Tag: Columbia Edgewater Country Club

Dewi Weber, denied an Olympic spot, records seven straight birdies for a second day in a row, leads LPGA’s Portland Classic

“I’m disappointed obviously, but it’s a chapter that for me I’ve closed.”

The LPGA record for most consecutive birdies is nine and for a second day in a row, Dewi Weber made a run at that mark.

During Thursday’s first round of the Portland Classic, Weber birdied Nos. 2 through 8 en route to a 6-under 66. On Friday, she birdied Nos. 5 through 11 on her way to a 10-under 62 and sole possession of the lead at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Weber qualified for the Summer Olympics but the Dutch Federation chose not to send her nor male golfers Joost Luiten and Darius van Driel to the Games on the belief there was not a realistic chance any of them contend for a medal.

Weber, an Epson Tour member playing in just her second LPGA tournament in 2024, has 17 birdies and one bogey so far this week.

She was asked about the Olympics after her round, about whether not being in Paris has been on her mind.

“Not much,” she said. “Like, I can tell that, yea, I’m trying to make a statement here. Not much. I’m just trying to play golf.”

After a similar follow-up question, Weber said, “I’m disappointed obviously, but it’s a chapter that for me I’ve closed. Listen, if I win on Sunday, like I think that would make a statement obviously, but it’s not as if I’m trying to play here to make a point. The point I’m trying to make is that I’m a good golfer and good enough to be on the LPGA Tour, because I’ve been on Epson this entire year. So that’s more the point I’m trying to make I guess for myself, than, ‘See, look, I should’ve been at the Olympics.'”

A shot back on the leaderboard is Andrea Lee, who posted a 9-under 63 to hold the clubhouse lead for a while Friday. Playing the back nine first, Lee had a birdies streak of her own – six straight – on Nos. 11-16 and made the turn in 30.

“It means my game is in the right place,” she said of her first-nine birdie run. “I wasn’t even really thinking about the birdie streak to be honest. I was so focused. Then I think I chipped it in on 16 and that was my sixth birdie in a row and I was like, my gosh. So it was a pretty cool run.”

Lee, the 2022 champion of this event, tied for third at the U.S. Women’s Open in May but has a missed cut, a solo 62nd and a tie for 45th since then. Overall this season, though, Lee has four top-20s and she’s 23rd in the Race to CME points standings. She’s also seventh in Solheim Cup points.

Polly Mack, who led after Day 1, shot 67 late in the day to get to 14 under and is tied with Lee, two shots back of the lead. Jenny Shin and Grace Kim are tied for fourth at 13 under.

Last week’s winner, Lauren Coughlin, is tied for 18th at 9 under. Last year’s Portland Classic champ, Chanettee Wannasaen, is tied for is tied for 42nd at 6 under.

After this event, the LPGA pauses for the Olympic Games, with the women’s competition starting Wednesday, Aug. 7.

Polly Mack, the longest player on the LPGA, leads in Portland with Russian rookie chasing

Mack called it “pretty flawless.”

Polly Mack called it “pretty flawless.” The 25-year-old LPGA sophomore opened the Portland Classic with a career-low 9-under 63 to pace the field early at the longest-running non-major tournament on tour.

Kathy Whitworth won the first Portland Classic in 1972. A dozen past champions of the event are in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

“It feels so good,” said Mack. “Feels like I’ve been working for almost years for this kind of stuff to happen. Just finally to see a result on the scorecard, not just in the game, on the course, but also seeing it written down is really, really nice.

“I’m sure my team behind me is as happy as I am right now.”

Germany’s Mack, who leads the tour in driving distance at 284 yards, has missed 10 of 13 cuts so far this season and currently ranks 419th in the world. With so many top players prepping for next week’s Olympic Games in Paris, it’s a good opportunity to players to make big moves toward securing their cards. Mack came into this week 140th on the CME points list. The top 100 players secure their cards for next year.

“It seemed so easy out there today,” said Mack of round that included seven birdies and an eagle at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

A trio of players sit one back at 8 under, including Samantha Wagner, a 27-year-old making her first start on the LPGA this season after losing her status last year.

Wagner was in Costco buying some stuff for her mother in Orlando, Florida, when she got the email that she was in the field this week across the country. She and her father, who doubles as her caddie, got on a plane about 12 hours later.

“It’s certainly tough out there,” said Wagner of her time back on the Epson Tour. “Coming back from a year on the LPGA I didn’t really know what to expect, but the field has been tough every week. Play has been really great.

