Defending champion Brittany Lincicome headlines list of past champions confirmed for 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open

Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr and Katherine Hull to also compete at the Vancouver Golf Club

CN Miracle Match fundraising campaign launched in support of BC Children's Hospital Foundation

COQUITLAM, BC, June 18, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and Golf Canada are pleased to announce that five past champions have confirmed their intention to challenge for the US$2.0 million purse at the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open being held August 20-26 at the Vancouver Golf Club.

Leading the way is defending champion Brittany Lincicome, currently the 13^th ranked player in the world. Linciome, a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, had six top-10 finishes in 2011 highlighted by her victories at the 2011 CN Canadian Women's Open and the 2011 ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Linciome will be joined by a group of former CN Canadian Women's Open champions — world No. 4 Suzann Pettersen, world No. 8 Cristie Kerr, world No. 38 Michelle Wie and world No. 45 Katherine Hull.

Pettersen is an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour including the 2009 CN Canadian Women's Open, while Kerr's victory at the 2006 CN Canadian Women's Open is one of 14 career LPGA Tour victories. Wie, the 2010 CN Canadian Women's Open champion, is a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and Hull, the 2008 CN Canadian Women's Open champion, has also captured two LPGA Tour events during the course of her career.

Lincicome, Pettersen, Kerr, Wie and Hull will be joined at the Vancouver Golf Club by a duo of previously confirmed stars — world No. 1 Yani Tseng and New Zealand teen sensation Lydia Ko, the world's top ranked amateur.

"Two months out from the championship, we are very pleased with how our field is coming together and expect that all of the world's best players will be at the Vancouver Golf Club," said Sean Van Kesteren, Tournament Director, CN Canadian Women's Open.  "Brittany, Michelle, Suzann, Cristie and Katherine are tremendous talents and I'm sure together with world number one Yani Tseng will be among the crowd favourites during this year's championship."

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.0 million CN Canadian Women's Open in Coquitlam, B.C. The deadline for players to confirm their intention to compete at the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open is Tuesday, August 14.

Canadian LPGA Tour players Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, P.E.I. and Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. as well as LPGA Tour rookies Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que. and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto will also compete at The Vancouver Golf Club this August and look to become the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event on home soil since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.

Canada's National Amateur Team will also be represented as Team Canada athletes Jisoo Keel of Coquitlam, B.C. (16) and 14-year old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. have already earned exemptions by winning the first two events on the CN Canadian Women's Tour.

Additional competitors including notable LPGA stars and Canadians as well as tournament exemptions  will be announced in the coming weeks.

CN MIRACLE MATCH PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS
The 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open will help to raise money for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, the official charitable beneficiary of the CN Miracle Match campaign in 2012.

Today CN announced the official launch of the 2012 CN Miracle Match fundraising campaign. Individuals and corporations looking to support the BC Children's Hospital Foundation can visit www.canadianwomensopen.com to make their donation.

Claude Mongeau, President and Chief Executive Officer of CN, said: "At CN, we are committed to being involved in the communities we serve and making a difference. One of our major priorities is the well-being of our youth, and we are extremely proud of the support that has been provided to children's hospitals across Canada since 2006 through to the CN Miracle Match campaign. This year, we are pleased to help the BC Children's Hospital Foundation to continue dispensing essential pediatric care to children throughout British Columbia."

CN Miracle Match is a national charitable initiative designed to rally communities across Canada behind a very worthy cause, supporting children's hospitals. Each year since 2006, CN and Golf Canada have raised funds to support children's hospitals in the CN Canadian Women's Open host cities by matching funds raised through various initiatives that are connected with the championship. In the past six years, the CN Miracle Match program has raised nearly $6.5 million for children's hospitals.

TICKETS - DAILY, WEEKLY AND CLUBHOUSE PACKAGES
Tickets for the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open are now on sale with advance pricing as follows:

ABOUT THE 2012 CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN
Stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open from August 20-26 at The Vancouver Golf Club. The CN Canadian Women's Open is proudly sponsored by CN, CVS Controls Ltd., TaylorMade adidas Golf, Molson Coors Canada, The Globe and Mail, The Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre, The Glenlivet and CBC. Tickets can be purchased online, at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com, or by phone, at 1-866-571-5742. For up-to-date information about corporate packages, tickets, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality, please visit the website.

ABOUT CN
Canadian National Railway Company -- and its operating railway subsidiaries - spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca.

ABOUT GOLF CANADA - LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing more than 340,000 members at almost 1,500 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in Canada, Golf Canada is responsible for promoting participation in and a passion for the game of golf in Canada.

A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada actively conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Golf in Schools presented by Callaway, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada's national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. As the authority for golf in Canada, the association also administers the Rules of Golf, amateur status and handicapping and course rating.

In addition, Golf Canada conducts Canada's most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women's Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships provide world class competitive opportunities for Canada's top golfers to showcase their talents.

For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit us online at www.golfcanada.ca.