Japan's Akie Iwai captured the LPGA Tour's Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, winning with an impressive total of -24. The 23-year-old rookie finished with a bogey-free 66 (-6), sealing the victory with birdies on the final two holes and moving four shots clear of second-place American Gurleen Kaur, -20. Akie, a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour, becomes the fifth Japanese woman to win on the LPGA this year, following twin sister Chisato Iwai, third at -19, Rio Takeda, Mao Saigo, and Miyu Yamashita. The celebration, with champagne sprayed by Chisato, made the triumph an unforgettable family moment.
Akie Iwai, results
Benedetta Moresco shone with a solid 18th-place finish, finishing at -12 (68-70-68-70). The young golfer showed great consistency, staying under par on all four days and confirming her potential in a prestigious tournament like the Portland Classic, the longest-running LPGA Tour event after the majors, held since 1972.
Completing the picture, Sweden's Linn Grant shared third place with Chisato Iwai at -19, while Australia's Grace Kim finished at -18. Amateur Kiara Romero, making her LPGA debut, impressed with a seventh-place finish at -16.
After a series of three tournaments in Europe, the LPGA Tour returns to the United States for The Standard Portland Classic, scheduled for August 14-17, 2025. The tournament, which this year sees The Standard as its new title sponsor, boasts an illustrious history as the longest-running non-major event on the tour, with its 53rd edition taking place at the traditional Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon. Since 1972, the tournament has crowned champions such as Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, and defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn.
Among the stars of this edition, Italian Benedetta Moresco stands out, ready to compete against some of the best golfers in the world.
In 2024, Moriya Jutanugarn captured the Portland Classic with a spectacular comeback on the final day, finishing with a -6 that allowed her to edge out Andrea Lee by two shots, securing her third career LPGA Tour victory. However, 2025 has not been as successful for the Thai, who has recorded only one top-10 finish (fourth place in Thailand) and missed the cut in eight of her last nine appearances. Jutanugarn returns to Portland aiming to reverse the trend and defend her title.
This year's field is brimming with talent. Angel Yin, with three top-10 finishes in her last four appearances, is aiming for another impressive finish after her runner-up finish in 2024. Grace Kim, fresh from winning the major The Amundi Evian Championship, is looking to build on her ninth-place finish last year in Portland. Rose Zhang, despite a neck injury that has affected her season, returns for the second time to Columbia Edgewater, where she failed to make the cut in 2023. Haeran Ryu, winner of this year's Black Desert Championship, and Lilia Vu, former world No. 1, add further quality to the tournament.
An anticipated return is that of LPGA legend and World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster, winner in Portland in 1999. Other notable presences include Natalie Gulbis, Haru Moon, and Christina Kim, all with a history of success on the tour. Among the amateurs, standouts include Kaylee Chung, winner of the Les Schwab Tires Amateur Open, Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, winner of the 2025 Inkster Award, and Kiara Romero, ranked No. 1 among amateurs and a recent winner at the U.S. Women's Amateur.
Former Portland Classic winners, in addition to Jutanugarn and Inkster, include Chanettee Wannasaen (2023), Jin Young Ko (2021), Hannah Green (2019), Stacy Lewis (2017), and Brooke Henderson (2015 and 2016). Henderson, in particular, boasts two other top-10 finishes in Portland and is looking for a strong comeback after an up-and-down season.
