Borovilos, John among Canadians making major debut at U.S. Women's Open
Vanessa Borovilos is not the kind of person who normally tries to manifest a goal, but after just missing out on qualifying for last year's U.S. Women's Open, she put a piece of paper above her bed in Toronto to keep her focused on reaching the major.
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She didn't bring the paper with her to Texas A&M, but the intention paid off — she'll tee it up in her second LPGA Tour event and first major this week.
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'It just helps me check a box at the end of the day, saying like, 'Hey, did I do everything I could today to get to that goal on the wall?' said Borovilos. 'It doesn't just take one day of good practice, doesn't just take one day of good sleep, it's consistent effort over a long period of time, and I think that piece of paper just reminded me constantly.
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'It helps me keep going.'
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Borovilos has had a standout freshman season at Texas A&M, finishing no worse than 10th in any event so far in 2025.
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She tied for 10th at the Moon Golf Invitational, tied for second at the Clover Cup, was solo second at The 'Mo' Morial, and won the singles title at the Chevron Collegiate on Feb. 25.
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Still, Borovilos feels that playing against LPGA Tour players at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin will help sharpen her game.
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'I think the more I can put myself in these situations and learn from the players early on, it's definitely going to help me in college,' said Borovilos. 'I mean, Erin Hills is no joke. I looked at the overview and it's fairway, rough, and then hay.
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'I think that will get me more comfortable playing collegiate courses. I'll be able to play a major course and see where I need to improve my game. So it'll definitely help me next year.'
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There are five Canadians in the field, headlined by Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who is currently 48 in the Race to CME Globe standings. Vancouver's Leah John, Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L'Ile-Perrot, Que., and Vancouver's Anna Huang are also in the field.
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Borovilos and John will be in a group together that tees off together Thursday morning.
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John, who currently plays on the second-tier Epson Tour, will also be playing in her first major.
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'I am so excited. I hope the feeling never goes away,' said John. 'It's always special, but I think doing things for your first time, there's nothing like it.
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'I mean, I'm not on the LPGA yet, so playing with the girls on the big tour and coming in as an outsider from a qualifier, I'm pretty stoked.'
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