With the CPKC Girls’s Open being performed final week on the western coast of Canada in Vancouver, the Portland Traditional is seeing lots of the world’s top-ranked gamers make the quick journey south to Portland, Ore. for this yr’s occasion. Come Thursday, Columbia Edgewater Nation Membership will host one of many strongest fields in recent times with eight of the highest 10 within the Rolex Rankings teeing it up within the 52nd version of the Portland Traditional. Right here’s a take a look at a number of the featured teams and tee instances for spherical one.
Thursday, 7:59 a.m.* – Charley Hull/Linn Grant/Rose Zhang
The trio of Charley Hull, Linn Grant, and Rose Zhang are largely seeing Columbia Edgewater for the primary time this week and can start their journey across the towering pines at 7:59 a.m. native time on Thursday morning. Grant and Zhang, each first-time winners this season, are making their event debut in Portland whereas Hull will likely be competing within the occasion for the primary time since 2018.
Hull is likely one of the hottest gamers this season as she arrives in Portland with three runner-up finishes by means of the primary eight months of the season. She has a complete of 4 prime 10s on the yr and will likely be nicely rested when she arrives in Portland as she has skipped the final two Tour stops and is making her first begin for the reason that AIG Girls’s Open. Hull’s solely different begin in Portland got here again in 2018 when she completed tied for sixty fifth.
A Rolex First-Time winner on the Dana Open earlier this summer time, Grant has been a participant to observe this yr with three prime 10s this season. She picked up a kind of prime 10s final week on the CPKC Girls’s Open the place she completed tied for sixth and can look to trip that momentum into this week’s occasion in Portland the place she is making her event debut.
Like Grant, Zhang earned her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour earlier this season. Her maiden win got here on the Mizuho Americas Open, which is one in all three prime 10s that the LPGA Tour rookie has racked up this yr. She’ll be seeking to regain that kind as she arrives in Portland as she’s coming off back-to-back finishes outdoors the highest 40, together with a tie for forty first eventually week’s CPKC Girls’s Open. Like lots of the tournaments the rookie is taking part in in her first yr on Tour, Zhang is competing within the Portland Traditional for the primary time.
Thursday, 8:10 a.m.* – Nelly Korda/Lydia Ko/In-Kyung Kim
Main champions Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and In-Kyung Kim are grouped collectively for the opening rounds of the Portland Traditional with their first spherical getting underway on Thursday morning at 8:10 a.m. native time.
Korda is making solely her second begin in Portland the place she made her debut with a tie for thirty first final season. The highest-ranked American acquired off to a stellar begin to her season with seven prime 10s on the season so far. She’ll be seeking to get again on kind as she’s coming off back-to-back rounds of 75 on the weekend eventually week’s CPKC Girls’s Open the place she got here away with a tie for thirty second.
Like Korda, Ko hasn’t had the type of season she hoped for and her recreation has appeared removed from the one which final season earned her the Rolex Participant of the Yr award. Ko comes into the Portland Traditional off a disappointing 71st place end eventually week’s CPKC Girls’s Open the place she struggled with weekend rounds of 82-73. She’ll be seeking to discover the spark that earned her a victory on the Girls European Tour firstly of the yr and her lone prime 10 end on the LPGA Tour this season which got here on the Honda LPGA Thailand again in February. Ko is making her fourth begin at Columbia Edgewater Nation Membership and her first look since 2020.
Just like her taking part in companions, Kim is coming to Portland seeking to get her recreation again on observe. The AIG Girls’s Open Champion has made simply three of 9 cuts this season, however she might discover some success this week in Portland the place she’s returning for the primary time since 2016 when she completed tied for thirteenth.
Thursday, 1:10 p.m. – Andrea Lee/Lilia Vu/Atthaya Thitikul
A star-studded grouping that includes defending champion Andrea Lee, two-time main champion Lilia Vu, and reigning Rookie of the Yr Atthaya Thitikul start their Portland Traditional on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. native time.
Lee earned her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour within the 51st version of the Portland Traditional. Lee gained in her third look in Portland, utilizing her second spherical, 64, as a springboard to victory during which she closed with a powerful last spherical of 66 to seize her maiden title. The defending champion has been taking part in a few of her finest golf in current weeks as she’s coming off a tie for thirteenth eventually week’s CPKC Girls’s Open, which is simply the most recent in a string of strong finishes after recording back-to-back prime 10s in her two prior begins.
It’s robust to not like Vu’s probabilities this week in Portland. She’s not solely the present Rolex Rankings World No. 1 however she’s already a three-time winner this season which incorporates two main titles at The Chevron Championship and AIG Girls’s Open. Vu is making simply her second look in Portland, however she made essentially the most of her first begin final yr when she completed tied for third. The American will look to transform that prime displaying in 2022 into yet one more win come the weekend.
Whereas a lot has been manufactured from Vu’s success this season, Thitikul has largely flown underneath the radar regardless of eight prime 10s up to now this yr. She’ll be nicely rested for her journey round Columbia Edgewater as she’s making her first begin for the reason that AIG Girls’s Open the place she was tied for thirty sixth within the last main of the yr. Thitikul is making her event debut this week in Portland.
For an entire listing of tee instances for the Portland Traditional, click on right here.
