Alex rallies to capture Cambia Portland Classic
PORTLAND, ORE. — Marina Alex rallied to win the Cambia Portland Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 on Sunday for a four-stroke victory over Georgia Hall.
Alex birdied the final five holes in a front-nine 30 to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater. The 28year-old former Vanderbilt golf star made her only bogey of the day on the par-4 18th, leaving her at 19-under 269.
“My goal was 8-under to give myself a chance, but I even thought maybe that wouldn’t have been good enough,” Alex said. “It was just an incredible day. I’m proud.”
She didn’t look at a leaderboard until the final hole.
“I was trying purposefully not to look at the leaderboard because I think sometimes it just gets me a little stressed out,”
Alex said. “I get anxious, and then I think, ‘Oh, I have a lead, I need to protect it.’
“I kind of just pretended all day that I was behind and that I needed to play catch-up. I think it really helped me just play my best. I didn’t know I had a fourshot lead until basically the third shot — no, after the third shot — into the green here on 18.”
The New Jersey player gave caddie Travis Wilson his second straight victory in the event. Wilson is teaming with Alex with regular boss Stacy Lewis preparing for the birth of her first child.
“He’s such a wonderful guy,” Alex said. “He has such a calm demeanour about him, and it definitely helped me relax, We had so much fun the past three weeks.”
“I’m so happy for her.” Wilson, who spent three weeks with Alex, said. “She’s a great girl. She works hard. 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.”
Rookie Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was in a tie for fourth heading into the final round, but shot a 77 to fall into a tie for 16th alongside Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine
Tanguay (73).
Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., had a 75 to tie for 21st at 4-under. The Canadian star, the 2015 and 2016 winner at Columbia Edgewater, won the CP Women’s Open last week on home soil in Saskatchewan.