Portland Classic
The Standard Portland Classic is a women's professional golf tournament in Oregon on the LPGA Tour. Founded in 1972, the annual event in the Portland area is the oldest continuous event on the LPGA Tour. Tournament Golf Foundation has owned the tournament since its beginning and also managed the Safeway International tournament on the LPGA Tour. It became a 72-hole event in 2013, after decades at 54 holes.
Proceeds from the tournament are donated to local children's charities; over $19 million has been donated since 1972. The tournament has had a variety of sponsors during its history.
Tournament names
- 1972: Portland Ladies Classic
- 1973: Portland Ladies Open
- 1974–1975: Portland Ladies Classic
- 1976: Portland Classic
- 1977: LPGA National Team Championship
- 1978: Ping Classic Team Championship
- 1979–1982: Portland Ping Team Championship
- 1983–1985: Portland Ping Championship
- 1986–1989: Cellular One-Ping Golf Championship
- 1990: Ping-Cellular One Golf Championship
- 1991–1994: Ping-Cellular One LPGA Golf Championship
- 1995: Ping-AT&T Wireless Services LPGA Golf Championship
- 1996–2000: Safeway LPGA Golf Championship
- 2001–2002: Safeway Classic
- 2003–2008: Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi
- 2009–2013: Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola
- 2014: Portland Classic Presented by Cambia Health Solutions
- 2015: Cambia Portland Classic
- 2016–2017: Cambia Portland Classic Presented by JTBC
- 2018–2021: Cambia Portland Classic
- 2022: AmazingCre Portland Classic
- 2023–2024: Portland Classic
- 2025–present: The Standard Portland Classic
History
In 2009, the tournament moved to the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near North Plains, and drew a tournament record crowd of 87,800 at the Ghost Creek Course. In 2009 and 2010, the course par was increased to 72 for the tournament, as the ninth hole was modified to a par-5; the result was three consecutive reachable par-5's which slowed the pace of play. In 2011, the eighth hole was lengthened and the ninth was returned to a par-4, resulting in a par-71 course. The ninth hole was returned to a par-5 in 2012 for a par-72 layout.
In 2013, the tournament moved back to the Columbia Edgewater in Portland and expanded to 72 holes, with a reduced purse of $1.3 million. Safeway dropped its sponsorship after 2013, and Portland-based Cambia Health Solutions became the presenting sponsor.
In 2015, 17-year-old Brooke Henderson Monday-qualified and won the event by eight shots, the largest victory margin on tour since 2012, and became the tour's third-youngest winner. She was only the second Monday qualifier to win on tour and the first in fifteen years, since Laurel Kean in 2000. Henderson was also the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour in fourteen years, since Lorie Kane in 2001, and was granted immediate tour membership.
In 2017, Stacy Lewis, a native of Houston, Texas pledged her winnings to relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey pre-tournament. Lewis went on to win the event donating her entire $195,000 purse to hurricane relief efforts.
The 2020 tournament was reduced to 54-holes due to poor air quality caused by wildfires.
The 2021 tournament moved to Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Oregon. It was reduced to 54 holes due to rain and course conditions.
In 2022, the tournament moved back to Columbia Edgewater Country Club
Venues
As of the 2024 tournament, the Classic has been held at 5 different venues:- Portland Golf Club 1972–1973, 1975–1976, 1979
- Columbia Edgewater Country Club 1974, 1977–1978, 1982–1983, 1986–1988, 1990–2008, 2013–2020, 2022–2024
- Riverside Golf & Country Club 1980–1981, 1984–1985, 1989
- Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club 2009–2012
- Oregon Golf Club 2021
Winners
''Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.''