Marina Alex captures first LPGA Tour title

The 124th time is the charm. Or something like that.

Marina Alex, in her 124th start on the LPGA Tour, finally broke through and captured her first-ever LPGA Tour title Sunday at the Cambia Portland Classic. She shot a 7-under-par 65 in very difficult final-round conditions to win by four shots over 54-hole leader Georgia Hall.

The 28-year-old was six shots back going into Sunday, and overcame the widest 54-hole deficit of any winner in 2018. The previous mark was five shots by Michelle Wie earlier in the season.

Alex’s 7-under par score was the best round of the day by four shots. Her score of 269 is the lowest of her LPGA Tour career.

With the win, she became the eighth first-time winner on the LPGA Tour this season.

Alex was 6-under par through her first nine holes after making five birdies in a row on hole No’s 5-9.

“I was like, blacked out at that point. I didn’t really know what was going on,” said Alex. “I was just making putt after putt… You need that to win a tournament, and to at least get yourself in position, you need some good fortune, and that was definitely great momentum to push in the right direction and just keep me playing aggressive from that point.”

With a win finally under her belt, Alex can re-focus on her goals for the balance of the season. Specifically? She’s eager to find herself in that position again.

“It was a huge goal and I've accomplished it, which I'm so happy. I think I still have a lot to learn,” she said. “I just would love to put myself back into contention a few more times before the season is out and see how it goes.”

Veteran caddie goes back-to-back in Portland

It may have been Marina Alex’s first LPGA Tour win, but it was old hat for veteran LPGA Tour caddie Travis Wilson Sunday in Portland.

Wilson, who was Stacy Lewis’ long-time caddie – Lewis is off, awaiting the birth of her first child – enjoyed back-to-back Cambia Portland Classic victories, since Lewis took the title in 2017 in spectacular fashion.

It was a three-week agreement between Alex and Wilson and it was capped with a victory.

Alex said last week at the CP Women’s Open she struggled mentally, but said Wilson helped to keep her focused this week and was a “calming presence” as she tried for her first LPGA Tour win.

“I was just trying to keep it together,” said Alex. “I was so nervous the last five or six holes. To have him just there, to just talk with me and crack jokes, it really just helped me get through the final stretch.”

The agreement won’t go further into the fall, as Wilson said he’s going to enjoy some time off for the first time in 25 years. But he said to cap off the year with a win with Alex was something special.

“I'm so happy for her. She's a great girl. She works hard,” said Wilson. “She's been close a number of times, and to be the guy that gets her through to get that first win, I'm going to remember that forever in my career.”

Uehara notches best-career LPGA Tour finish

After a bogey-free 3-under 69 Sunday, Ayako Uehara of Japan tied her best-ever LPGA Tour finish.

Uehara, who had a third-place result in 2012, came into the week after missing four straight cuts. Her 3-under-par 69 was the second-best round of the day after Marina Alex’s sizzling 7-under 65.

Her 275 total score was her lowest of the season, besting the 276 she shot at the ANA Inspiration – where she notched her previous-best result of the year, a solo eighth.

She said Columbia Edgewater Country Club was playing “very tough” on Sunday, and she was happy to have played bogey-free golf.

Her goal this week was better her result from the ANA Inspiration, and hopefully move far enough up the money list to get into some of the Asian swing events at the end of the year.

“Maybe I have a chance, which is good,” she said. “Maybe this week's results will help, which is very good, too.

Uehara’s previous best finish in Portland came in 2016, when she finished tied for 19th.

Rookie of the Year race heats up for Hall

It wasn’t the Sunday Georgia Hall was looking for after holding the 54-hole lead in Portland, but she’s made a dent in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race regardless.

Hall shot a 3-over-par 75 in the final round to drop into solo second, four shots back of Marina Alex’s winning total.

“She played amazing, and she deserves to win,” said Hall. “But I came second, and it was a great tournament for me still, and I'm really pleased.”

Hall earned 80 points towards the Rookie of the Year race, where she sits 308 points behind Jin Young Ko. Ko, who has 10 top-10 finishes this season, was not in the field in Portland.

Although it may be an insurmountable total to surpass, Hall goes into The Evian Championship – the final major of the year on the LPGA Tour’s schedule – with some momentum. Her best results of the year have all come in her last five tournaments, where she hasn’t finished outside the top-30 at any event.

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