(Ottawa) Lorie Kane doesn’t want to hear about her legacy as she prepares to play the Canadian Women’s Open for one last time.
Posted at 7:45 p.m.
Kane will start at the National Women’s Championship for the 30e Thursday, and is one of 18 Canadians entered in the event. The 57-year-old golfer from Charlottetown insists that the future of the sport in Canada has already arrived and that she had nothing to do with it.
“We have a great group of young women who are making their way. I have heard a lot about the fact that I relay a torch. There is no torch,” Kane said. “I think every woman who has played golf in this country has raised the flag as high as possible to make it better.
“I learned that from Jocelyne (Bourassa). I learned that from Sandra Post. I learned that from Dawn Coe-Jones, from Gail Graham, from Lisa Walters, from Nancy Harvey. NAFTA Sharp came on board. Now we have Brooke Henderson,” Kane added.
Henderson, one of the most successful players in Canadian professional golf history, politely disagreed with Kane’s self-analysis. The 24-year-old Ontarian said Kane had been a huge influence on her.
“Lorie is amazing. You know, when I was younger, she was the face of women’s golf in Canada. I looked up to her and she was a great friend and mentor,” Henderson noted. “I think all of Canada deeply adores him and it’s sad that this is his last. »
Kane said she originally intended to withdraw from the tournament in 2020, when it was to be held at the Vancouver Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. However, the event was canceled that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and again in 2021. As a result, it is on the course of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club that she will play her rounds. farewell.
Although Kane remains modest about his contribution to golf, his impact is undeniable. She is a member of the Order of Canada, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. On Wednesday, Golf Canada named two awards in his honor for people who use golf as a springboard to leave a positive impact in their community.
Henderson, on the other hand, clearly represents the present in Canadian golf. She will enter the tournament ranked fifth in the world rankings and second in the LPGA CME Globe race. She has won two tournaments this season, including the Evian Championship, for her second career triumph at a major tournament.
She says she’s excited to be back in her hometown and is aiming for a 13e career title on the LPGA Tour, and a second at the Canadian Women’s Open.
“Every year I circle the date on my calendar and I’m always pumped up, especially when it’s approaching the tournament. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to play in front of my home crowd,” Henderson said.
“Even during the practice rounds yesterday and today, there were so many people watching,” she added. It’s wonderful to have so much love and support from home. »
As for the future of Canadian golf, it is possibly personified by Lucy Lin of Vancouver. She qualified for the tournament on Monday and at the age of 12 years, seven months and 12 days, she is the youngest participant in the history of this event.
It’s a dream come true, especially being here at a very young age, but I’m super excited. Before Monday, I didn’t know I would be here, but I did my best. I made it here and I’m really excited about it.
Lori Kane
The list of Canadians who will start Thursday also includes Maude-Aimée Leblanc, of Sherbrooke, and Brigitte Thibault, of Rosemère, who announced Tuesday that she will turn professional after a successful career at the American university level.