CALGARY — Alena Sharp knows age is just a number, but sometimes she needs to be reminded of just how long she’s been part of this country’s professional golf circle.
This year marks the 19th time Sharp has played in the CPKC Women’s Open. Her debut was in 2004.
“Doesn’t seem like it’s been 20 years,” Sharp said with a smile. “Doesn’t matter where we’re playing in the country, I always get great support.”
The last time the CPKC Women’s Open was in Calgary was in 2016 and Sharp notched her best-ever LPGA Tour finish, a fourth. She also has family in Alberta and won the Canadian Junior Girls championship here (more than 20 years ago, she laughed).
“Definitely feeling more at home here this week,” Sharp said.
The 43-year-old is one of the elder stateswomen on the LPGA Tour these days but is just as motivated as ever to continue to play well. She started working with a new coach (and even flew to the UK to see him two weeks ago) and after hitting the ball right-to-left her entire career, she started hitting the ball left-to-right.
Sharp notched her best individual result on the LPGA Tour in two years last week, finishing tied for 19th at the Dana Open. She started the week with an ace on just her fifth hole of the tournament and was off to the races after that.
“It was nice to be in that position again. I just felt like I was getting momentum and confidence as the week went on,” Sharp said.
With barely-there status on the LPGA Tour last year, Sharp returned to the Epson Tour (the feeder tour to the LPGA) where she felt like she was old enough to be a mom to most of the other players. Alas, she never stopped grinding. She had a goal, to return to the LPGA Tour. She won the Champions Fore Change Invitational in June and had five top-10s. Sharp has played well on that tour again this year, notching two top five finishes in four events.
Sharp got an exemption into the Ford Championship presented by KCC earlier this season — on her home course in Arizona — and parlayed a tie for 35th there into more LPGA Tour starts. She kept chipping away at her world-ranking number, too, and held on tight to the second Canadian Olympic spot for golf in a couple of weeks — where she will be a three-time Olympian alongside Brooke Henderson. This time she’ll even be able to enjoy all that comes along with being an Olympian — beach volleyball tickets under the Eiffel Tower and playing tourist in Paris.
“Eighteen months ago […] I was definitely not in the running to make it. I made a coaching change and basically retooled my golf swing,” Sharp said of her journey to Paris. “When June 24th came around and I was the second Canadian going, I was just so proud of everything I’ve done in the last 18 months to try and make the team.
“Tokyo wasn’t my best showing, so ready to go back for some redemption.”
A return to the Olympics. A return to Alberta. Alena Sharp is ready for an important stretch, feeling better than ever.
“It’s special for me this week,” Sharp said. “I’ve played so many great courses for this event. Just really happy to be back in Calgary. Alberta has been good to me.”