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Szeryk, Rivers qualify for CPKC Women’s Open after turning pro at BC Women’s Open

Szeryk, Rivers qualify for CPKC Women’s Open after turning pro at BC Women’s Open

As Ellie Szeryk lined up her final putt to seal victory at the BC Women’s Open, she spotted old friend Brooke Rivers lurking on the green with a bottle of water.

Sure enough, when Szeryk made the putt, the chase was on and Rivers tried to douse her with water.

“I ran as far as I could, but she still got me pretty good,” Szeryk said with a laugh. “But it was fun. In golf, you usually do that with your really good friends when they win.

“So it was really sweet that she did that. It’s like an unspoken honor.”

Szeryk defeated Rivers by four strokes on Sunday at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in their professional debuts. Both golfers also earned a spot in the CPKC Women’s Open, July 25-28 at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.

“It was just really nice to be able to follow through on something I had been thinking about,” Szeryk said. “It’s not always easy to play golf. It’s only three rounds and you have no idea what the course looks like and how it will play.”

It was a relief for both players to earn their way to the women’s national championship, instead of relying on a sponsor exemption.

“I knew there would be a good opportunity for that,” said Szeryk of London, Ont. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past few months, like since I signed up.

“I knew I had to make sure I got my game right so I could take advantage of it because I knew there wouldn’t be a lot of sponsored exemptions for this Canadian Open.”

Rivers agreed.

“It feels really good to earn the exemption spot on your own merit by playing well,” said Rivers, of Brampton, Ont. “It also feels a little more rewarding when you get there because you feel like you did everything you could to put yourself there.”

Rivers added with a laugh, “It’s a little easier when booking trips so you don’t have to do it the week before.”

Both Szeryk and Rivers turned pro after the end of the NCAA golf season. They are both spending time with family and practicing before the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada kicks off on July 2 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario.

“I’m really excited to turn pro, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” said Rivers, who played one season at Wake Forest University. “It’s something I’ve been working towards my whole life.

“I just felt like I was in a position where I was ready to turn pro and start competing.”

Golf Canada announced the first commitments for the 50th edition of the Women’s Open on Monday, with eight of the current top-10 and 83 of the top-100 players from the Race to the CME Globe Standings competing in the women’s national championship.

The field of 156 players will compete at Earl Gray Golf Club for the first time in tournament history. This will be the seventh time Alberta has hosted the Women’s Open and the first time since 2016.

LPGA TOUR — Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is competing in the Dow Championship three days after making the Canadian Olympic golf team for the third time. Maddie Szeryk, Ellie’s older sister, narrowly missed out on Sharp at the Olympics by 1.41 points in the women’s golf world rankings. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., ranked No. 14 in the world, is also in the field at Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich. They will be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and amateur Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto.

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Quebec, is the highest-ranking Canadian to compete in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic. She is 120th on the points list of the second Epson Tour. She will be joined at the Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kansas, by Leah John of Vancouver (160th), as well as unranked Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ontario, and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ontario.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian at No. 30 in the FedEx Cup standings. He will be in the field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, where he finished tied for second in 2022. Adam Svensson (76th) of Surrey, BC, Ben Silverman (113th) of Thornhill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (194th) of Merritt, BC, are also in the field.

KORN FERRY TOUR – Myles Creighton of Digby, NS, is No. 23 on the Tour points list heading into the Memorial Health Championship. Also in the field are Wil Bateman (33rd), Etienne Papineau (50th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (100th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (118th) of Kimberley, B.C. at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Illinois.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames leads the Canadian contingent to the U.S. Senior Open Championship. He sits at No. 1 on the Charles Schwab Cup money list with two wins so far this year. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is ranked 25th on the list and is also in the field at Newport Country Club in Newport, RI. David Morland IV of Aurora, Ont., is also playing in the event.

AMERICAS TOUR — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., remains atop the third-tier Americas Tour points list for this week’s ATB Classic. He is one of 18 Canadians who play at Northern Bear Golf Club in Strathcona County, Alta.