Jeongeun Lee5 rides birdie streak to Portland second-round lead

South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee5 parlayed five straight birdies on Friday into a one-stroke lead at 12-under-par 132 through two rounds of the Standard Portland (Ore.) Classic.
Her hot streak at Columbia Edgewater Country Club began on the par-5 fifth. When she completed her run at the ninth hole, she sat at 12 under for the tournament. She added a birdie on the 12th and a bogey at No. 13 to finish at 5-under-par 67 on the day. Gurleen Kaur and Australia’s Grace Kim are one shot back.
“I wanted to make as many chances to birdie,” Lee5 said. “Starting on hole 5, it was a par 5, so it seemed there was more of an opportunity to birdie, so I tried to focus on that. With the start of that birdie, I think I was able to have that momentum and great energy to continue making birdies until hole 9. In the second half, I had a mistake on my tee shot at hole 10, but I was able to save par and I think I was able to end my round well overall.”
Lee5 has yet to take home an LPGA event championship, though she does have seven top-10 finishes to her credit.
The 36-year-old’s best finish this season was a tie for 16th at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open in May.
“I’m sure all of the players have the same or similar thoughts, but when we are playing well, we expect it to continue,” Lee5 said. “So, I want to really concentrate and focus going into the weekend. The past two rounds I had great energy, good shots, and good putts, so I want to continue this throughout the weekend and hopefully have a great tournament.”
Kim fired a 7-under 65 — notching six birdies, one eagle and one bogey — to tie Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant for the day’s second-best round. Kaur stayed in second place for the second consecutive day as she posted five birdies and a bogey on her way to a 68.
“I feel like this is probably the best two rounds that I’ve had on the LPGA like before the weekend as well, so I’m just really excited for that,” Kaur said. “Obviously I want to continue the momentum for the weekend.”
Three players are tied for fourth at 10 under: Japan’s Akie Iwai (67), Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn (67) and South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai (68).
Rounding out the Top 10 are four golfers sitting at 9 under. Germany’s Aline Krauter shot a second-round 66 to climb into a tie with Yealimi Noh (67), Amelia Lewis (68) and China’s Miranda Wang (70).
First-round leader Adela Cernousek, a rookie out of France, fell into a tie for 27th with her second-day score of 3-over 75. On the flip side, Rose Zhang fired an 8-under 64 — the day’s best round — to offset her 3-over 75 in the first round to share 27th place with Cernousek and 11 others.
Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand shot a 74 and missed the cut at 3-over 147.
Juli Inkster, 65, came up just short in her bid to become the oldest player to make a 36-hole cut in an LPGA event. Inkster bogeyed Nos. 12 and 13 to finish at 2-over for the round and 1-under 143 for the tournament – one shot on the wrong side of the cut line.