Staff WriterIf there’s one thing the Standard Portland Classic has taught us over the years, it’s to expect the unexpected. And on Friday, Jeongeun Lee5 proved that golf isn’t just a game of patience—it’s also a game of streaks, and she reeled off five birdies in a row as though she’d just remembered where the accelerator was hidden.
The Rolex World No. 267 signed for a second-round 67 to move to 12-under, giving her a one-shot lead over Grace Kim and Gurleen Kaur heading into the weekend at Columbia Edgewater. It’s only the second time in her career that Lee5 has held an LPGA lead, and you could almost see her wondering if the scoreboard was lying.
“While warming up today, it was quite chilly so I thought to myself that I shouldn’t overplay it today,” Lee5 said. “In the beginning, I tried to safely make pars and that worked out well.
If there were opportunities to make birdies, I wanted to make sure I did. With the start of my birdie, I had five straight birdies so I was able to finish my round enjoyably and comfortably.”
Enjoyably, indeed. With just 25 putts on the card, Lee5 rolled it like she’d swapped her putter for a magic wand. She now sits tied fourth in the field for birdies made through 36 holes (12) and has rediscovered the kind of form that saw her finish runner-up here back in 2021.
Kim and Kaur Keep the Heat On
Right behind her, Grace Kim made her own statement of intent with a blistering 7-under 65. She opened with a 31 on the front nine, rolled in six birdies and an eagle, and—most importantly—won a bet with her physio.
“I had a bet with my physio this morning. To shoot 7-under he had to wear a yellow tutu for the International Crown,” Kim laughed. “So I did that and made a long putt on the last hole to make that 7-under, so he’s wearing a tutu.”
If you ever doubted golf needed more personality, there’s your answer. Kim has now matched her season-low for the fourth time and leads the field in fewest putts taken through 36 holes (51).
As for Gurleen Kaur, the Texan carded a steady 68, rattling home three birdies in her final four holes to reach 11-under. It’s the first time in two years she’s sniffed the sharp end of an LPGA leaderboard, and she isn’t taking the view lightly.
“Yeah, I think this is the first time in the last two years on the LPGA that I’ve been in this position, so I’m really excited for it,” Kaur said. “I think it will be a good experience as well. So, yeah, just hope to continue to play well.”
Chasing Pack Brimming with Firepower
Hot on their heels at 10-under are Ashleigh Buhai, Akie Iwai, and Pajaree Anannarukarn. Buhai, a runner-up here in 2020, looks like she’s finally shaking off a rough patch, hitting 13 of 14 fairways en route to a 68.
“It’s been I would say a good six weeks, maybe two months of work getting back to where I needed to be,” Buhai admitted. “It’s frustrating. May through July was a little rough. But if you put the work in, you’ll get back to it eventually. I’m just glad that’s slowly starting to pay off.”
Japan’s Iwai is making her debut at the Standard Portland Classic, and she’s clearly enjoying the scenery—posting 67 with three straight birdies twice on the card. Meanwhile, Anannarukarn provided fireworks of her own, going eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie between holes 5 and 8 to shoot 67 and prove she’s not in the mood to make up the numbers.
Zhang Rockets Back into the Mix
Speaking of fireworks, Rose Zhang torched Columbia Edgewater with an 8-under 64, the lowest round of the day. After a rough opening 75 left her hovering near last place, she leapt 91 spots up the leaderboard to T27 with an eagle, seven birdies, and just one blemish.
“I honestly knew that I needed a really low score today to even have a chance to make the cut, so honestly that was kind of my objective out there,” Zhang said. “The front nine I started getting some momentum and then managed to have some birdies on the par-5s, which is always really, really good.”
Legends, Heartbreak, and History
The Standard Portland Classic wouldn’t be complete without a touch of drama from the old guard. LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, who won this event back in 1999, missed the cut by a single stroke after rounds of 69-74. At 65 years and 22 days, she would have become the oldest player in history to make an LPGA cut. Instead, JoAnne Carner’s 2004 record survives another week.
On the withdrawal list: Haru Moon (injury), Alexa Pano (illness), and Jennifer Chang (injury).
Looking Ahead
Lee5 may lead, but the Standard Portland Classic has never been shy about chewing up frontrunners and spitting them back out. Kim is circling with a tutu on standby, Kaur is thriving in uncharted waters, and Zhang has already shown she can go lower than a limbo stick at a Caribbean beach party.
If Friday was any indication, Portland might just have a weekend lined up that could rival its craft beer scene for unpredictability and drama.
