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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPEN


August 28, 2016


Ariya Jutanugarn

Alena Sharp

Jaclyn Lee


Calgary, Alberta, Canada

KEVIN SMITH: I'm Kevin Smith from global television, and welcome to the closing ceremonies of the 2016 CP Women's Open here at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club. What a week watching the top women on the planet.

I want to bring up Roland Deveau, the President of Golf Canada, for a few words. Roland?

ROLAND DEVEAU: Hello, everybody. Welcome to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club. Thank you, first of all, for supporting Canada's National Women's Open Golf Championship. This event is really a rallying point for Canadian golf. At Golf Canada we are proud to promote and support excellence in the game of golf in this country.

Canadian Pacific, under the leadership of CEO Hunter Harrison, president and COO Keith Creel, and VP of public affairs Mark Wallace, we're really so proud to have you as a partner for this event. Your commitment to this championship and to the growth of the game in Canada has just been tremendous, and your efforts at leaving a legacy in the community through CP Has Heart is really a great initiative. You have our congratulations and our thank you.

Thank you, as well, to Priddis Greens and its members for being such gracious hosts. Great teams need strong leaders, and special thanks to superintendent James Beebe and his staff, head professional Ron Laugher, general manager Chad Thomlinson and all the club staff, and just what a tremendous effort the host club chair, Bas Wheeler and 1,200 volunteers. Thank you very much.

Finally, I want to congratulate and thank all the players who have competed in this event this week, which is Canada's National Women's Open Championship. Thank you.

KEVIN SMITH: Thank you so much, Roland. In 1968 Sandra Post became the first Canadian to ever win a major championship on the LPGA Tour. Of course she is in the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. She is the chair of the Golf Hall of Fame and an inspiration to the 16 Canadians who competed here this week at Priddis. Right now I want to mention that one of the players today earns the distinction of being awarded the Sandra Post Low Canadian Award. I want to bring up MP Stephane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Sport and Persons For Disabilities to present Alena Sharp with the Sandra Post Low Canadian Award.

Alena, this is your best finish on the LPGA Tour. What does it mean to you to accomplish it here in Canada in front of these great Canadian fans?

ALENA SHARP: There's no real words to say. I'm speechless. Coming back from Rio to this event this week, being here in Canada, it's unbelievable. I've had so much support. The fans are amazing. The volunteers were rooting me on all week. I just want to thank everyone for their support, and I'm just extremely happy right now. Thank you.

KEVIN SMITH: Congratulations, Alena Sharp, Sandra Post Low Canadian Award.

There were five amateurs who competed in the tournament this week. One of the amateurs from the Glencoe Club here in Calgary, Jaclyn Lee. Jaclyn had never played an LPGA tournament in her life. She played this week, she made the cut, and she is the low amateur for the entire tournament, so a round of applause for Jaclyn Lee.

I want to bring up the CEO of Golf Canada, Scott Simmons, to present Jaclyn Lee with the Marlene Streit Low Amateur Medal.

Boy, your life just changed in the last seven days, didn't it?

JACLYN LEE: Yeah, it really did.

KEVIN SMITH: You probably had some expectations coming into the week what it was going to be like. Now that it's over can you talk about how it's probably exceeded them?

JACLYN LEE: Oh, yes, for sure. This tournament has exceeded all of my expectations. I think most of all the fans and how much support that I have out here. Yeah, it's really been amazing. You guys have been awesome all week. Walking down 18 yesterday and hearing the crowd cheer for me, that was really cool.

KEVIN SMITH: You've had a lot of golf experiences. I assume this is instantly No. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4?

JACLYN LEE: Yeah, it doesn't take long to think about that. This is definitely my No. 1 golf experience so far.

KEVIN SMITH: Finally, what's next for you?

JACLYN LEE: I'm going back to school. First college tournament is on September 18th, so got to get ready for that. But definitely won't compare to this.

KEVIN SMITH: All the best at Ohio State as you continue your great young golfing career. Jaclyn Lee, everyone.

KEVIN SMITH: Now I want to bring up CP President and COO Keith Creel for a few words. Keith?

KEITH CREEL: Thank you. First let me say congratulations to the players for putting on a great show, and to Ariya, what a great victory today. I want to thank all the organizers here today, the members of Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, the LPGA, Golf Canada for putting this phenomenal event on. Thank you very much.

To all the volunteers and the spectators this week, including many of our home-based CP employees, obviously this is our corporate headquarters. Just to see so many of the CP family out here certainly inspired me. Thank you for supporting this tournament to make it as wonderful as it turned out.

This tournament is an opportunity for CP to deliver a world-class golf event, but more than that, it's an opportunity for us to leave a legacy in the communities where we operate in this country of Canada. This morning I'm especially proud to say as part of our CP Has Heart program, we delivered a $2 million check - that's huge - to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, far exceeding our goal of $1.2 million, thanks to the generosity of Calgarians around us, so thank you so much.

With that, I've got to thank anyone that donated to the cause and the players who made a lot of birdies on this green. I'd say a lot of birdies. I think the last time I came here, we were at a different CN, CN not CP, I think we finished with 60 some odd birdies. We blew it out of the park today, this weekend. Phenomenal job again for the children. The money will be put to good use by doctors of the Alberta Children's Hospital. They're going to do advance research, care for children born with congenital heart defects. So with today's donation, CP has now helped raise more than $8 million through our CP Has Heart program.

You know, it's a program, it's focused on improving the heart health of men, women and children across America, so on behalf of our 12,000 employees and Canadian Pacific across Canada and the U.S., it's my honor to ask Roland Deveau, President of Golf Canada, to join me so we can present the Canadian Pacific Women's Open trophy to Ariya.

ROLAND DEVEAU: Do you want to put that down or hold it? All right, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand. At the beginning of the week you said this course didn't really suit your game. Now that you're the champion and holding that, do you want to maybe change that statement?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: Yeah. I mean, after the first round, I feel like maybe this course is good for me. I shot like 6-under, I guess. I feel a lot better after the first round, so I feel more confidence on the course.

ROLAND DEVEAU: What was it like having your friends on the Tour giving you a little champagne shower at the end there?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: It's good. They're all really here to support me.

ROLAND DEVEAU: What about the fans in Canada who watched this week? What do you have to say for everyone here?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean, it's a lot of fans here. I'm very grateful to come back here again, play in front of everybody here, so thank you for all the support.

ROLAND DEVEAU: You had to withdraw from the Rio Olympics during the third round, which I'm sure was very disappointing. Very next week, come here, hold the trophy; how does that kind of ease some of that disappointment?

ARIYA JUTANUGARN: I mean, after withdrawing from the Olympics, I felt like I just want to rest because I hurt my knee, and after that when I got here, I feel like I'm ready to play golf. I like everything here. I like Calgary and really feel good to come back to Canada again.

I would like to thank the sponsor, CP CEO Hunter Harrison, and thank you, Golf Canada, President Roland, Tournament Director Brent, and thank you Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, and big thanks to all the volunteers and my fans here. And thank you to my mom and my sister for always supporting me. Thank you, Peter Godfrey, for the best caddie. Thank you. Thanks.

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