Andy DevaneyIn a week where the CPKC Women’s Open has shown zero interest in playing nice, Akie Iwai has responded in kind—by slamming down a second-round 69 and muscling her way into solo command at -9.
Fresh off her maiden LPGA Tour win last week, the rookie from Japan isn’t easing off. She’s charging—like she’s got somewhere better to be.
And maybe she does. Like, say, the winner’s circle again.
After bogeying her second hole—a rare blemish for a player who hasn’t made many since Portland—Iwai steadied the ship with a clinical display of fairways, greens, and flatstick control.
Ten of 14 fairways, 14 greens in regulation, 30 putts, and 11 birdies through 36 holes. Her explanation for the effort? Typically understated. “No change mind. No change swing. Yeah, just focus my golf,” she said. Simple words, ruthless results.
The State of Play
Three back at -6 are Minjee Lee, Jeeno Thitikul, and Leona Maguire. Lee stitched together a silky 67, three birdies in her first five holes, and admitted the view from the chaser’s seat can be liberating. “When you have the lead, you feel like you need to protect it more than when you’re chasing,” Lee said. “You can kind of be a little more aggressive and make as many birdies as possible.”
Maguire, meanwhile, endured an up-and-down day with five birdies and four bogeys but remains firmly in the fight.
Thitikul was metronomic, finding 10 fairways and 14 greens, looking every bit the player who thrives when the pressure ramps up.
Canada’s own Brooke Henderson lit the place up with the round of the day, a 66 that rocketed her from T38 to T5.
With six birdies, one bogey, and barely a blade of grass missed, she looked like the Henderson fans have been waiting to see.
“Maybe a mixture of getting used to the crowd and learning the course a bit more,” Henderson said. “I kind of had to go low today to get away from the cut line, so that was a big goal. Minus-five was my number, and I was able to do that.” Mission accomplished.
Who’s In, Who’s Out
Seventy-eight players made the +1 cutline, including a wave of Canadian pride: Henderson, Monet Chun, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, and amateurs Aphrodite Deng and Katie Cranston.
Carla Bernat Escuder is through in her first professional start, while fellow rookies—Akie Iwai, Saki Baba, Yahui Zhang, Somi Lee, Rio Takeda, and more—continue to prove the guard is changing.
Maria Fassi, who clawed her way into the field through Monday qualifying, made it to the weekend with a birdie-birdie finish. “I earned my way into this field, and I just want to make it worth it,” she said.
“Mark Wallington, who caddied for me for a while, told me, don’t celebrate just making it through. The tournament starts now. That was exactly what I needed to hear.”
Leader Profile: Akie Iwai
This is Iwai’s first appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open, her 18th LPGA start of 2025. She’s already a Rolex First-Time Winner (Portland), owns six JLPGA victories, and before earning full LPGA status, she’d posted three top-10s—two in majors. That résumé doesn’t read like a rookie’s. It reads like a fast-track contender.
Precision Pays
There’s $25,000 on the line in the Audi Precision Award for the week’s sharpest iron player, with another $25K going to First Tee–Ontario. Pajaree Anannarukarn currently leads the greens-hit derby at 31 of 36 GIR. Keep it straight, cash the cheque. That’s golf the way it’s always been played.
Weekend Outlook
Jenny Bae, sitting at -5, summed up the spirit of the week after holing out for eagle at No. 9. “We didn’t think of anything,” she said. “I just hit it, heard a roar, and walked up to see my ball in the hole. It was great.”
Megan Khang was equally grounded: “Older courses fit the women’s game pretty well,” she said. “We can kind of play them the way they were meant to be played—fairways prime, rough thick, nothing hidden.”
For Linnea Strom, it’s about energy and perspective. “I feel like I have a big crew following me and cheering me on which has been amazing,” she said. “It’s been a tough year, so just to be here for the weekend feels great.”
The formula hasn’t changed: patience, precision, and the ability to hole birdies when the door cracks open. Akie Iwai is proving she can do all three without blinking.
The hunters—Lee, Maguire, Thitikul, Henderson—are circling. The weekend promises no pleasantries, just the kind of golf that demands nerve and numbers.
