The LPGA record for most consecutive birdies is nine and for a second day in a row, Dewi Weber made a run at that mark.
During Thursday’s first round of the Portland Classic, Weber birdied Nos. 2 through 8 en route to a 6-under 66. On Friday, she birdied Nos. 5 through 11 on her way to a 10-under 62 and sole possession of the lead at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Weber qualified for the Summer Olympics but the Dutch Federation chose not to send her nor male golfers Joost Luiten and Darius van Driel to the Games on the belief there was not a realistic chance any of them contend for a medal.
Scorned Card: Dewi Weber, who qualified for the Olympics only to have her dreams dashed when the Dutch Federation deemed she wasn’t good enough, begged to differ with an opening round 66 at @PortlandClassic. pic.twitter.com/QW2YZ33lTb
— Grant Boone (@grantboone) August 2, 2024
Weber, an Epson Tour member playing in just her second LPGA tournament in 2024, has 17 birdies and one bogey so far this week.
She was asked about the Olympics after her round, about whether not being in Paris has been on her mind.
“Not much,” she said. “Like, I can tell that, yea, I’m trying to make a statement here. Not much. I’m just trying to play golf.”
After a similar follow-up question, Weber said, “I’m disappointed obviously, but it’s a chapter that for me I’ve closed. Listen, if I win on Sunday, like I think that would make a statement obviously, but it’s not as if I’m trying to play here to make a point. The point I’m trying to make is that I’m a good golfer and good enough to be on the LPGA Tour, because I’ve been on Epson this entire year. So that’s more the point I’m trying to make I guess for myself, than, ‘See, look, I should’ve been at the Olympics.’”
A shot back on the leaderboard is Andrea Lee, who posted a 9-under 63 to hold the clubhouse lead for a while Friday. Playing the back nine first, Lee had a birdies streak of her own – six straight – on Nos. 11-16 and made the turn in 30.
“It means my game is in the right place,” she said of her first-nine birdie run. “I wasn’t even really thinking about the birdie streak to be honest. I was so focused. Then I think I chipped it in on 16 and that was my sixth birdie in a row and I was like, my gosh. So it was a pretty cool run.”
Lee, the 2022 champion of this event, tied for third at the U.S. Women’s Open in May but has a missed cut, a solo 62nd and a tie for 45th since then. Overall this season, though, Lee has four top-20s and she’s 23rd in the Race to CME points standings. She’s also seventh in Solheim Cup points.
Polly Mack, who led after Day 1, shot 67 late in the day to get to 14 under and is tied with Lee, two shots back of the lead. Jenny Shin and Grace Kim are tied for fourth at 13 under.
Last week’s winner, Lauren Coughlin, is tied for 18th at 9 under. Last year’s Portland Classic champ, Chanettee Wannasaen, is tied for is tied for 42nd at 6 under.
After this event, the LPGA pauses for the Olympic Games, with the women’s competition starting Wednesday, Aug. 7.