“I mean, cuts have been just as low as LPGA, so it’s definitely a challenge.”

Wagner is currently 49th on the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card. Players who finish in the top 15 earn LPGA membership for next season.

2024 Portland Classic
Nataliya Guseva plays her shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the 2024 Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Russian rookie Nataliya Guseva, who recorded her third top 10 of the season last week in Canada, joins Wagner and South Korea’s Hyo Joon Jang in a share of second.

“I was just really enjoying myself on the golf course,” said Guseva. “That was probably one of the best times for me on the LPGA, like on the golf course when I was just really, you know, like going, talking, not even paying attention to my game. I was just like hitting it well and knocking it in, so it’s always nice when you get into that momentum.”

The 21-year-old played collegiate golf at Miami and earned LPGA status with a T-23 finish at LPGA Q-Series last December.

Last week’s winner, Lauren Coughlin, is back in the mix after an opening 66. Coughlin, 31, won for the first time in her 101st LPGA start as a member at the CPKC Women’s Open. Coughlin didn’t make a single bogey on Thursday.

The biggest challenge of the week so far, she said, was coming down from the high of Sunday and finding a way to reset.

“I hit the ball extremely well,” said Coughlin. “Stayed super patient. Finally got some putts to drop on the back nine. Yeah, no, it was a good round especially considering last week. Very happy.”

With the pressure off, Megan Khang is enjoying ‘The Ultimatum’ in Portland

If Khang is going through her own version of the show this week, she’s certainly passing with flying colors.

As you might expect, after grinding through nearly 200 starts on the LPGA before earning her first victory last weekend in Vancouver at the CPKC Women’s Open, Megan Khang needed to exhale a bit this week while settling into her surroundings at the Portland Classic.

Khang is rooming with Nelly Korda, who surprised her friend with balloons at the house, but other than the original celebration, the Massachusetts product has laid low all week, sneaking in nightly episodes of the Netflix show “The Ultimatum.” The show, hosted by Nick Lachey and his wife Vanessa, is something of a social experiment, seeing how individuals react when being thrown into new situations.

If Khang is going through her own version of the show this week, learning how to play with an LPGA title under her belt, she’s certainly passing with flying colors.

On Friday, Khang fired her second straight 66 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club and she went to the clubhouse alone atop the leaderboard after 36 holes, poised to double her win total after finally opening the floodgates.

Khang closed the day with a bogey, her first of the tournament, but the round was still good enough to put her in prime position at the midway point. She coasted into the media tent after the round with the poise of a winner, although she insisted the final hole helped to keep her in check.

“Honestly I think it’s just I feel kind of mellowed out because I bogeyed the last hole. No one likes bogeying the last, but definitely gives you something more to work on,” she said. “It’s been kind of like a long week it feels like, but overall I think I’ve kind of just come to this week kind of going, hey, my game is in a good place. Mentally a little tired, but sometimes that can be a good thing. Just not over-exhausting myself out there and take it one shot at time and relax when I can out there. It’s a long week.”

Among those pushing Khang is Madelene Sagstrom, who missed the cut in four of her previous five starts. While Khang has posted consecutive rounds of 66, Sagstrom has back-to-back 67s and sits just two strokes behind the leader.

“I must say I just really haven’t made any mistakes. I’ve been keeping it in play. I haven’t really had my ‘A’ game coming in here. I’ve been struggling a little bit on the course,” Sagstrom said. “So we kind of set up a little different game plan this week. Just trying to hit the fairway however it gets there and just go more center of the green. I think that is more how I was playing last year and it seems to be working.

“Giving myself some good chances. Took them when I needed to. Really just haven’t made too many mistakes.”

As for Khang’s approach for the weekend, it’s about as exciting as social calendar this week.

“It’s going to sound like a broken record, fairways and greens, and we’ll see how the course dries out,” she said. “We’ll see where we stand and just kind of take it from there.”

And as for her new Netflix fix, why is she hooked?

“It’s so dramatic and it’s wicked funny,” she said.

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Former Stanford star Andrea Lee lost her card last year, and then clawed her way back to win on the LPGA in Portland

Andrea Lee broke down in tears during her post-round interview as she dedicated the victory to her late grandpa.

Andrea Lee’s very fine drive on the 17th hole came to rest in a divot. There’s never a good time to find a divot, but this was an especially terrible time, given that Lee was vying for her first LPGA title on the 71st hole of the AmazingCre Portland Classic.

She tugged her 6-iron to the left and ultimately got up-and-down with a beautiful bunker shot, as if the divot never happened.

