Henderson lit up the third round with a 6-under 65, capped by the kind of closing stretch that can tilt a tournament and change the mood of an entire gallery. She birdied the 15th and 16th, holed out from the greenside bunker on the short par-4 17th to ignite the crowd, and finished with a par on 18. Her father and longtime coach, Dave Henderson, even broke his usual stoicism with a rare celebration, pumping his arms as if even he couldn't hold back the noise. The finish pushed her to 11-under and tied with Minjee Lee for the lead.
The bunker shot on 17 was the day's defining moment, a piece of theater. Mississaugua's par-4 seventeenth doesn't look like much on the card, but standing on it in the heat of battle is something different. A big drive leaves only a wedge, and Henderson's left her approach in the front bunker, a tricky lie staring her down with the tournament hanging in the air. What came next was the kind of shot you remember years later: the crisp strike, the thump of sand, and the ball climbing out of the lip before landing soft and tracking straight into the hole. The roar sounded less like a golf clap and more like an arena crowd. Henderson called her round an "A" and admitted she was actually happy to see the ball end up in the sand, knowing she had the chance to pull something off.
She hasn't won since January 2023 or posted a top-10 this season, but her record is daunting: eight victories in her last 11 tries when holding at least a share of the lead heading into Sunday. History may not repeat, but it often rhymes, and Henderson has the kind of winning muscle memory that can carry her across a finish line.
Lee nearly matched Henderson with a 66, a round just as brilliant but built differently-- the kind of steady method she's made a career on. Two eagles, a birdie chip-in, and a deft par save at 18 filled her card. The Australian, who won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June, is chasing her 12th LPGA title and her second of the year. Her career has never been about flash, though the numbers say she belongs among the elite: two majors, a slew of wins across three continents, and a knack for playing her best when the courses demand discipline. After years of frustration with the putter, she's turned the switch to the long model into one of the season's most dangerous weapons. When the stroke is rolling, she doesn't just score; she squeezes the air out of the leaderboard.
Three shots back, world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul sits tied for third with Japan's Akie Iwai. Thitikul's steady 69 kept her in the mix, a quiet round that looked routine on the card but was anything but simple on a course where thick rough and uneven lies lurk at every corner. She carries herself like someone twice her age -- patient, precise, and never hurried -- which makes sense for a player who has spent most of her teenage years ranked inside the world's top five. Iwai, meanwhile, struggled early with 3 bogeys to start her round but steadied herself, and her firepower is the kind that can heat up quickly. Both players loom as serious Sunday dangers.
Canadian amateur Aphrodite Deng shot 68 to reach 6-under, tied for seventh. She needed only 26 putts and continues to showcase a lethal wedge game. A top-12 finish would mark the best LPGA result by an amateur this season, adding another layer of intrigue to an already Canadian-heavy storyline. It isn't just Henderson carrying The Maple Leaf.
For Henderson, the opportunity is singular. A 13-time winner, she's looking to become the first Canadian to win her national open twice since 1914. Winning again, on home soil, would put her in rarefied company and cement her as the most accomplished Canadian player of any era.
The galleries will be hers on Sunday, and she knows it. "Winning in 2018 was a huge career highlight," she said. "To be in this position again is really, really cool. I just hope to get a fast start, make birdies, and get the crowd on my side."
The CPKC Women's Open has grown into something larger than a golf tournament. It carries identity, memory, and emotion—for the fans who fill the ropes as much as for the players inside them. Henderson and Lee have staged a duel worthy of the spotlight, with world No. 1 Thitikul and a fearless amateur close enough to change the script. Whether it finishes in maple-leaf triumph or an Australian claim, Mississaugua is set to deliver a champion in major fashion.
Round 3 Competition Highlights
Brooke Henderson shot 6-under 65, including a holed bunker shot for eagle on 17.
Minjee Lee carded a 66 with two eagles (12 and 17) and a par-saving chip-in at 18.
Jeeno Thitikul three shots back at 8-under after a steady 69. She recorded five birdies.
Akie Iwai dropped to a 72 on Saturday but tied for third at 8-under.
Aphrodite Deng needed just 26 putts, converting nearly every look inside 15 feet.
Leona Maguire nearly aced the par-3 6th hole.
Yu Liu shot a 67 on Saturday to climb into contention at 7-under.
Pajaree Anannarukarn is not in contention but leads the Audi Precision Award with 43 greens in regulation.
Shout Out
Brooke Henderson launching her TaylorMade Qi35 like a puck off the ice. #brookebrigade