PORTLAND — Perrine Delacour held onto the Portland Classic lead Friday with another bogey-free round at Columbia Edgewater, shooting a 5-under 67 in perfect conditions a day after opening with a 63 in the rain.
“You had to adjust for the pins, especially on the wedges,” Delacour said. “But it was definitely nicer. I mean, even though the bag is still wet from yesterday, but it was definitely nicer to be in shorts and polos instead 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 layout just south of the Columbia River.
“I just kept patient,” Delacour said. “I mean, of course, coming from a leader on the first day, shooting 9 under, you know you’re not going to shoot twice 9 under.”
Delacour has five top-10s in 11 seasons on the LPGA Tour, with her career best a third-place finish in the 2020 Women’s Australian Open.
“I’m the kind of person to overthink,” Delacour said. “So, the goal is I’m going to do some stuff to keep my head busy and not thinking about golf.”
Grant, the 24-year-old Swede who won the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title, followed an opening 65 with a 66 to get to 13 under.
“Obviously, nicer to play today when the sun is out,” said Grant, the former Arizona State star set to represent Europe in the Solheim Cup. “I think yesterday, getting to shoot like a minus-7 was a huge advantage. It’s not always very easy when it rains. I just tried to really take that advantage and continue that for today.”
Megan Khang, coming off her first tour victory Sunday in Vancouver, B.C., was 12 under after her second 66.
“Just trying to capitalize on some softer greens while you can,” said Khang, who had an eagle for the second day in a row. “I know it’s going to heat up come the weekend, so really just trying to set a good pace and trying to keep it going.”
The U.S. Solheim Cup player won at Shaughnessy, another tree-lined gem designed by Columbia Edgewater architect A.V. Macan.
“It’s been kind of like a long week it feels like,” Khang said. “But overall I think I’ve kind of just come to this week kind of going, ‘Hey, game is in a good place.’ Mentally a little tired, but sometimes that can be a good thing.”
Monday qualifier Chanettee Wannasaen (66) was 10 under 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 nine straight cuts in LPGA Tour play. She lost a playoff to Yue Ren last week in Idaho in the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship.
Columbia Edgewater member Caroline Inglis was 8 under after a 66. The former University of Oregon player lives across the river in Vancouver.
“It’s always fun coming back here and having all my friends and family watching,” Inglis said. “This year is kind of weird because the course is playing like it does in like January because it’s so wet.”
Second-ranked Nelly Korda also was 8 under after a 71.
Defending champion Andrea Lee and two-time winner Brooke Henderson were in the group at 7 under. Lee had a 71, and Henderson shot 68.
Top-ranked Lilia Vu had a 69 to get to 4 under. She tied for third last year.
Lexi Thompson missed the cut by a stroke, shooting 72-69. She’s outside the top 150 in the Race to CME Globe and is not likely to keep her full LPGA card for next year at this rate.
Oregon State player Kyra Ly dropped out with rounds of 74 and 71.
