PORTLAND, Oregon – Jeongeun Lee5 shot a 6-under 67 on Friday to lead in the standard Portland Classic, but the 65-year-old Julie Incstar was short to become the oldest player to cut LPGA Tour history.
Lee5, a 36-year-old Korean player, totaled 12 under 132 at Columbia Edgewater. Winning the LPGA Tour, she birded the final five holes of the front nine in the morning round.
“When we play well, we hope it continues,” Lee5 said. “So I really want to focus on the weekends. In the last two rounds, I’ve had great energy, good shots, good putts.”
Australia’s Grace Kim and the US’s Green Cowl had a tree-lined stroke. Kim had 65 and Kaur shot 68.
Akie Iwai won a second consecutive 67 to join Pajaree Anannarukarn (67) and Ashleigh Buhai (68) at 10 under.
Amateur Chiara Romero has a 69 at 8 under. The University of Oregon star won the 2023 US Women’s Junior and the 2025 Big Ten title.
“It really feels good to see my game match up with some of these pros, just play more comfortably in front of crowds and so on,” Romero said. “When I played in front of my first crowd, I was shaken a bit and tense there.”
Two-time champion Brooke Henderson, a stroke back after opening 65, fell below the age of 73. The Canadian star has won since January 2023 and has fallen to 52nd place in the world.
First round leader Adela Cernousek followed her opening 64 and 75 went 5 under.
Angel Inn, the top-ranked player on the No. 7 field, was under two years old after No. 70.
Defending champion Moriya Jutanugaan missed the cut in rounds 73 and 74.
The tournament is the longest continuous event on the LPGA Tour, with the exception of majors dating back to 1972.