Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – South Korea’s Lee5 Jeong-eun fired six birdies in a five-under par 67 on Friday to grab a one-shot lead over Evian Championship winner Grace Kim and Gurleen Kaur in the second round of the LPGA Portland Classic. Lee5, a 36-year-old chasing her first LPGA Tour title, thrived again at Edgewater Country Club, where she finished tied for second in 2021. She rolled in five straight birdies from the fifth through the ninth, and added one more at 12 before her lone bogey of the day at 13, moving atop the leaderboard with a 12-under par total of 132.
Australia’s Kim, who won her first major title last month with a playoff victory at the Evian, had an eagle and six birdies in her seven-under 65 for 133 while Kaur posted a 68. Lee — whose numeral 5 designation differentiates her from five other players with the same name — said she tried to stay patient in chilly morning conditions, but after a birdie at the par-five fifth she just rode the momentum and “great energy to continue making birdies until hole nine.” She needed just 25 putts in a stellar performance on the greens.
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“Honestly, all my birdie chances were a short putt, so I think that was the reason I was able to make those birdies and have a low putting stroke today,” she said. Kim wasn’t thrilled with her performance off the tee, but said her shots into the greens and putting “really backed up my game.” “Had a lot of good range, mid-range to long putts today, so that was nice,” said Kim. “Just rolled it well.” She teed off on 10 and had three birdies and a bogey in her first nine holes. After a birdie at the second, she eagled the fifth, then closed with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine.
“This week is always a bit of a birdie fest,” Kim said. “Knowing that, I’m going to try not to get too ahead of myself and be greedy.” Kaur also finished strong, closing birdie-birdie for a four-under 68 to join Kim on 11-under — one shot clear of Akie Iwai, Pajaree Anannarukarn and Ashleigh Buhai. Overnight leader Adela Cernousek of France carded a three-over par 75 to fall seven shots off the pace.
LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, 65 and playing her first LPGA event since 2022 as she prepares for the US Women’s Senior Open, came up just shy of a slice of LPGA history. She followed an opening 69 with a two-over 74 and missed breaking the record for oldest player to make an LPGA cut by one stroke.
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