Stacy Lewis in position to make big hurricane donation

By AP
Published

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Stacy Lewis took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Cambia Portland Classic in her bid make a big donation to hurricane relief in her hometown and end a long winless streak.

From The Woodlands in the Houston area, Lewis has pledged to give her earnings - first place is worth $195,000 - to the relief efforts. The 11-time LPGA Tour champion also is trying to win for the first time since June 2014.

Tied for the second-round lead with two-time defending champion Brooke Henderson and In Gee Chun, Lewis had eight birdies - five on the front nine - in a 7-under 65 at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater. She had a 17-under 199 total after opening with rounds of 70 and 64.

Moriya Jutanugarn was second after a 66. Chun was another stroke back after a 69.

Henderson had a 74 to drop into a tie for 13th at 8 under. Ai Miyazato also was 8 under after a 72 in her final start in the United States. The Japanese star plans to retire after The Evian Championship in two weeks in France.

Lewis is trying to break through in Portland after finishing second twice - two strokes behind Suzann Pettersen in 2013 and four shots behind Henderson last year.

Jutangarn briefly flirted with the lead after making six birdies on the first 10 holes. She's trying to win her first LPGA Tour title after watching younger sister Ariya win six times in the last two years.

Henderson, playing alongside Lewis, failed to break par for the first time in 11 career competitive rounds at Columbia-Edgewater, dashing the 19-year-old Canadian's bid to become the youngest three-time winner of a tournament in LPGA Tour history.

Lewis rebounded from a bogey at the par-3 16th with a 5-foot birdie putt at the difficult par-4 17th. She's within reach of the tournament 72-hole record of 21-under 267, set by Henderson in 2015.

Chun is playing the event for the first time. The South Korean player tied for third last week in the Canadian Pacific Women's Open and has four runner-up finishes this season. Both of her LPGA Tour victories have come in majors - the 2015 U.S. Women's Open and the 2016 Evian Championship.