Brooke Henderson on Aug. 24 captured her second CPKC Women’s Open champion title in Ontario, Canada, during which Canadian Pacific Kansas City presented the C$4.5 million it raised for cardiac healthcare to MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for McMaster Children’s Hospital (C$4 million), and to Trillium Health Partners (C$502,000).
The railroad since 2014 has helped raise more than C$27 million for children’s heart health as the title sponsor of the Women’s Open. Canadian Pacific sponsored the event prior to its merger with Kansas City Southern in 2023 to form CPKC, the first single-line, transnational railway connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Henderson in 2018 won the then-CP Women’s Open in Regina, Sask.
This year’s total donation is the result of several fundraising efforts of the CPKC Has Heart community investment program, which supports heart health initiatives across North America. Through CPKC Birdies for Heart, CPKC contributed for each birdie made by Mississaugua Golf and Country Club members prior to the tournament and $5,000 for each birdie made by LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) players on the 11th hole during championship tournament play (Aug. 20-24). CPKC also matched donations made during a MacKids campaign online this summer.
“We were thrilled to return to Ontario for a tremendous week of golf and giving culminating in a record C$4.5 million being raised for MacKids and Trillium Health Partners to support pediatric and cardiac health,” CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel said. “We’re proud to leave this legacy making a difference for the patients that need it the most. Thank you to everyone, from the amazing players to the volunteers to the thousands of passionate fans, who helped make this year’s tournament a resounding success. All of us at CPKC are honored to make a difference in the communities where we live, work and operate.
“Brooke Henderson delivered a spectacular performance over the last few days, adding another victory at home here in Canada. Congratulations to Brooke on her incredible win which left an entire nation cheering this weekend. Thank you to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area community for hosting us, for turning out in big numbers to cheer on our Ontario champion, and for making this such a successful tournament.”
“This incredible contribution from the CPKC Women’s Open will have a transformative impact on the lives of children and families who rely on McMaster Children’s Hospital,” commented Anissa Hilborn, CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. “The funds raised will enable the creation of the Integrated Cardiac Health Initiative, which will revolutionize pediatric cardiac care through early diagnosis, advanced treatment and comprehensive support programs. On behalf of MacKids, I extend my gratitude to CPKC, the golf community and everyone who made this remarkable achievement possible.”
“We are so grateful to CPKC for generously raising $502,000 towards cardiac care at Trillium Health Partners,” noted Caroline Riseboro, President and CEO of Trillium Health Partners Foundation, the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open community partner. “Through matching donations dollar-for-dollar until Aug. 21, CPKC has allowed us to double the impact of all donations. These donations will help to enable things like the purchase of life-saving medical equipment that improves patient safety, diagnosis and long-term monitoring.”
“The wonderful impact of the CPKC Women’s Open on our host communities through CPKC Has Heart continues to be a point of pride for the championship,” Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum added. “The lasting benefit to pediatric heart health across the region is immense and we applaud our partners at CPKC for strengthening the philanthropic legacy of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.”
Thirteen-time LPGA Tour winner and the winningest golfer in Canadian history, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., led a field of 156 golfers at the CPKC Women’s Open. Also included were current world no. 1 Nelly Korda, three-time CPKC Women’s Open champion and 2024 Olympic Gold medalist Lydia Ko (world no. 3), and Jeeno Thitikul (world no. 2). Other notables include Ruoning Yin (world no. 4), Haeran Ryu (world no. 5) and Hannah Green (world no. 8), along with rising stars Lilia Vu (world no. 11) and Rose Zhang (world no. 44). Minjee Lee (world no. 24) also competed; Lee recently won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, earning her 11th career win and third major championship.
