Akie Iwai is off to a blistering start in The Standard Portland Classic, including a near-record round of 64 on Saturday. This outstanding achievement puts her in pole position with a two-stroke lead over her competitors. The tournament, held at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club, has showcased a series of thrilling performances, including strong showings from former champions and emerging talents.
Brooke Henderson, a two-time champion of the event, started the tournament off right with an 8-under opening round of 65. She faltered some in her second round, carding a 73. She came back with a 68, moving her to 10 under for the tournament, within three shots of Iwai. It once again wasn’t pretty, but Henderson’s steadiness has made her one of the few players able to withstand the high scores and stay in contention.
Gurleen Kaur is now well in the drivers seat at 13 under after a round of 70 today. Aditi Ashok and Gina Kim are 3 back at 9 under. All of that came to light during Iwai’s performance, especially a five hole stretch where she played 5 under, where Iwai’s aggressive play and style started to shine through.
Chisato Iwai of Japan created some turbulence during the tournament with a smokin’-hot round of 66. Her total moved to 11 under after she made an eagle on the fifth hole. Meanwhile, Jeongeun Lee5 added excitement to her game with a hole-in-one on the 16th hole, finishing her round with a score of 67, placing her at 10 under.
A quarter-finalist last year, Akie Iwai described her approach to the game, saying, “My style, my golf style, [is] aggressive. This mentality has obviously served her well as she moved through the course’s challenging elements with grit and grace.
The leaderboard is still changing every day as players continue to claw for top scores. Henderson may be down in the polls to Iwai, but she’s upbeat about her chances. She expressed her determination to stay focused: “I was trying to see if I could get a drop,” referring to her strategy on the course.
As the tournament unfolds, we’ll all be looking on with eager eyes. Will Iwai be able to hold on to her lead as she rounds into the final stretch toward the finish line? With many more players still in striking distance, among them Henderson and Kaur, the battle is sure to stay competitive.
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