SAN MARTIN, Calif. – Eleven years after finishing as runner-up as an amateur in her first U.S. Women’s Open, Brittany Lang won her first major title – with help from a playoff penalty on Anna Nordqvist.

Lang made par on all three holes of the aggregate playoff and Nordqvist was given a two-stroke penalty for touching the sand with her club in a fairway bunker on the second playoff hole Sunday, helping deliver Lang the title.

The players were not told of the penalty until they were in the middle of playing the final hole after officials reviewed replays in the latest controversy at a USGA event.

Lang then sealed the win with a short par putt on the final playoff hole, while Nordqvist made bogey to lose by three shots.

At last month’s men’s U.S. Open, eventual winner Dustin Johnson played much of the final round not knowing if he would be penalized one stroke because his ball moved as he addressed it on the fifth green. The penalty ended up proving moot as Johnson won by three shots.

Lang shot a 1-under 71 to finish with a 6-under 282 for the tournament at CordeValle for her second win in 287 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. She survived a bogey on the 17th hole that led to the playoff before recovering in the playoff for a breakthrough win at age 30.

Both players made pars on the first hole of the playoff, which was played on the final three holes of the course. Then things got interesting on the next hole after Nordqvist hit her tee shot into a fairway bunker.

While preparing to hit the shot, Nordqvist’s club barely touched the sand. She did not realize it and both players made par on the hole, heading to the final playoff hole seemingly tied.

But television replays showed the infraction and USGA officials studied the video before determining if the two-stroke penalty was necessary. An official told Nordqvist about the penalty after she hit her third shot on the 18th hole but before Lang did, giving her a possible advantage.

Lang hit her shot onto the green and the two-putted for the win, getting hearty congratulations from many of her fellow Americans on tour after she joined Michelle Wie (2014) as the only U.S. golfers to win the Open in the past six years.

Lang capitalized on a surprising final-round collapse by world No. 1 and 54-hole leader Lydia Ko, who made a double-bogey 7 on the ninth hole and shot 3-over 75 on the day, finishing two shots off the lead in a four-way tie for third with Amy Yang, Sung Hyun Park and 2009 winner Eun Hee Ji.

Lang took sole possession of the lead when she perfectly read a putt from more than 20 feet that broke slightly right before going in the hole to move her to 7-under, with Nordqvist in the clubhouse at 6-under after making an eagle on the par-5 15th.

But Lang followed that up with her first three-putt of the week when she just missed a par from about 5 feet, leading to groans from the crowd. She followed with a two-putt for birdie on the par-5 18th, setting the stage for the playoff.

Lang came on the scene as an amateur back in 2005 when she finished tied for second at the U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills. But in more than a decade as a pro, Lang has won just one tournament, the 2012 Manulife Financial LPGA.

After shooting a 75 in the second round to drop seven shots behind leader Park, this tournament didn’t appear to be the one where she would have her breakthrough.

But she staged one of the best U.S. comebacks in years, with her 36-hole deficit the biggest for any winner at the tournament since Betsy King came from nine shots back after two rounds to win in 1990.

Ko had a two-shot lead heading to the eighth hole and seemed on her way to becoming the youngest man or woman to win three majors. But then she bogeyed the eighth hole before her collapse on nine.

Ko’s tee shot went left into the rough. Instead of just chipping out, Ko decided to try to clear the hazard and get back into position to make a possible birdie.

But her shot from the rough landed in the hazard and Ko could not find it and took a penalty. Then her wedge shot went over the green into the rough before Ko managed to get up and down from there for a double bogey that dropped her out of the lead for good.

“I should have judged the lie a little better and maybe played a little smarter and laid up short of the hazard,” she said. “Then just lay up again and try and make up-and-down for par.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp led the Canadian contingent with an even-par final round to finish T21 for her best career result at a major championship. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., earned a share of 26th with a 2-over showing. Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson finished 64th, while Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley,  B.C., tied for 65th.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – World No. 1 Lydia Ko birdied the 18th hole to cap a 2-under 70 in the third round Saturday that put her in the lead of the U.S. Women’s Open, bolstering her chance for her third major title in less than a year.

The 19-year-old Ko became the youngest woman to win a major last year at the Evian Championship and followed that up by winning the ANA Inspiration this spring. Now she’s in contention for her first U.S. Open title after failing to make the top 10 in her first four appearances.

Ko has a one-shot lead over 2009 winner Eun Hee Ji and Sung Hyun Park. Brittany Lang and Amy Yang are two shots back at 5 under and Angela Stanford is in sixth place at 4 under at CordeValle.

