Georgia Hall parred the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Cambia Portland Classic in Oregon and earn her first LPGA Tour title in the United States.
Hall, a 24-year-old from England whose other Tour win was the 2018 Women’s British Open, outlasted South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai after both made par on the first playoff hole, the 18th. Hall got the title with an up-and-down par on the par-4 first hole at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Hall fell into the playoff after making bogey on No. 18.
“I’m just so happy. You know, I was pretty nervous the last nine holes and I never looked at the leaderboard once, so I had no idea where I was. I didn’t know I was leading. Must have been leading for that four or five holes,” she said. “So I’m pretty glad I did look. To bogey the last I was quite upset about that. I had to refigure myself and get back to try and win that playoff.”
Hall began the day four shots off the lead but surged with six birdies in eight holes in the middle of her round of 4-under 68.
“The pins are so tricky today. I knew the scoring wouldn’t be low,” she said. “I had a really good run in the middle there, three or four in a row; had to hold on the last few holes.”
Buhai charged at the end to tie Hall at 12-under after 54 holes. She birdied four of the last five holes, including the 18th to close with a 7-under 65 as the 31-year-old made a bid to win her first LPGA Tour title.
“I just got to keep doing what I’m doing with my swing. I felt very confident this week,” said Buhai, who qualified for the U.S. Open after her second-place finish. “For me, once my putter got hot, then it started to show. I think what I found with my putting this week, if I can continue that, then everything should be good.”
Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn (67 on Sunday) and Yealimi Noh (69) tied for third at 11 under. Jutanugarn had five birdies in a bogey-free round. Noh, the 2019 runner-up in this event, bogeyed the final hole to miss the playoff by a stroke.
Australian Hannah Green, the defending champion at this event, shot a final-round 1-over 73 and was in a group of five who tied for 12. She began the day alone in second place. Second-round leader Mel Reid of England faded with a 74 to finish tied for fifth at 10 under.
–Field Level Media