The former No. 1-ranked amateur lost her tour card last season and played on the Epson Tour earlier this year. Rock bottom came last April when she felt so lost on the golf course that she wanted to withdraw and go home. She didn’t, of course, because Lee is a fighter. And that bad luck divot wasn’t going to stop her either.

“It’s more than anything I could have imagined,” said Lee of her one-stroke victory in Portland. “I cannot believe it.”

Lee came into the final round with a share of the lead, but a pair of bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 got her off to a sluggish start. She rebounded with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 5-7, and the former Stanford star joined a long list of players who had a chance late in the day at Columbia Edgewater.

Lee, a nine-time winner at Stanford, closed with a 6-under 66 to finish at 19 under and edge former Miami player Daniela Darquea by one stroke. Darquea came into the week 108th on the CME points list with only four starts on the LPGA this season, including the U.S. Women’s Open and Dow team event. She’d played most of the season on the Epson Tour, but made the most of her time in Portland, birdieing the last three holes to finish second.

Similarly, Esther Henseleit revitalized her season with a share of third. The German player came into the week 103rd on the CME list. The top 100 keep their card for the 2023 season.

Like Lee, UCLA’s Lilia Vu won a bunch in the Pac-12 and spent time as the top-ranked amateur in the world. Both are on the short list as rookie for next year’s U.S. Solheim Cup team. Vu joined Henseleit in a share of third with Narin An, Hannah Green and Ayake Furue.

“Andrea played amazing,” said Vu. “She literally hits every single shot like a foot, and I just knew like playing today, I’m playing with like the straightest hitters, and, me, I’m struggling all week to find a fairway.”

Sweden’s Maja Stark made her debut as an LPGA member this week and finished solo eighth. The Ladies European Tour star won the ISPS Handa World Invitational to earn LPGA membership. Stark was less than satisfied with her closing 66.

“My driver was kind of everywhere,” said Stark. “Pulled mostly left, but and then my irons weren’t very good and my wedges have been terrible all week.

“So I’m just happy that I managed to go under par to be honest.”

2022 AmazingCre Portland Classic
Andrea Lee poses with the trophy and her father James Lee after winning the 2022 AmazingCre Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Lee broke down in tears during her post-round interview with the Golf Channel as she dedicated the victory to her late grandfather, who died last November. He always called her a champion.

“My grandpa loved golf,” said Lee. “I’m kind of sad that I didn’t get to play more rounds of golf with him or just go to the range together, but we were close and he helped us out a lot when we were in tough times during junior golf. It’s a very expensive sport and he was a huge supporter and he was my No. 1 fan besides my mom and dad.”

She was also emotional about the loss of her dog, Toki, who died earlier this year and would’ve turned 14 yesterday.

Lee melted even more in the arms of her father, who told her he was proud.

“My dad is not a man of many words,” said Lee, “so it was just a nice moment to have with him.”

Her next big goal: win a major.

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LPGA: Three players tied for the lead, six others within two entering final round of AmazingCre Portland Classic

Lilia Vu is one of three players tied for the lead with 18 holes to play.

Lilia Vu considered giving up the game of golf in 2019 after missing all but one cut on the LPGA and earning just over $3,000. Now she’s 18 holes away from grabbing her first win.

Vu has finished inside the top 20 in three of her last four starts, including the last time she teed it up in the Dana Open two weeks ago. Her form has made the trip to Portland, Oregon, for the AmazingCre Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

The 24-year-old followed up her Friday 66 with a Saturday 68 thanks to five birdies and two bogeys.

To claim her maiden victory, she’ll have to fend off a tightly-packed leaderboard.

She’s tied with Andrea Lee and Ayaka Furue for the lead, while six players are within two shots.

Portland Classic: Leaderboard

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The round of the day belonged to Frida Kinhult, who used an eagle at the par-5 fifth to fire a 7-under 65. She’s tied for 10th and three shots back heading into the final round.

Brooke Henderson sits T-14 at 9 under and Nelly Korda is 8 under, T-19.

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Maja Stark making the most of her first start as LPGA member at AmazingCre Portland Classic

Now with full membership on the LPGA, Maja Stark is seeking her second win.

Maja Stark, who became a first-time winner on the LPGA in August, is playing her first event as a member of LPGA at the AmazingCre Portland Classic this week.

Come Sunday, she might be hoisting a trophy for a second time in her young professional career.

Stark opened 69-67 at Columbia Edgewater and was tied for fourth, a solid start for someone still finding confidence at the highest level.

