Yuka Saso Shoots 66 to Take First-Round Lead in Canada at CPKC Women’s Open

Yuka Saso of Japan hits her tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round at the CPKC Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Aug. 24, 2023. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP

VANCOUVER, British Columbia—Yuka Saso had a big second nine to shoot a 6-under 66 and take the first-round lead Thursday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson struggled while playing in glasses for the first time on the LPGA Tour.

Even par at the turn at tree-lined—and mosquito-infested—Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Saso birdied Nos. 1–4 and 6–7, playing her second nine in 6-under 30. The 22-year-old Japanese player won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open for her lone LPGA Tour title.