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Canada’s Brooke Henderson watches her tee shot during the second round of the Canadian Women’s Open at Mississauga Golf and Country Club on Friday. Henderson fired a five-under 66 and now sits tied for fifth.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Brooke Henderson was focused on outrunning the cutline on Friday at the CPKC Women’s Open. She not only did that, but she thrust herself into contention.
Henderson rebounded from a tough first round with a solid Friday performance to propel herself back into the mix at the LPGA Tour’s lone Canadian tournament.
She fired a five-under 66 and now sits tied for fifth, four shots back of leader Akie Iwai of Japan, who is nine-under. It was a notable turnaround for the 27-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont. who had been tied for 38th after her even-par 71 on Thursday.
“I wanted to get myself away from that cutline as fast as I could and put myself in a good spot,” said Henderson. “So excited to be playing the weekend in front of these amazing fans and hope I can give them more to cheer about tomorrow.”
The country’s most successful golfer – winner of 13 LPGA titles – is among the five Canadians who made the cut at the national open. So did 15-year-old emerging golf star Aphrodite Deng, despite an up-and-down round on Friday, scoring a two-over 73 on Friday, now tied for 15th.
The teenage amateur from Calgary was coming off a near flawless opening round on Thursday, when she hit 13 of 14 fairways and carded an impressive five-under 66, attracting the crowds at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in her first LPGA Tour start.
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15-year-old Aphrodite Deng watches her tee shot during the Canadian Women’s Open on Friday. Deng won the 2025 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
It was not surprising to those who know the promising junior. She’s had loads of amateur success this summer, including a win at the prestigious U.S. Girls Junior Championship last month.
Deng went into the clubhouse after that Thursday morning round with a share of the lead and entered Friday just two shots back of the leader, Iwai.
Henderson said Deng’s performance on Thursday was part of what motivated her to step it up on Friday. She was impressed by her young compatriot.
“For sure, it was very inspiring to see her up there and playing so well,” said Henderson. “I know she’s played amazing this summer, and to see her name up there I was like, ‘Okay, let’s go, I’ve got to keep up here.’”
As she often does in Canada, Henderson drew a healthy gallery of fans Friday, many of them kids sporting their red Brooke’s Brigade t-shirts.
Henderson’s likeness is promoted everywhere at this event, from giant posters to media lanyards. The veteran in her 11th LPGA season knows this home event mixes pressure and excitement. In 2018, she ended a lengthy drought when she became the first Canadian to win the Canadian Women’s Open since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.
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Henderson is Canada’s most successful golfer, with 13 LPGA titles.Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press
Henderson was hot off the start Friday, as she nearly sunk her approach from the fairway in her second hole of the round. She hit 12 of 14 fairways on the day. She closed with four birdies in her last seven holes, including two straight on 17 and 18 and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. The round was a bright spot in a year that Henderson herself has said hasn’t met her standards.
“That feels good,” Henderson said. “Any time you can see your name near the top of the leaderboard, it’s always a great feeling.”
Much of that big crowd flowed over to follow Deng again Friday, who began her round on the 11th hole in the afternoon wave after Henderson finished. The teen started steady, birdieing two of her first seven holes. But her eventual four birdies on the day were levelled out by four bogeys and a double bogey.
There were 16 Canadians in the field when the tournament began, with 10 of them amateurs. The others from Canada to make the cut are: Monet Chun (T29), Maude-Aimée Leblanc (T45) and amateur Katie Cranston (T45).
