Polly Mack leads Portland Classic after ‘flawless’ first round

PORTLAND, Ore. — Polly Mack shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday in perfect morning conditions at Columbia Edgewater to take the first-round lead in the Portland Classic.

Winless on the LPGA Tour, Mack opened with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 and eagled the par-5 third. The 25-year-old German player added four birdies on the front nine, closing with two in a row.

“Pretty flawless round,” Mack said. “It seemed so easy out there today. Very nice start and that just kept me pretty calm.”

German countrywoman Caroline Masson was a stroke back with Nataliya Guseva, Samantha Wagner and Hyo Joon Jang.

Playing in the afternoon, the 35-year-old Masson played the back nine in 7-under 29. She birdied Nos. 10-14 and 16 and 18.

“I think golf is funny,” Masson said. “This year has been a little bit difficult the last few weeks. Sometimes you feel like you get nothing going and today I actually got out of position a couple times and holed out from the bunker and chipped in on the next.”

With the Olympics next week in Paris, no one from the top 30 in the world ranking is in the field. The lone Olympian in the field is Aditi Ashok of India. She had a 70 in the afternoon.

The 21-year-old Guseva, the first Russian to earn an LPGA Tour card, was in the morning wave with Wagner and Jang.

“Probably one of the best times for me on the LPGA when I was just really like going, talking, not even paying attention to my game,” Guseva said. “I was just like hitting it well and knocking it in.”

Emma Talley shot a 65 in the afternoon to match morning starter Daniela Darquea of Ecuador.

“It was really easy today,” Talley said. “Golf is a weird game.”

Lauren Coughlin, the CPKC Women’s Open winner Sunday in Calgary, Alberta, for her first LPGA Tour title, had a 66 in the morning.

“Finally got some putts to drop on the back nine,” Coughlin said. “It was a good round, especially considering last week. Very happy.”

Angel Yin also was at 66 with Sofia Garcia, Grace Kim, So Mi Lee, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Cheyenne Knight, Jenny Shin and Dewi Weber.

Weber qualified for the Olympics under International Golf Federation standards, but the Dutch Olympic committee declined to send her to France.

Defending champion Chanettee Wannasaen shot 68 in the afternoon. She won the Dana Open two weeks ago in Ohio for her second LPGA Tour title.