Ko became the youngest winner in LPGA history at the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open. The previous mark of 16 years, 8 months and 8 days was set by Lexi Thompson at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic.

Ko closed with a 5-under 67 to finish three clear of a stacked field that included 48 of the top 50 players in the world. Stacy Lewis played alongside Ko on Sunday and called it one of the most impressive rounds of golf she’d ever witnessed.

Ko won the the event a second time in 2013 while still an amateur.

In 2018, Brooke Henderson became the first Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open since Bourassa in 1973. The four-stroke victory over Angel Yin allowed Henderson to soak up the atmosphere in rainy Regina, where fans were packed 30 deep to see one of the nation’s most popular sports figures triumph on home soil.

Henderson is Canada’s winningest player, with 13 LPGA victories, including two majors.

“Thank God I was not in the group with her because I was a mess,” said Graham, a two-time winner on the LPGA who was working as a on-course reporter that week. “I lived through trying to be that (Canadian) player to win that event. … To watch her do that, it was just a magical week.”

In 2022, Kane teed it up her in her 30th and final Canadian Women’s Open. A four-time winner on the LPGA, Kane received the highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada, in 2006. In addition to her play inside the ropes, Kane’s work as an CPKC ambassador has helped to raise millions in support of children’s cardiac care.

Since 2014, the tournament has helped raise over $19 million to support cardiac research, equipment and care across North America. This year’s CPKC Has Heart program has a goal of raising $2,750,000 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Last year, the event was once again rebranded to the CPKC Women’s Open after the Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern merged. Megan Khang’s maiden LPGA victory in Vancouver helped launch the CKPC brand that debuted last spring.

CPKC, Golf Canada and the LPGA announced last summer that CPKC will remain title sponsor through the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, with an option to continue on in 2027 and 2028.