Ko’s week at the Open got off to a somewhat shaky start when she was tied for 52nd after a 73 in the first round in the difficult afternoon conditions.

But Ko got into contention with a 66 in the second round and then got right back to work on Saturday. She made a long downhill putt for birdie on No. 3 before losing a stroke with a bogey at No. 9. She made another birdie at No. 13 before her strong closing hole.

Even though the 18th is reachable in two shots, Ko opted to take three and it paid off when her approach stopped about 9 feet from the hole. She calmly sank the putt to give her sole possession of the lead. She then threw her ball into the stands in celebration.

Ji has been consistent all week. She has broken par all three rounds with a 69 and 71 in the first two rounds followed by the 2-under performance on Saturday. She is looking for her first LPGA Tour win since winning the Open at Saucon Valley seven years ago.

Park, playing her first U.S. Open and second major ever, got off to a solid start with birdies on the sixth and eighth holes to move to 9 under. But fortunes quickly changed at the par-5 ninth when she hit her tee shot into a hazard for a penalty.

She got onto the green with her fifth shot and two-putted for a double bogey that dropped her to 7 under and a tie for the lead with Yang, who birdied three out of four holes during one stretch on the front nine.

Park fell to 6 under when she bogeyed 14 after a drive in the rough but followed with a birdie and then another bogey as part of an up-and-down round.

Lang birdied 14 and 15 and had the low round of the day at 68 to move to 5 under. Lang finished tied for second as an amateur in her first U.S. Open back in 2005 but has only gotten in the top five once since then back in 2010.

“I’ve been here before and I think you really have to just get to work on what you’re doing, because if you spend a lot of time thinking about where you’re going to finish, you’re going to drop down pretty quick,” Lang said. “So just really do like I did today, not look at the scoreboard – it’s easier said than done.”

There are several other golfers lurking close enough to make a push on Sunday. Danielle Kang is at 3 under and fellow Americans Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis and Kris Tamulis are among seven golfers five shots back at 2 under.

“There’s no doubt I have to shoot at least 4 to 6 under, I’d say tomorrow to have a chance,” Kerr said. “It depends on the wind and the weather and the pins. Sometimes they like to set it up easier on Sunday and people get some low scores. I don’t know what they’re going to do, but I have to be prepared for anything. If the conditions are easier, I have to be prepared to go low.”

The highlight of the day might have been Lee Lopez’s ace on the 191-yard, par-3 12th hole. Lopez is at even par for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 75 on the day and is tied for 26th with Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., at 1-over 217.

World No. 2 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., are knotted at T58 after matching rounds of 76.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – When Sung Hyun Park entered her first U.S. Women’s Open, her goals were modest. Halfway through the tournament, Park has put herself in prime position to contend.

Park capitalized on the favorable morning scoring conditions, shooting a 6-under 72 Friday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle.

“I didn’t even think about winning because this is the first time for me,” Park said through an interpreter. “I would like more experience with the USGA, LPGA. But I’m trying to enjoy this tournament. That’s why I am just more comfortable, don’t even think about the winning, I just enjoy the play.”

Park, a 22-year-old from South Korea, made her LPGA debut last year when she finished second at the KEB-HanaBank Championship in South Korea. She has played three more LPGA tournaments this year, tying for sixth in her first major at the ANA Inspiration in the spring.

Park had four birdies in a six-hole span to move to 9 under before struggling on the final two holes. She hit her second shot into the greenside bunker at the par-4 17th and then missed a short par putt for her only bogey of the round. Park then drove into a hazard on the par-5 18th for a one-shot penalty before saving par with a 15-foot putt.

Amy Yang shot a 71 to get to 6 under, tied for second with first-round leader Mirim Lee. World No. 1 Lydia Ko bounced back from a 1-over par first round to shoot 66 for a tie for fourth with Haru Nomura.

Lee, who tied a U.S. Open record by shooting 8 under Thursday, birdied three of the final four holes on her front nine in the afternoon to take a one-shot lead over Park.

But things then quickly fell apart. She missed the fairway with her drive on the par-4 10th and her approach shot sailed past the green. Her chip attempt fell short of the green before she three-putted from the fringe for a double bogey.

Lee then drove into the front bunker on the par-3 12th hole before missing an 8-foot putt for par to fall two strokes off the lead.

“I kept trying to hit the fairway and the green, but I couldn’t,” she said. “So score, it’s not bad, but not good, too.”

Ko got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the first hole before stringing together four straight birdies starting at No. 3. She added two more birdies before capping her round with the seventh of the day at the par-5 18th.

“My birdie on 3 kind of turned the round around and making the string of birdies definitely helped,” she said. “Just to know that this is the first time I was under par for the tournament kind of put myself in a positive position.”

