Alena Sharp has already recorded the highlight of the week at the Dana Open despite opening with an even-par 71 on Thursday in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 43-year-old Canadian aced the 165-yard, par-3 14th hole at Highland Meadows Golf Club with her 6-iron in the first round, the third hole-in-one of her LPGA Tour career.
Today’s ace is Sharp’s first hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour since the second round of the 2009 Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill when she holed out on the par-3 2nd hole at Kingsmill Resort’s River Course. She recorded one additional hole-in-one that same season, acing the par-3 6th hole in the second round of the 2009 Corona Championship.
“I hit a 6-iron. I think it hit just on the front and went in the cup,” said Sharp. “I know that in the past that hole has been a hole-in-one car, so I think I had said the hole before, when Lexi (finished T3) the tournament here, she had a hole-in-one there. It was weird that I actually had one right after saying that, like 20 minutes later.
“It was a good shot, and it was on the pin the whole way. I was happy with it. I haven't had a hole-in-one in a while.”
Sharp’s ace will see a $20,000 donation made by CME Group to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the CME Groups Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude campaign, raising the 2024 donation total to $300,000.
🚨 Hole-in-one alert 🚨@AlenaSharp aces No. 14 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/nmja055hEz
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 18, 2024
But today’s hole out hasn’t been the only major highlight for Sharp as of late.
The Canadian qualified for her third consecutive Olympic Games following the conclusion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club, a goal she wasn’t sure she would accomplish at the start of the 2024 LPGA Tour season.
Sharp began the year at 176th on the LPGA Priority List and was on the outside looking in when it came to being one of the top 60 athletes in the Olympic Golf Ranking who would qualify for the women’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics. The LPGA Tour veteran also wasn’t certain how many starts she would have with limited status, electing to play a few events on the Epson Tour in the first half of the season to help bolster her Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, on which the Olympic Golf Ranking is based.
She made five LPGA Tour starts and four Epson Tour starts this year before the end of the Olympic qualification period. Sharp made three cuts on the LPGA Tour and earned two top-five finishes on the Epson Tour, a solid performance that ultimately locked in her spot at Le Golf National, something that the already two-time Olympian is incredibly excited about.
“I'm extremely proud because last year, at the beginning of the year, I was on the outside looking in and knew I had a lot of work to do,” said Sharp. “I played really well last year and had some good events this year to put myself in the position to make the team. I’m really excited to represent Canada again.”
Sharp is one of only 15 women in this year’s field in France who have qualified for all three women’s Olympic golf competitions, also playing in both the Rio and Tokyo Games. She finished alone in 30th in 2016 in Brazil and then came 49th in 2020 in Japan, two finishes that were motivating Sharp as she chased a top-60 spot for the Paris Olympics.
Canadians don’t often get to represent their country in global competition besides competing week in and week out on their respective circuits and playing in events like the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown and Presidents Cup. So, for Sharp, having the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf and play under the Canadian flag is something that she doesn’t take likely, knowing just how much her performance means to the country at large.
“Definitely after leaving Tokyo, I didn't play the greatest, so I wanted to get back and have redemption in Paris,” said Sharp. “I have extreme pride to wear red and white and represent Canada. To be there and be part of Team Canada and cheer on the other athletes, fellow athletes is something I love doing. I grew up playing team sports, so even though it's an individual event, it still feels like you're part of the bigger team.”
Some might question whether or not a 43-year-old Sharp will make the Paris Olympics her final event as a professional golfer, having first joined the LPGA Tour two decades ago in 2005. But Sharp’s competitive fire is as strong as ever, and she has no intention of calling it quits anytime soon.
Her Olympic qualification has only fueled that spirited flame, and after getting reshuffled up to 154th on the LPGA Priority List and sitting in the same spot in the Race to the CME Globe, Sharp is as hungry as ever to play well enough to have a full slate of LPGA Tour events on the calendar in 2025.
“I still love playing the game,” Shap said. “I still love trying to get better every day. I hope to finish in the top 100 by the end of the year and have a full schedule next year.”
