Macy Pate holds one-shot lead heading into third round;
Michelle Xing two shots back
(L to R) Amy Seung Hyun Lee, Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon, Angela Arora
ROTHESAY, N.B. – After consecutive runner-up finishes the past two years, Team British Columbia (B.C.) has reclaimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship from Team Ontario in the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.
Team B.C. finished with a two-day collective score of 9-over, six shots clear of the two-time defending champions to claim the title for the first time since 2022 on Wednesday at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.
The team was represented by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley, B.C.
“This win means a lot, we all have a lot of B.C. pride and any chance to play for our province is really good and being able to win for our province is a super great accomplishment,” said Arora.
The team mindset was to play smart heading into Wednesday, which has certainly been a requirement at Riverside Country Club over the first two rounds. For Kwon, the team dynamic played a key role in securing the title.
“Our team is very supportive of each other and the team made me feel very welcome and a very positive environment. This team was amazing and worked very well in the tournament,” she said. “Overall, I am proud and happy that I could play on the course with Team B.C.”
Lee, the lone returning player from last year’s team added, “I think it was great, I had really great teammates, and it was nice creating a bond with Team B.C.”
Arora’s back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 and Kwon’s scores of 73 and 76 counted on both days for Team B.C. The two lowest scores from the three-person team counted towards the combined team total for each round.
Team Ontario finished as runner-up with a combined score of 15-over. Team Alberta and Team Quebec finished in a tie for third at 30-over, with Team Manitoba rounding out the top five at 32-over.
Pate keeps pace
Day two began with warmer temperatures, but the winds picked up as the day progressed, flipping the script on Tuesday’s opening round conditions.
Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. maintains a one-shot lead following a 2-over 74 to now sit at 2-under for the tournament, ahead of Kaitlyn Schroeder from Jacksonville, Fla. who shot a 1-over 73 to move up one spot on the leaderboard at 1-under.
Pate began play on the back nine, recording a birdie and two bogeys before heading to the challenging front nine, where the winds played havoc for the field. After carding a birdie on the fifth hole, Pate struggled with consecutive bogeys before regaining her lead with a birdie on her final hole of the round.
Team Canada NextGen member, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. was one of only two players that shot under par on Wednesday, following a 1-under 71 to move to even par for the tournament to jump up to third. Xing opened with five birdies through her first seven holes.
“I got off to a good start,” said Xing. “Hitting my wedges well and putting the ball well. I didn’t think too much of it because it was the morning and was just trying to have some fun.”
Xing added that her putting has been a strong point over the first two rounds of the championship despite some challenging conditions for the field coupled with stronger winds over the first two days.
“It’s been tough, the pin positions today were really tough, the course has been pretty firm, and the greens have slope, but I think there are still some scoring holes, especially the par fives,” she added.
Angela (Yilin) Liu of Irvine, Calif., Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand, Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan and Team Canada member, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. are tied for fourth at 2-over. Fellow Team Canada member and 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. is tied for eighth with four others at 3-over.
The field has been reduced to the top 68 and ties (73 players total) advancing to the final 36-holes with a cut line of 15-over.
In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Trophy, the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24. The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.(LJI by Rudy)
