Yamashita's third-round surge
Miyu Yamashita rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-4 18th to take a six-stroke lead after the third round of the CPKC Women's Open in Edmonton on Saturday. The 25-year-old Japanese player shot a 5-under 65 in calm conditions to reach 19-under 191 at Royal Mayfair, a tree-lined layout described by multiple reports as a mosquito hot spot after record summer rain.
Yamashita, who had opened with a course-record 62 and added a 64 on Friday, has now posted three consecutive rounds in the 60s. She said through a translator, "I like this course," and added, "My feeling so good." The 4-foot-11 player has won three times in less than 13 months, including the Meijer LPGA Classic in June and the Women's British Open and Maybank Championship last season, when she was rookie of the year.
Leaderboard logjam behind
American Gina Kim and Yuri Yoshida of Japan are tied for second at 13 under. Kim carded a 64 with seven birdies, while Yoshida shot 66 with a stretch of three consecutive birdies. Jennifer Kupcho is alone in fourth at 12 under after a bogey-free 64, and Somi Lee is fifth at 11 under despite a double bogey on the par-5 12th.
Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng, 16, who won the 2025 U.S. Girls' Junior, surged with a bogey-free 63 filled with seven birdies. She is tied for sixth at 10 under with Sei Young Kim, Ruoning Yin, and Kiara Romero. Deng said, "I wasn't really counting like how low I was shooting," adding, "I was just trying to play as best as I can."
Notable performances and context
Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2025 champion, is in an eight-way tie for 15th at 7 under after a 68. She said, "I hit 16 greens and gave myself a lot of good looks, so it's disappointing to only shoot 2 under." Vancouver's Anna Huang, 17, is also at 7 under. Nelly Korda shot a 69 to get to 4 under, and Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, is 2 under after a 69.
The event marks the final week of qualifying for Americans for the Solheim Cup team, which will be contested Sept. 11-13 in the Netherlands. Kiara Romero, who is tied for sixth, is the second player to earn LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad.
Final round outlook
Yamashita, who set a tournament record with her 54-hole total of 191 and tied the record for the largest lead after three rounds, is poised to win her fourth career title. As the Globe and Mail put it, she is "poised to win" barring a collapse, while Yardbarker reported that she "moved closer to her fourth career win." The final round begins Sunday at Royal Mayfair.