Delacour keeps lead; Saso 5 shots behind

PORTLAND– Perrine Delacour fired five birdies in a five-under par 67 on Friday to maintain her lead midway through the Portland Classic in pursuit of a first LPGA title.

France’s Delacour, whose first-round 63 had given her a one-shot lead, again took advantage of the rain-softened Columbia Edgewater course in Portland, Oregon.

Her five birdies included four in five holes in her final nine – at the third, fifth, sixth and seventh.

She nearly holed an eagle putt at the par-five seventh, and a birdie putt at her final hole, the ninth, was just inches short, but her closing par left Delacour on 14-under par 130 – one stroke clear of Sweden’s Linn Grant.

Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso stayed within striking distance with a 67 for a 135 total while Bianca Pagdanganan slipped with a 73 to stay at 140. Dottie Ardina, meanwhile, couldn’t get it going with a similar 73 for 145.

American Megan Khang, who broke through for a first LPGA title in Canada on Sunday, was a further stroke back after an eagle and five birdies in a six-under 66 for 132.

Delacour acknowledged that chasing a first major title of her 10-year LPGA career wasn’t uppermost in her mind coming into the week as she continues to wrestle with mental health issues that prompted her to take a break from the game last year.

One problem, she said, was the feeling that “if I play bad golf, I’m a bad person and if I play good golf I’m a good person.

“So that’s what we’ve been trying (to work on) with my team,” she said. “You’re a good person no matter what your round of golf. So that’s mainly my goal.”

With that in mind, Delacour wasn’t placing too much emphasis on a bogey-free two days.

“I’m a leader on the LPGA, but golf is just golf,” she said, adding that talking more about her struggles had proved therapeutic.