Dewi Weber, who was denied a spot in the Paris Olympics by Dutch sports officials, shot a remarkable 10-under par 62 to take the lead after the second round of the LPGA Portland Classic on Friday.
The 28-year-old golfer from the Netherlands made seven consecutive birdies and a total of 10 birdies without dropping a shot in her career-best round, placing her at 16-under 128 after 36 holes at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Oregon.
American Andrea Lee also had a strong round, shooting a 63 with six consecutive birdies to tie for second place at 130 with Germany’s Polly Mack. South Korean Jenny Shin and Australian Grace Kim were tied at 131, while Americans Alexa Pano and Emma Talley were at 132.
Weber had met the qualifying standards set by the International Golf Federation (IGF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Paris, but the Netherlands Olympic Committee had stricter criteria, requiring athletes to have a realistic chance of finishing in the top eight to be sent to the Olympics, a threshold that Weber and others didn’t meet.
“We’re only two rounds in, so we’ll see how things progress and if I can make a strong statement,” Weber commented.
“But of course, it’s on my mind because it’s the week before the Olympics. It’s something I was looking forward to.
“It happened. I did everything I could to make it not happen. I failed. Some other athletes tried even harder and also didn’t succeed.
“It’s disappointing, but all we can do is try to show why those standards were unreasonable. I really hope to do that on Sunday. We’ll see.”
In an interview with Golf Digest in June, Weber expressed her disappointment at being told that even if she paid her own way, she wouldn’t be allowed to go to the Olympics because “we just don’t think you’re worth it.”
Weber’s impressive performance included seven consecutive birdies on Thursday and another seven in a row on Friday.
“I did a good job on both days of focusing on each shot,” Weber said.
“I made sure to place my ball as accurately as possible, and when it came to putting, I committed to the line and made good strokes.
“And they all went in for some reason.”
– A 59 ‘was in my mind’ –
As Weber sought her first LPGA title, she made a series of crucial birdie putts, including a 20-footer at the ninth and back-to-back six-foot putts at the start of the back nine, making her think about the possibility of shooting a 59 and equaling Annika Sorenstam’s record.
“After making seven in a row, I knew I had a short putt for an eighth birdie and I really wanted to make it,” Weber said. “I started playing mind games with myself – if I roll another one well, maybe 59 is possible.”
Unfortunately, she missed an eight-foot birdie putt at the 12th hole, ending her streak.
“I was still determined to make birdies, which made it a fun round of golf,” Weber said.
“The idea of shooting 59 was on my mind, but I didn’t let it distract me. I just focused on making good strokes.”
Weber finished strong with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 13th hole to take the lead and closed with a five-foot birdie putt to secure a two-stroke advantage.
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