WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT BRINGS BEST TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST
The Cambia Portland Classic returned to the Pacific Northwest on Sept. 16-19, bringing the best women in golf to town. Participants from all over the world came to compete in the final segment of the Race to the CME Globe – the pro tour’s top prize for the season.
Celebrating 50 years, the Portland event is the longest-running non-major tournament in the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association). This was the first LPGA event since Europe surpassed the United States, 15-13, to win the Solheim Cup on Sept. 6.
The Classic was held at The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn this year, a departure from its longtime venue at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, located immediately west of the Portland International Airport. Tournament directors elected to move the tournament for 2021 due to the City of Portland’s problematic handling of security around the city, citing concerns specific to the increased homeless camps near the club. According to KATU-2 News, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office released a response to the relocation saying, “We’re pleased that the decision was made to keep the tournament in the greater Portland metropolitan area. We understand the tournament organizer’s concerns and we’re working to address those.”
A three-year agreement with The Oregon Golf Club has been made to host the tournament, meantime.
The Oregon Golf Club is an 18-hole private course carved through a sprawling corridor of farmland, abounding in hills. A tree-lined entrance opens to a large two-story clubhouse with a direct view of Mount Hood and the valley below. Douglas firs and vineyards frame the rolling fairways and manicured grass greens. The course features many sand traps, as well as the occasional stream, and a lake.
This was the first live sports event that I had attended since before the pandemic, and my partner and I went to the tournament on Friday, Sept. 17 – the second round of a scheduled four rounds. Bright- eyed police cadets directed traffic in the parking area, quickly buzzing up in golf carts to us as we got out of our vehicles to offer us a ride to the shuttle. We boarded the shuttle, which appeared to be a party bus with colorful lights on the interior, leather seats, and mirrored ceilings. And we got the crooning of Frank Sinatra blaring through the speakers as we ascended to the event space.
Sponsor tents filled the walkway to the clubhouse, employees passing out swag such as golf ball- shaped lip balm, hand sanitizer, and sunglasses. One of the sponsors was Rise Above Hate, which is a group of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community leaders working to raise awareness to defeat anti-Asian hate. Over 60% of the top 25 competitors in the LPGA tour are AAPI, and Rise Above Hate is a proud sponsor of the tournament to amplify its role in changing stereotypes of Asian people.
The smell of grilled onions wafted from the food carts, even as a layer of smoke from distant wildfires blanketed the horizon. Spectators milled around with thin plastic cups filled with beer, while stoic players and caddies passed through on golf carts. Flags of the world dotted the cart paths. The satisfying thwack of a driver smacking golf balls into the distance repeatedly echoed as the players warmed up at the driving range.
We followed players Kristy McPherson, from South Carolina, and Sarah Burnham, from Minnesota, for nine holes. McPherson went on to make the cut and finished at 7 over par. Burnham finished with a 9-over score.
The weather starting off the tournament was warm and dry, but overnight Friday the course accumulated over an inch and a half of rain, canceling Saturday’s play. The tournament resumed on Sunday but was reduced from 72 holes to 54 holes, total. The 144-player field competed for a share of a $1.4 million dollar purse.
In the end, Jin Young Ko of South Korea, who is Rolex Rankings No. 2 on the tour, ruled the game at the 2021 Cambia Portland Classic. Boasting a score of 69 with no bogeys on Sunday, she earned her ninth LPGA Tour victory, a four-stroke win over Jeongeun Lee and Su Oh.
Soures:
https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/09/18/lpga-cambia-portland-classic-delayed-rain/
https://www.portlandclassic.com/about
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