An afternoon flurry of birdies from Mi Jung Hur and Hannah Green put the duo into a tie for the lead following the first round of the 2019 Cambia Portland Classic. Playing in consecutive groups, both players birdied their closing three holes to finish at -8.

“I had a really good day with my tee shots and long game. The putting wasn't that good, but I still love it,” said Hur, who carded nine birdies and a lone bogey. “I made a lot of birdies, but I had one bogey on 17, I missed one fairway. If you miss fairways on this course, you have to take a bogey because it's so tough when you miss the fairway.”

“I knew putting was really key this week. I'd say it's one of the shorter courses that we play, and it definitely looked more narrow,” said Green, who needed just 23 putts on Thursday. “I knew if I kept doing what I was doing and hitting good shots and just holing a couple putts here and there that you could post a really good score.”

Both players are enjoying breakthrough seasons on the LPGA Tour. Hur won the 2019 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open for her first victory since the 2014 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, while Green became a Rolex First-Time Winner when she captured a major win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Beyond the leaders, all eyes were on Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who came to Portland riding a streak of 106 consecutive holes without a bogey. That streak was snapped at 114 holes on No. 9, where she missed a 3-putt par putt to record her first bogey since Aug. 3, on the second hole of the third round of the AIG Women’s British Open.

Jane Park, a 13-year Tour veteran looking for her first career win, and 18-year-old Monday Qualifier Yealimi Noh are tied for second at -7. Defending champion Marina Alex opened with a 2-under 70 and is tied for 52nd.

KO’S BOGEY-FREE STREAK SNAPPED AT 114 HOLES

Three feet. That’s all it took to snap the longest bogey-free streak in recent professional golf memory.

Until the ninth hole of today’s first round, the last time Jin Young Ko had recorded a bogey was the second hole of the third round of the AIG Women’s British Open. But on No. 9 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, her 115th hole, Ko’s 3-footer for par just hit the left edge of the hole and rolled by. Ko immediately knew that her historic streak was over, an emotion clearly visible by the slump of her shoulders.

“First putt was good, but second putt I decelerated, so I made bogey,” said Ko, who three-putted for bogey on No. 9 and ended the day tied for 24th at -4.

Ko’s bogey-free streak of 114 holes is the longest known streak on the LPGA or PGA Tours. On the LPGA Tour, since 1992, only Inbee Park has won a 72-hole event bogey-free. She won the 2015 HSBC Women’s World Championship and went 93 holes bogey-free over that event, the Honda LPGA Thailand the week prior and the Kia Classic.

On the PGA Tour, J.T. Poston won the Wyndham Championship six weeks ago by playing 72 bogey-free holes. Before that, their last player to achieve that feat was Lee Trevino in 1974. Since 2000, there are documented PGA Tour streaks of 110 holes (Tiger Woods, 2000) and 100 holes (Bubba Watson, 2006).

“Bogey free is amazing,” said Ko. “I did 114 holes and then done. It's cool, especially I did a new record, something like that. I want to do again, 115 holes bogey-free hopefully. But yeah, I'm free. I'm freedom, yeah. I can feel it.”

GAME LOOKING UP FOR PARK

The last few weeks have been a good upward trend for Jane Park. After missing the cut in five of her first 12 events and only finding the top 20 once, the 13-year LPGA Tour veteran tied for ninth at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. It was her first top-10 showing since a tie for fourth at the 2018 Kia Classic.

Riding on that high, Park notched a T13 finish at last week’s CP Women’s Open. That momentum carried right on to the Cambia Portland Classic, where she shot a first-round 65. Outside of an opening-round 63 three weeks ago in Scotland, this was Park’s best result since a third-round 64 at the 2018 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

“I really like the Scottish Open, and I obviously love the Canadian Open, and this is pretty much my favorite spot of the entire year because there's obviously so much great food and the golf course is just pristine,” said Park, who jarred a pitching wedge from 112 yards at No. 1 to open with an eagle. “I'm super happy to get started off well here for a change.”

LEE6 LEARNING FROM ROOKIE SUCCESS

In 2017, Sung Hyun Park won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race by 888 points over Angel Yin. In 2018, Jin Young Ko won that award by 504 points over Georgia Hall. 2019 is shaping up for yet another runaway win from a Korean player, with Jeongeun Lee6 holding a 681-point advantage over Kristen Gillman with seven events remaining in the season.

In June, Lee6 became a Rolex First-Time Winner when she captured the U.S. Women’s Open. She has seven other top-10 finishes and finds herself tied for second after a first-round 66 at the Cambia Portland Classic. Columbia Edgewater Country Club is one of many golf courses that Lee6 had never seen prior to this season. In fact, of her 18 events, the only courses she had previously seen are Ko Olina Golf Club, where she played in the 2018 LOTTE Championship, and Evian Resort Golf Club, where she played in the 2018 Evian Championship. The 23-year-old is understandably proud of how she has handled the pressure of starting life on a totally new tour.

“I feel like my golf management has been improving,” said Lee6. “Playing with a lot of good players, it just makes me feel like kind of learning from them, from their experiences. I feel pretty grateful about that.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 41 Mi Jung Hur (64)

Hur’s first-round 64 is her lowest career round at the Cambia Portland Classic, besting the 65s she shot in the second round in 2014 and the third round in 2009, when she went on to win
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 26 putts
This is Hur’s 11th season on the LPGA Tour; she has three victories, including this year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and
This is Hur’s 16th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she won the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and has two other top-10 finishes
She is competing in her ninth CP Women’s Open; she won the 2009 championship and has one other top-10 finish

Rolex Rankings No. 26 Hannah Green (64)

Green’s first-round 64 is the lowest round of her LPGA career, besting the 65 she shot in the first round of the 2019 HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open
She hit eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 23 putts
This is Green’s second season on the LPGA Tour; she has one victory at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
This is Green’s 17th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she won the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and three other top-20 finishes
She is competing in her 13th CP Women’s Open; her best finish is a tie for ninth in 2017

Rolex Rankings No. 297 Yealimi Noh (65)

She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
Noh is playing in the seventh LPGA Tour event of her career; her best finish is a tie for sixth at the 2019 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, where she was one stroke off the lead heading into the final round
Noh turned professional in January 2019 after winning the 2018 Girl’s Junior PGA Championship, U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in consecutive weeks
She earned a spot in the tournament via the Monday Qualifier; two Monday Qualifiers have won an LPGA Tour event – Brooke Henderson (2015 Cambia Portland LPGA Classic) and Laurel Kean (2000 State Farm LPGA Classic)
Noh is playing as a non-Member of the LPGA Tour

Rolex Rankings No. 131 Jane Park (65)

Park’s first-round 65 is the second-lowest round of her 2019 season, behind two rounds of 63
She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 25 putts
This is Park’s 13th season on the LPGA Tour; her best finish is a tie for second at the 2008 SBS Open at Turtle Bay and 2008 P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship
This is Park’s 17th event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is a tie for ninth at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
She is competing in her 13th CP Women’s Open; her best finish is a tie for ninth in 2017

Hur, Green Lead After One and More from Portland

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