Portland Classic Preview and TV Schedule
Cristie Kerr and Suzann Pettersen are both past Portland Classic winners, 13th ranked Kerr in 2008 and 6th ranked Pettersen twice, in 2011 and 2013. They have good vibes here and they’re both delivering strong games right now, getting ramped up for the Solheim Cup. Both are bringing a 2015 win and a fistful of top-10 finishes to the tee this week and they’ll both be in the mix on Sunday. Either of them could walk off the 72 hole the 2015 winner.
Lydia Ko and Hyo Joo Kim will also be playing for the win this week and there’s no doubt that these two youngsters will press hard to challenge the top of the board. Second-ranked Ko and 5th ranked Kim are also 2015 champions and while Lydia Ko has gone through a mild mid-season slump she seems to be coming back into form. They’ll both be in the Sunday mix too, and although I’m not looking to Ko or Kim for the win I think they’ll set the pace and stay inside the top-20 through Sunday.
The wild card in this group is Stacy Lewis. With nine 2015 top-10s, three of them runner-up finishes, Lewis is looking like she may be suffering from the Phil Mickelson Bridesmaid Syndrome.
There’s no reason for Stacy Lewis to not be in the 2015 winner’s circle. Lewis has a short game that’s hard to beat and she’s killer-accurate with her flat stick. She leads the Tour in putts per GIR (1.74) and ranks 3rd in overall putting average (28.95 putts per round), outranked only by Mika Miyazato and Julie Yang. Ko and Pettersen have been getting from tee to green a bit faster than Lewis this year, but once they’re on the green Lewis is better at tending to business.
Can Lewis bring her hunt for that first 2015 victory to a successful close this week in Portland? There’s not a player in the field who wants the win more than she does, and there’s not a player in the field who can outplay Lewis at the technical level.
I know I’ve said this before, but with just a little golfer’s luck and her sustained championship-level game, I’m looking for Lewis to grab the gold ring this week. If she’s within 5 shots of the lead at the end of Cut Day I give her good odds of being on top Sunday afternoon.
Next: Six Inside the Team USA Solheim Cup Bubble