PORTLAND, Ore. — Perrine Delacour held onto the Portland Traditional lead Friday with one other bogey-free spherical at Columbia Edgewater, capturing a 5-under 67 in excellent circumstances a day after opening with a 63 within the rain.
“You needed to alter for the pins, particularly on the wedges,” Delacour mentioned. “However it was positively nicer. I imply, despite the fact that the bag remains to be moist from yesterday, however it was positively nicer to be in shorts and polos as a substitute of rain gear.”
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman took a one-stroke lead over Linn Grant into the weekend on the tree-lined structure simply south of the Columbia River.
“I simply saved affected person,” Delacour mentioned. “I imply, after all, coming from a pacesetter on the primary day, capturing 9 below, you understand you are not going to shoot twice 9 below.”
Delacour has 5 top-10s in 11 seasons on the LPGA Tour, together with her profession finest a third-place end within the 2020 Ladies’s Australian Open.
“I am the sort of particular person to overthink,” Delacour mentioned. “So, the aim is I’ll do some stuff to maintain my head busy and never excited about golf.”
Grant, the 24-year-old Swede who gained the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title, adopted a gap 65 with a 66 to get to 13 below.
“Clearly, nicer to play in the present day when the solar is out,” mentioned Grant, the previous Arizona State star set to characterize Europe within the Solheim Cup. “I believe yesterday, attending to shoot like a minus-7 was an enormous benefit. It isn’t at all times very straightforward when it rains. I simply tried to essentially take that benefit and proceed that for in the present day.”
Megan Khang, coming off her first tour victory Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia, was 12 below after her second 66.
“Simply attempting to capitalize on some softer greens whilst you can,” mentioned Khang, who had an eagle for the second day in a row. “I do know it may warmth up come the weekend, so actually simply attempting to set an excellent tempo and attempting to maintain it going.”
The U.S. Solheim Cup participant gained at Shaughnessy, one other tree-lined gem designed by Columbia Edgewater architect A.V. Macan.
“It has been sort of like a protracted week it seems like,” Khang mentioned. “However general I believe I’ve sort of simply come to this week sort of going, `Hey, sport is in an excellent place.′ Mentally a bit drained, however typically that may be an excellent factor.”
Monday qualifier Chanettee Wannasaen (66) was 10 below with Ally Ewing (65), Elizabeth Szokol (66), Charley Hull (67), Ruoning Yin (64), Madelene Sagstrom (67) and Gina Kim (70).
The 19-year-old Wannasaen has missed 9 straight cuts in LPGA Tour play. She misplaced a playoff to Yue Ren final week in Idaho within the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship.
Columbia Edgewater member Caroline Inglis was 8 below after a 66. The previous College of Oregon participant lives throughout the river in Vancouver, Washington.
“It is at all times enjoyable coming again right here and having all my family and friends watching,” Inglis mentioned. “This yr is sort of bizarre as a result of the course is enjoying prefer it does in like January as a result of it is so moist.”
Second-ranked Nelly Korda additionally was 8 below after a 71.
Defending champion Andrea Lee and two-time winner Brooke Henderson had been within the group at 7 below. Lee had a 71, and Henderson shot 68.
High-ranked Lilia Vu had a 69 to get to 4 below. She tied for third final yr.
Lexi Thompson missed the reduce by a stroke, capturing 72-69. She’s outdoors the highest 150 within the Race to CME Globe and isn’t prone to maintain her full LPGA card for subsequent yr at this charge.
Oregon State participant Kyra Ly dropped out with rounds of 74 and 71.