“It’s very satisfying to know that I can do it and wasn’t just a fluke that I played well last time,” she said after her round which included an eagle, five birdies but also two bogeys. “I felt like I was struggling out there today, and then coming in with a minus-5, I’m over the moon that can it feel so bad but then end up working out.”

Comfortably making the cut could make for a little easier breathing over the final 36 holes.

“I’m just excited about maybe my mental state being a bit better this weekend,” the 22-year-old said.

At the top of the leaderboard is 23-year-old Esther Henseleit of Germany and 24-year-old American Lilia Vu. Both got to 10 under Friday and will sleep on a one-stroke lead.

Henseleit’s position atop the leaderboard may be a little bit of a surprise. She has 10 missed cuts in 18 starts this season. Her best finish is a tie for 12th, and that was back in March.

But Friday, Henseleit made nine birdies during a 13-hole stretch, including five in a row on her back nine, to shoot a 64, tying for low round of the week so far.

Vu backed up her opening-round 68 with a 66 on Friday. She has four top-10s this season including a solo third at the Bank of Hope Match Play.

Carlota Ciganda is solo third at 9 under. Ciganda has three top-5s this season including a tie for third in the Amundi Evian Championship.

Andrea Lee, who is tied for fourth with Stark along with four others, also shot a 64 on Friday.

Local knowledge appears to continue to pay dividends for Caroline Inglis, a member at Columbia Edgewater. On Friday, she made a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th hole.

“I like hit it kind of like, not very good, like it was like thin. I was like, okay, it’ll bounce up. That’s fine. It took a really big first bounce and just like went in,” she said. Inglis lives just down the road from the course and plays it often with her husband.

“I was so shocked like that it actually happened at my home course on a hole that I played so many times. I was like, oh, my God. Like in a tournament. Because I’ve had, this is my sixth one, but only ever had one other in a tournament but it was in college.

“It was just so surprising. It was fun.”

Inglis is tied for 10th at 7 under.

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Nelly Korda can retake No. 1 ranking with a victory in Portland, and she’s off to a strong start

The No. 2-ranked player carded an eventful first-round 67 that included a double-bogey followed by eagle.

Nelly Korda can once again move to No. 1 in the world. It will take a victory in her debut at the AmazingCre Portland Classic to do it, but No. 2-ranked Korda is off to a strong start, carding an eventful 5-under 67 that included a double-bogey on No. 6, immediately followed by eagle.

“It was a very colorful front nine,” said Korda. “Kind of up and down day, but ended on the good side. Overall, I played some solid golf. Maybe made a few stupid errors, but that’s golf.”

Ayako Uehara paces the field early at Columbia Edgewater after an opening 65. Hannah Green sits alone in second at 6 under.

Korda first rose to No. 1 in June of last year after winning the KPMG Women’s PGA at Atlanta Athletic Club. She has spent a total of 29 weeks at No. 1, trading back and forth with Jin Young Ko.

AmazingCre Portland Classic: Leaderboard

With Ko out until at least late October with a nagging wrist injury, there’s an open door for Korda to make a move. Korda posted seven birdies and an eagle in her opening round, hitting 11 fairways and 15 greens.

“I told myself it’s just the first day,” said Korda. “Can’t win it, but you can definitely lose it. So I just tried to stay pretty confident in what I was working on with my coach, Jamie Mulligan, the past week.”

2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
Caroline Inglis plays her shot from the bunker on the eighth hole during the first round of the 2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan. (Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Caroline Inglis, a member at Columbia Edgewater for seven years, holds a share of third at 5 under with Hinako Shibuno and Korda. Inglis is close friends with the club’s superintendent, Jim Myers.

“He was telling me because it’s pretty like soft for normal member play, you know, you can’t get the greens like crazy fast and firm,” said Inglis.

“And, like, I would say the greens definitely firmed up a lot since like Monday, Tuesday, which is great. I love that. They’re fast and they’re rolling so pure. They’re really good.”

Inglis played collegiate golf at Oregon and joined the tour in 2017. This could be a pivotal week for the 28-year-old, who is currently 120th in CME points. The top 100 players keep their cards for the 2023 season. Inglis began the year with conditional status and didn’t get her first start until April. After four straight missed cuts, she tied for 14th last week in Cincinnati.

“I’ve been trying to take the opportunities as they come and play my best,” said Inglis. “It was nice to like have a good week last week and see some of the hard work pay off.

“So feel like my game is in a good place, and I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully ride the momentum.”

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