Dewi Weber of the Netherlands scorched Columbia Edgewater Country Club with a 10-under-par 62 to take the halfway lead at the Portland Classic on Friday in Oregon.
Weber finished her round with five straight birdies to leap ahead to 16-under 128. She is two shots in front of Andrea Lee, who shot 63 on Friday, and Germany’s Polly Mack (67).
Weber, 28, was one of three Dutch golfers who qualified to compete in the Paris Olympics but were controversially denied by their own country’s Olympic committee. In essence, the Dutch governing body argued that the golfers were unlikely to place highly in the Olympic competition.
Asked if the Olympic snub was on her mind this week, Weber replied, “Not much.”
“I’m disappointed obviously, but it’s a chapter that for me I’ve closed,” Weber said. “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 (Tour) this entire year.”
Weber is making just her second LPGA start this year. After rattling off seven successive birdies at the second through eighth holes during the first round on Thursday, her encore was a 10-birdie, zero-bogey card on Friday.
“(Thursday) I hit poorer shots that ended up in good places and I made my putts,” Weber said. “Today I hit good drives, hit good iron shots, and then I just finished it off with a putt. It felt easy.”
Lee, the 2022 Portland Classic champion, started her round on the back nine and ripped off six birdies in a row at Nos. 11-16. She climbed to 15 under for the tournament before closing with her only bogey of the day at No. 9.
“It’s always great to come back here,” the California native said. “I always find the course conditions to be perfect. It’s a great golf course. Obviously a lot of the low scores out here, but I feel really comfortable out here. I don’t know, just kind of feels like my home course away from home almost.”
Mack, ranked No. 419 in the world entering the week, was the 18-hole leader after an opening 63. Her second round included an eagle at the par-5 seventh, five birdies and two bogeys.
Jenny Shin of South Korea and Grace Kim of Australia each shot 65 to move into a tie for fourth at 13 under. Alexa Pano (64) and Emma Talley (67) are tied for sixth at 12 under.
The cut line was at 5 under par. Former major winners Sei Young Kim of South Korea (4 under) and Stacy Lewis (2 under) were among the notables to miss the cut.
–Field Level Media