Yamashita increases lead, Canada’s Deng climbs CPKC Women’s Open leaderboard

Miyu Yamashita increased her already healthy lead and Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng vaulted up the leaderboard Saturday at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Japan’s Yamashita turned in a 5-under-par 65 in the third round to get to 19 under for the tournament at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

Her 14-under 126 in her first 36 holes was a tournament record. The 25-year-old gave nothing back Saturday.

Yamashita took a six-stroke lead into Sunday at the US$2.75-million event seeking the fourth LPGA win of her career and her second this season.

She rebounded from her lone bogey of the day on the 17th with a sixth birdie on 18.

“I like this course,” she said. “Putting, my feeling, so good.”

Gina Kim of the U.S. posted a 6-under 64 and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida carded a 66 on Saturday to trail Yamashita at 13 under.

The 16-year-old Deng from Calgary, who was the tournament’s low amateur last year in Mississauga, Ont., shot the day’s lowest round of 63 to get to 10 under and tied for sixth.

“It felt really great, but I wasn’t really counting how low I was shooting,” Deng said. “I was just trying to learn from my first two days and make the least mistakes as possible.”

Deng was among four Canadian women aged 18 and under to make the cut in the CPKC Women’s Open, which was a tournament first.

Vancouver’s Anna Huang and Deng’s fellow-amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., continued playing into the weekend.

Huang, 17, shot an even 70 on Saturday to be 7-under par. The 18-year-old Xing posted a 71 at 1 under. Lin, 16, carded a 72 to be 2 over.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., recovered from three-putting the ninth to be 1-over at the turn with three straight birdies on her back nine. She shot a second straight 68 to be 7 under.

“I feel like I didn’t get out of my round what I really should have,” said Henderson, who hit 16 greens in regulation. “It just came down to a few putts I missed. I missed quite a few inside six feet today actually, which I haven’t been doing, so it was a little bit unusual.

“I might hit a few putts here after the round just to get a feel for it again. I feel like I gave myself a lot of good looks. That’s all you can ask for. Hopefully I’ll do the same tomorrow, but make the putts.”

The 28-year-old, who won the tournament both last year in Mississauga and in 2018 in Regina, trailed Yamashita by 12 strokes.

“She’s playing really well and she has a substantial lead on most everybody,” Henderson said. “At this point I’m just trying to get a really good finish for myself, so seeing if I can go low tomorrow just so I can feel really good about how I played the last four days.”

‘Deng was born in Calgary and was four years old when her family moved to the United States.

The teen, who is on Canada’s NextGen team, appreciated the cheers that increased in frequency and volume Saturday as she rattled off a bogey-free round.

“I’m so grateful for all the support,” she said. “Every time I play this event, there’s so many people out here supporting me.”

Deng’s tee shot on the 18th was under a tree, but she calmly hit out of trouble to put her second shot on the green for a par.

“When I was missing today, I ended up saving it,” she said. “The only putt I missed was on 18, so yeah, it was pretty good.”

Her caddie is 19-year-old University of Florida student Benjamin Reed, who was on her bag when she won the 2025 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

“That’s where I won, so I just kept him for most of the tournaments,” said Deng, who went even par at this year’s U.S. Open to tie for 17th.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 72 to sit 1 over. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga was 3 over after a 74.

The forecast for Sunday’s final round is 26 C with some forest fire smoke before giving way to thunderstorms in the late afternoon.