While contending in a major is a mostly new experience for Park, Ko is an old hat at it at the age of 19. She won the Evian Championship last September to become the youngest woman ever to win a major and followed that up with her second at the ANA Inspiration this year.

Ko then lost a playoff to Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Washington last month.

“I think the more I play, I think the more I get used to it, especially at these majors where the courses are tough,” Ko said. “You need to stay patient. I think that’s the big key I’ve been learning, just keep my head high and just enjoy it out here.”

Sherbrooke, Que., product Maude-Aimée Leblanc carded a 69 to move into a share of 10th at 3-under. An even-par round has Hamilton’s Alena Sharp tied for 15th.

Henderson, ranked second in the world, and fourth-ranked Lexi Thompson could not match playing partner Ko and both finished the day at 3 over. The 18-year-old Canadian and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., hold shares of 48th.

Among the players who missed the cut at 4 over were Canadian Taylor Kim (Surrey, B.C.), Team Canada National Team member Naomi Ko (Victoria), last year’s winner In Gee Chun, 2014 U.S. Open champion Michelle Wie and 1998 winner Se Ri Pak.

Pak, whose success helped lead to the surge of South Koreans on the tour, double-bogeyed her final hole to finish with an 80 on the day and plus-9 in her final scheduled tournament in the United States.

Some players, including Karrie Webb and Christina Kim, came back to the 18th green to watch Pak’s final shot and congratulate her on a remarkable career.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – When Mirim Lee walked off the course following her record-tying round, she described her day with words usually not heard when talking about the U.S. Women’s Open.

“So today’s round was easy day – easy round, yeah,” Lee said.

She sure made it look that way when she became the fifth golfer to shoot a round of 8-under par at the U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday, making 10 birdies on the way to a 64 to take the early lead at CordeValle.

With the greens not quite as firm as they likely will be later in the week and the wind not playing a major factor, there were low scores to be had throughout the field – at least for the opening morning of the tournament.

“I definitely expect it to change,” said Christie Kerr, who was three shots behind Lee in a tie for second. “I don’t think the USGA likes when we shoot 8-under on their golf course. You have to expect it to change, and if it doesn’t, then you’ll have opportunities to score.”

Lee is the first woman to shoot that much below par at the U.S. Open since Lorie Kane and Becky Iverson did it in the second round in 1999 at Old Waverly in Mississippi. The lowest total score in a round in U.S. Open history is a 63 by Helen Alfredsson in 1994 at the par-71 Indianwood in Michigan.

Lee capped her record day with birdie from about 8 feet on her final hole at the par-5 ninth to take a three-shot lead over fellow South Korean Minjee Lee and Kerr after the morning groupings.

“The course is perfect now,” Mirim Lee said. “Greens are really fast.”

Kelly Tan, Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist were all four shots back at 4-under, while six other golfers finished the morning round at 2-under, including Americans Christina Kim and Lizette Salas.

So Yeon Ryu, the 2011 U.S. Open winner, shot a triple-bogey eight on her final hole at the ninth to fall from 4-under to 1-under.

Defending champion In Gee Chun, followed by about a dozen members of the Flying Dumbo fan club wearing shirts that Chun designed, hit back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and finished 1 over. Chun is seeking to become the eighth player to repeat as U.S. Open champion and first since Karrie Webb did it 15 years ago.

Kerr, playing in the same group with Mirim Lee, nearly matched her stroke for stroke with players standing 3-under through their first 11 holes. But Lee birdied five of her final seven holes, while Kerr had three birdies and a bogey down the stretch as a gap opened between the two.

Despite that, Kerr was quite pleased with how her round went considering the way she has played most of this year. The 2007 U.S. Open winner has not finished higher than 10th all season and missed two cuts in her three tournaments leading into this week.

But with a new shaft on her driver, Kerr found her game in the opening round.

“When you’re struggling to hit fairways, it makes the game a lot harder,” Kerr said. “And then the mental game gets off of it, it’s a whole process like that. But I knew when I found the driver this week that it just felt so much like my old driver and we found the right combination and even if I missed a little bit I could feel what I did wrong, I could feel the difference.”

Alena Sharp carded a 2-under 70 and sits T11 to lead the Canadian contingent. An even-par round has Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., at T38.

Team Canada National Team member Naomi Ko (Victoria) opened with a 74 and holds a share of 67th; she sits one stroke ahead of former Development Squad member Taylor Kim (Surrey, B.C.).

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson, one week removed from a victory at the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic, and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., shot 76s.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – There is very little separating the top two women’s golfers in the world in Lydia Ko and Canada’s Brooke Henderson.

