Clara Ding punches her ticket to the CPKC Women’s Open in dramatic fashion with win at the GolfBC Group BC Women's Open at Nicklaus North

Whistler, B.C. – Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. got the She Plays Golf Championship Series off to a thrilling start on Saturday, winning the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open with a birdie on the final hole to edge out a duo of Team Canada amateur talents.

The trio of Team Canada athletes including Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. and Ding all held the lead at different stages of the back nine during the final round at Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler, B.C.

Ding – who opened Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Lin after playing the final ten holes of her second round Friday at five-under par – lost ground early on Sunday after making bogey at holes three and five to drop to five-under par.

Lin took advantage of the rare slip-up from the 36-hole leader, sinking birdies at Nos. three, four and five to pull into a tie with Ding atop the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Cranston – who started her round earlier in the afternoon, made the turn at three-under par and positioned herself well in the hunt of the tournament’s top spot to amplify the pressure on the duo ahead.

The two Team Canada NextGen athletes continued to trade places leading up to the final hole as Cranston cemented her place as the clubhouse leader at seven-under par and carding the lowest round of the afternoon.

After dropping a shot at the par-four 15th, Lin bounced back with a birdie on 18 to tie Cranston at the top at seven-under par, though her birdie would be unsuccessful in forcing a playoff as Ding – also tied atop the leaderboard at seven-under par – rolled in a birdie putt of her own on the final hole to snatch back the lead she opened with and claim the title.

The thrilling victory punches Ding’s ticket into this year’s CPKC Women’s Open set to take place at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24. The runner up finishes from Lin and Cranston nabs the duo 2,100 points each in the season-long standings.

Players who compete in the circuit accumulate points from their finishes that are put towards a season-long standings. The top finisher on the season-long point standings, who does not already have an exemption through winning a She Plays Golf Championship Series event, also receives an exemption to the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open, please click here.

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National Women’s Open.

The series successfully debuted as part of the Glencoe Invitational in 2023. Next stop for the She Plays Golf Championship Series will be the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, Alta. at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club from June 12-14. The final tournament will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, taking place at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. from July 7-10.

Source: Golf Canada

In addition to supporting the tournament as title sponsor, GolfBC was proudly represented by five team members who competed in the event. Esther Lee, a golf professional at Mayfair Lakes, and Symone Ripley from Gallagher’s Canyon played in the professional division. Gallagher’s Canyon was also represented in the amateur field by Jenny Macdonald - Net Winner in Flight 2 - alongside Kristy Gottselig and Kassidy Russel. We also congratulate Nicklaus North members Kerstin Baxter, who won the Net title in the Senior flight, and Carol Stipec, who both competed in the amateur championship.