Henderson, Sharp among golfers at Canadian Women's Open tuning up for Olympics
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The Olympic opening ceremonies will take place on the River Seine in Paris on Friday, but some Olympic golfers will be on the other side of the world when the Games officially kick off.
Canadians Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are among 23 Olympic golfers who are competing at the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary this week. The tournament teed off on Thursday morning.
World No. 2 Lilia Vu (U.S.), three-time Canadian Open champion Lydia Ko (New Zealand), and 10-time LPGA tour winner Minjee Lee (Australia) will also head to France for the tournament, which begins Aug. 1.
They’re trying to balance the competition in Calgary with the allure of their medal aspirations just a few days from now.
“Anytime I can represent Canada I'm very proud to do so,” Henderson said.
“Same as this week. When I step on the first tee and hear, ‘From Smiths Falls, Ontario,’ and everybody gets excited, it's a very cool feeling for me. It's just an honor to wear red and white and to wear the maple leaf. I am really looking forward to Paris this year. I feel like I have good experiences to lean back on from past Olympic Games, and feel like I'll be ready this year.”
Sharp will compete in her third games.
She has family in Calgary and will stay in town for a few days before flying to Paris. She reflected on her past two years and going from Olympic afterthought to making the team–including a huge shift in how she hits the ball.
“I think it's a different week because the Olympics are coming up and everybody has been congratulating me on making the team,” she said.
“Eighteen months ago, beginning of last year, I was definitely not in the running to make it. I made a coaching change and basically retooled my golf swing. [I] drew the ball my whole life, changed to a fade, and started hitting more greens.”
Lee’s brother, Min Woo, is also an Olympic golfer and will be at the ceremonies in central Paris.
“I don't know if I will be able to see him on like any of the later coverage or anything,” she said.
“But, yeah, my mind –some of my mind– is over there as well. I'm looking forward to when we get over there and start playing, too.”
Sharp, 43, is excited about her first normal Olympics.
She said that in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, athletes were discouraged from leaving the athletes’ village because of security concerns. In 2021 in Tokyo, they were not allowed to leave at all because of the pandemic. Now, she can take in the full experience as both a competitor and sports fan.
“We're getting there a little early,” she said, of her plans in Paris.
“We already got some tickets. We are going to go to the beach volleyball; it's under the Eiffel Tower. We are going to try to be tourist for that day, like watch the beach volleyball and then kind of go around Paris.”
Ko will be going with her sister. She’s trying to approach Calgary and Paris with the same mindset and approach.
“As much as the Olympics is special and it comes only every four years, I try to treat it not really differently, whether it's like my routine or anything to any other event,” she said.
“I think I still do the same preparation and everything…I'm super excited that this is my third Olympics, and I may not be very athletic, but I can say I'm an Olympian and Olympic medalist, which is something I'm always very proud of.”