The two teenage sensations have won the past three majors heading into this week’s U.S. Women’s Open with the 19-year-old Ko taking two and the 18-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., following last month with a thrilling playoff victory over Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Washington that could set the stage for a heated rivalry for years to come.

Fittingly, the two will be together when this year’s third major starts at the U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle on Thursday, less than 100 miles south of San Francisco. Ko and Henderson will play the first two rounds with 21-year-old Lexi Thompson, who is ranked fourth in the world, in the marquee group of the tournament.

“It’s great to watch them both on the golf course and their attitudes and just their demeanours on the golf course,” Thompson said. “They’re aggressive players, and just consistent overall. You can’t really even find a weakness in their game, and that’s why they’re so good.”

The top three ranked players in the tournament – third-ranked Inbee Park will miss the Open because of a thumb injury – will face stiff competition in the 156-player field that includes nine previous champions, including last year’s winner, In Gee Chun.

Other winners include Michelle Wie (2014), Na Yeon Choi (2012), Paula Creamer (2010), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007), So Yeon Ryu (2011), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001) and Se Ri Pak (1998).

This will be the final U.S. tournament for Pak before she plans to retire. Her win at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin 18 years ago helped spark the recent South Korean dominance of the LPGA Tour. Seven of the last 11 winners of the U.S. Open have come from South Korea.

“After I came and after I start winning, I have this great success, everybody was thinking, I can do that,” Pak said. “Giving a lot of confidence, built confidence for them. So they’re here, they make it a dream, they make it possible. So I think I was part of it.”

But when the tournament starts, much of the focus will be on Ko and Henderson, who hope to build off the drama they staged last month when Henderson tracked down Ko in the final round with a long eagle putt and a tough par before winning in a playoff by coolly stuffing her approach into 3 feet.

That gave Henderson her first career major as she tries to match Ko, who had won the previous two with her victory at the ANA Inspiration earlier this year after winning the Evian Championship in 2015.

“Lydia Ko is amazing,” Henderson said. “She’s an inspiration to all of us girls out here, and I think everyone in the world, basically. She’s done amazing things in her career and she’s only a couple months older than I am.”

Henderson followed that up with her third career tour win when she repeated as champion at the Cambia Portland Classic for her third career win and can surpass Ko as the youngest player with two majors with a win this week.

This marks just the third time the U.S. Women’s Open has been played in California and this is the highest-profile event to be played at the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course that opened in 1999. The course, located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, plays as a par 72 over 6,784 yards, although it could be a bit shorter this week depending on tee locations.

The course finishes with a par-5, 528-yard hole that features a water hazard near the green and the possibility of trying to reach the green in two shots for players looking to close a gap on the final day.

The tournament is also the final one to determine who will qualify for the Olympics next month. The top 15 players in the world rankings will all be eligible with a limit of four for any country. South Korea is the only country with more than two players currently in the top 15. The rest of the 60-player field will be determined by world rankings with a limit of two players per country.

Among the players looking to qualify for Rio de Janeiro this week are Webb, who has extended her Hall of Fame career in hopes of making the Olympics. With Minjee Lee having secured one of Australia’s spots, Webb likely must finish at least in the top 10 to have any chance to pass Su Oh for the other.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. — She’s just 18 years old, but Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., will be teeing it up in her fourth U.S. Women’s Open this week at CordeValle Resort.

She’s had some success: she was low amateur in 2014 at Pinehurst and rode a hot weekend to a tie for fifth last year at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.

Now, as the second-ranked player in the world and coming off her third career win last weekend at the Cambia Portland Classic, where she successfully defended her title, Henderson will be one of the favourites this week.

She will be looking for her second major championship to go with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship she won last month at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle.

“I’ve played really well in U.S. Women’s Open’s, and I played really well in major championships, because you really got to take a little bit of a different strategy,” Henderson said. “You really need to stay patient, which is something that I’ve worked on over the last few years. I’m really excited for this week. 

“I think this course sets up really well for my game. You’ve just got to hit it in the right spots and know where to miss it and then just make lots of birdies. I think the back nine plays a lot tougher than the front nine. I think that’s where a lot of things might change, especially on Sunday afternoon. I really love the par-5s around here. I can get close to them or reach a lot of them in two, which is something that I like to think is an advantage over most of the field that I have.”

Henderson tees off at 5:03 p.m EDT time Thursday in the first round with the tournament’s power group with world No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand and No. 4 Lexi Thompson of the USA (world No. 3 Inbee Park is injured).

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., has partnered with Google to become a brand ambassador for Android Wear. The 18-year-old who captured her first major at June’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the first LPGA player to partner with a smartwatch platform.

