Brooke Henderson stays in the hunt at LPGA’s CPKC Women’s Open in Edmonton

Edmonton - Brooke Henderson has work to do, but she has the runway to succeed at the CPKC Women’s Open. The defending champion from Smiths Falls, Ontario, is seeking her third career victory in Canada’s LPGA tournament. On Friday, Henderson posted a second-round score of 68, leaving her five strokes behind clubhouse leader Soo Bin Joo of South Korea, who stands at 9 under par.

With two rounds remaining, Henderson is four strokes adrift of Joo, who is at 9 under par. Before her last tee shot, Henderson successfully avoided hitting a spectator with her second-last swing. Canadian teenager Aphrodite Deng, who clinched the tournament’s low amateur title last year in Mississauga, Ontario, posted a 67 to reach 3 under par.

The top 65 players and ties will participate in the event, which boasts a US$2.75-million prize pool. Canadian teenagers Anna Huang of Vancouver and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ontario, both started the day three shots behind the lead, standing at 5 under par.