When Jasmine Ly walked into the clubhouse at Midland Country Club she was left speechless seeing so many of the golfers she admires, including fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson.
"I was stunned for a bit," said Ly on Wednesday from Midland, Mich. "It was really quick. I didn't really get a chance to talk to her, I was kind of stunned silent."
Ly, an amateur from Windsor, Ont., who plays for Northern Illinois University, will be playing at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational this week, the first LPGA Tour event of her career. She and partner Kimberly Dinh of the United States were tied for 30th after combining for a 1-over 71 round.
The Canadian said she was eager to learn from some of the LPGA Tour players.
"Mainly I'm learning to stay focused on what I need to do," said Ly after her round. "It's completely different than a junior event or NCAA event. It's just bigger, there's more people around, more things going on."
"The main thing I've learned in the last three days is to stay focused on the stuff I need to get done myself."
Hamilton's Alena Sharp and partner Sarah Kemp of New Zealand were tied for 18th at 1-under 69.
Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and American partner Annabelle Pancake were tied with Ly and Dinh at 30th. Henderson and partner Lexi Thompson of the U.S., as well as Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and American partner Lauren Hartlage were tied in a group at 46th at 3-over 73.
EPSON TOUR — Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., and Quebec City's Sarah-Eve Rheaume will tee off Friday at the Twin Bridges Championship in Guilderland, N.Y. Costabile is 45th on the second-tier tour's money list and Rheaume is 143rd heading into play at Pinehaven Country Club.
PGA TOUR — Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., are the only Canadians in the field at this year's British Open, the final major of the men's golf season. Conners qualified to play at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, England by being within the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. Taylor made it as one of the top five players not already exempt who was within the top 20 of the FedEx Cup points list through the Travelers Championship, which finished June 25.
KORN FERRY TOUR — Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian on the Epson Tour, sitting third heading into this week's Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Mo. Edmonton's Wil Bateman is also in the field and sits 50th on the points list.
PGA TOUR CANADA — Etienne Papineau of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., is the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour Canada, sitting second in the points list of the third-tier tour. He'll be in the field at this week's Commissionaires Ottawa Open at Eagle Creek in Dunrobin, Ont.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press