Friday's golf: Hannah Green fires 63, widens lead at Portland Classic

Portland, Ore. — Australian Hannah Green shot a 9-under 63 Friday to take a five-stroke lead at 17 under after the second round of the Portland Classic.

Green’s round included an eagle on the par-5 No. 5 hole. The winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, Green was at 127 after 36 holes at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Sei Young Kim was second after a record-setting 61 in the long-running tournament. She had 11 birdies to put her at 12 under. Sung Hyun Park was also at 132, a stroke up on a group that included Monday qualifier Yealimi Noh.

Green’s 63 was a career-low round, and it came after she opened the tournament with a first-round 64.

“I just don’t want to get too ahead of myself. Obviously this is quite new to me, shooting such low scores back-to-back,” Green said. “I want to make sure I continue to do the same things and don’t get too disappointed if I don’t back it up with another solid round. Going to keep the same game plan.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko, who won the CP Women’s Open by five shots last week, had a second-round 69 and was well back of the leaders at 7 under.

Defending champion Marina Alex was at 9 under after the first two rounds in the 72-hole tournament that started in 1972 and is the tour’s longest running non-major event.

Alex was asked if she’s been thinking back to what she did last year.

“I think I did a little bit yesterday, probably more so than I should have,” she said. “Now just going to try and go out and put as many birdies together as I can. I mean, I think that Hannah is playing exceptionally well right now, so there’s still a lot of chase to do.”

Dana Finkelstein made a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 8 hole and was also at 9 under.

Champions

At Calgary, Alberta, Michael Bradley birdied his final two holes and tied the course record with a 9-under 61 in the opening round of the Shaw Charity Classic.

The 53-year-old Bradley had his finest round on the over-50 circuit with 10 birdies and a bogey at the par-70 Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club. He matched the low score posted by 2014 Shaw Charity Classic winner Fred Couples and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Steve Flesch was one stroke off the lead after an opening 62. Tom Byrum was alone in third after carding a 7-under 63, which included an eagle on the par-5, 18th hole.

David Morland IV, of Aurora, Ontario, finished as the low Canadian and was in a tie for fourth at 6 under with a group of golfers that included two-time defending champion Scott McCarron.

Also at 6 under were Dan Forsman, Wes Short Jr., Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Tim Petrovic and Retief Goosen.

Tom Gillis (Lake Orion) is tied for 21st at 3 under.

European

At Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Rory McIlroy picked up five shots in his last five holes for a 7-under 63 to move within a shot of the lead after the second round of the European Masters.

McIlroy surged to join Tommy Fleetwood (65) and three others on 10 under, one behind Gavin Green (64) on 11-under 129 at Crans-sur-Sierre club.

Green, first on the Severiano Ballesteros course with a 7:40 a.m. start, had eight birdies in his round to take sole possession of the lead.

The lowest score of the day was a 61 by Andres Romero, lifting him into the group on 10 under. The Argentine played his first three holes in 1 over before making eight birdies and one eagle the rest of the way.

Veteran Miguel Ángel Jimenez (66) was four shots off the lead. Sergio Garcia (68) was a further shot back.

Lee Westwood’s 2-over 72 kept him in the Swiss Alps for the weekend just on the right side of the cut at 1 under.