Local Players Ready To Take on The Standard Portland Classic

PORTLAND, Or. - The longest-running non-major event on the LPGA Tour returns to Portland Thursday, August 14, as The Standard Portland Classic tees off at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

The 53^rd edition of the Portland Classic returns with a variety of local ties, including LPGA Tour professional golfers from Oregon in Caroline Inglis and Gigi Stoll.

Stoll who had played in the event six times, despite only being in her second year on the LPGA Tour.

Stoll was a standard bearer for this event when she was a kid.

“I was with Loren Ochoa and we were walking down 18 and she looked at me and she was like, so you play golf? Just kind of asked me questions, and I was like, this is so cool,” Stoll said. “You're about to win this tournament and you're talking to me. Pretty awesome. So people like that have really paved the way for me, and I think it's important to give back to the people who are helping out.”

Stoll played in her first Portland Classic at 15 years old and is from Tigard, Oregon.

“Yeah, every year the event gets bigger and the city becomes more aware of how good women's golf is,” Stoll said. “The more that we can have companies like Standard help represent the Tour and show some support, it's great. It really helps the Tour. It's been quite a change since the beginning, from 20 years ago. It's pretty cool to see how much it's grown.”

Oregon women's golf junior Kiara Romero was announced on Wednesday as the winner of the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading female player in the 2025 World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Romero received a sponsor exemption into the Portland Classic this week.

“Yeah, it is amazing hearing that news a few days ago and for my first LPGA event to be in Oregon and kind of like my second home to me like going to college here and stuff,” Romero said. “So, yeah, it was just a great honor to be out here and play against these pros for the first time in an LPGA event.”

Romero took over the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings on July 30, and as the winner of the McCormack Medal will receive exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Women's Open and the 2026 AIG Women's Open in England.

Most recently, Romero tied for 10th in stroke play at the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur before going on to reach the match play quarterfinals last week at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Romero who is 19, has made two starts in the U.S. Women’s Open, and shot a final round 67 (5-under) to T-45 in 2025 which the low round of the day.

“Yeah, I think that was a great experience for me, making the cut and then shooting the lowest round on the final -- on Sunday,” Romero said. “That was pretty cool to see. That was a really great round for me. It was cool to see how it matched up against the other pros and just really helped build a lot of the confidence out there. I know like what I'm capable of now, so, yeah, I'm pretty excited to see how this week goes.”

Amateur Alison Takamiya, who graduated from George Fox University in 2025, played in the Portland Classic last year as a sponsor exemption. Takamiya played in the Monday Qualifier at Columbia Edgewater C,C shooting a 67 (5-under) to take second place and advance to her second Portland Classic.

“I am really excited to play in the Portland Classic again, especially after making it through the Monday Qualifier,” Takamiya said. “Though playing my way in this year feels more like I've earned my spot and have proved to myself that I can compete alongside those girls. I feel grateful more than anything to be in this position and am just really looking forward to just having fun and taking in as much of the experience as I can. Playing alongside the pros is a dream and I'm incredibly honored to be part of it.”

Takamiya took third in the 2025 DIII NCAA Women’s Golf Championships.

The 1999 Portland Classic winner Juli Inkster is playing in the event again after not playing in it the last 7 years.

“Well, Portland has always been close to my heart, one, because of that, and two, my husband's family grew up in Milwaukie and still have a lot family here,” Inkster said. “I've been coming back up here since I was a rookie, in think '83 and then '84 my first full rookie year. I just love the area, the people, the golf course.”

Inkster won by seven strokes back in 1999 and brings back with her those memories.

“I remember I needed that (win) to get in the Hall of Fame,” Inkster said on the Portland Classic win in 1999. “That got me my 27th point, so that was huge. My family flew up. I had a nine year old and a five year old. So Brian flew them up here to be able to celebrate with them. I had a lot of my peers on the putting green and just the respect that they showed me that day really meant a lot to me.”

Finally a high school junior golfer from Victoria, British Columbia, Kaylee Chung won the 2025 Les Schwab Tires Amateur Open in June to earn a spot in the Portland Classic.

“I met Rose Zhang and I had a practice round with Haeran Ryu, which was really exciting for me,” Chung said. “Those two players were on my Bucket List to meet. And then I also played a practice round yesterday with Lee which was really fun. Got to know the players and it was nice.”

LPGA Tour Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez is an honorary guest this week at the tournament in its 53^rd year. Lopez won four times at the Portland Classic.

“53rd. That's a long time to have a tournament that keeps going,” Lopez said. “I'm proud, and hope that I contributed in my career to help this Tour grow, because that was always my goal, to help the Tour get bigger and better and see all the purses growing and see all the great players.”

Lopez played along Romero during the Pro-Am event held Wednesday.

Today playing with the two players I played with it was really fun. My ego was a little beat down because I remember when I used to hit it where they hit it, but it was just so much fun. So many great memories. And to be able to say I played on the Tour almost 24 years, I'm proud of that. I love the Tour. I feel like it's still my Tour. I always promote the LPGA.”