Google’s platform for smartwatches – Android Wear – offers several golf apps to help golfers; they can analyze their swings, keep scores and statistics, and track shots. Android Wear powers smartwatches by brands such as Motorola, Nixon, Michael Kors, TAG Heuer and Huawei.

“Whether I am practicing, working out or staying in touch with my family and friends back home, Android Wear offers me the best technology to be productive and organized while traveling the world,” said Henderson, the No. 2 ranked female golfer in the world. “As my calendar continues to get busier, I feel so privileged to use Android Wear to stay on schedule and make the most of every minute.”

On the golf course, Henderson will wear the Moto 360 Sport, which is built for training and sports. The Moto 360 Sport includes a built-in heart rate monitor, GPS, hybrid display that makes it easy to read outdoors, and a silicone band. In social and formal settings, she will wear the elegant Huawei Jewel, a premium fashionable smartwatch encrusted with 68 1.5mm Swarovski Zirconia.

Henderson, a Golf Canada National Team alum, won the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic as a 17-year-old to earn LPGA membership. In June, she became the youngest-ever winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a major championship on the LPGA Tour. Last week, she won her third LPGA event by defending her title in Portland. In August, she will represent Canada when golf makes its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games.

Having fun with our new @AndroidWear watches – perfect to stay on top of things during #USWomensOpen! #newsponsor pic.twitter.com/BVlH8ngn86

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) July 5, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending champion Brooke Henderson survived some tense moments on the back nine on the way to a four-stroke victory Sunday at the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic.

The second-ranked Henderson – a native of Smiths Falls, Ont., – shot a 14-under 274 after a final round 71 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, pulling away from American Stacy Lewis, who was 10-under after a 69.

Henderson became the first back-to-back winner at Portland since Annika Sorenstam won consecutive tournaments in 2002 and 2003. The 18-year-old is the first wire-to-wire winner at Portland since the tournament went to a 72-hole event in 2013.

Henderson is the tour’s second wire-to-wire winner this year, joining Ha Na Jang, who won the Coates Championship in February.

It was Henderson’s third career win, all coming in the Northwest. Aside from her two Portland victories, Henderson won the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington, three weeks ago.

Stacy Lewis is winless in 53 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th tour victory. She has 11 runner-up finishes during the drought and 24 overall.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the 2011 and 2013 Portland champion finished third at 9-under after a 72. Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, tied for the lead with seven holes remaining, was 8-under after making double bogeys on her final two holes to shoot 75. Austin Ernst, who won Portland in 2014, was also 8-under after a 73.

Christina Kim posted the low score of the day with a 66 to finish 7-under, as did Lee-Anne Pace, Lee Lopez and Cheyenne Woods. Pace shot 68, while Woods had a 72 for her first career top 10. Lopez, an LPGA rookie, shot 73.

This Portland performance was much different than her runaway victory in 2015, when Henderson rolled to a tournament-record eight-stroke win with a 21-under 267.

Henderson was forced to grind the final two rounds, often having to save pars following wayward drives.

Sunday turned into a two-player race early on the back nine, when Uribe birdied the par-4, 337-yard 11th to tie Henderson for the lead at 14-under.

But Henderson quickly resumed control at the par-5, 546-yard 12th. Uribe hit a poor drive and made bogey, while Henderson dropped a three-foot birdie putt to take a two-shot lead.

The lead melted to one at 13, when Henderson’s tee shot at the 160-yard par-3 went into the bunker and she made bogey. Uribe fell two strokes back at the par-4, 372-yard 15th with a bogey.

The par-4, 397-yard 17th became the tournament’s decisive hole. Henderson and Uribe both drove into a bunker, then blasted their approach shots over the green. But Uribe hit her third shot 50 feet past the hole and made double bogey, while Henderson was able to get up and down to save par, making an eight-foot putt.

Lewis never got closer than three strokes, and might have put some pressure on Henderson but made bogeys at 16 and 18.

Sakura Yokomine (69), Vicky Hurst (71) and Carlota Cignada (73) were eight shots back at 6-under. In-Kyung Kim shot 69 to head a group of five at 5-under.

American Morgan Pressel was 2-under after posting her best round of the week, a 67.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brooke Henderson grew up toward the eastern part of Canada in Ontario, but the Pacific Northwest has quickly become a favorite of the budding 18-year-old star.

She continued her mastery of Columbia Edgewater Country Club, shooting a 70 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Cambia Portland Classic.

Henderson, who claimed her first LPGA Tour win a year ago in Portland, was at 13-under 203 heading into the final round. She leads Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, who was 11-under after a 71.

Henderson, who earned her LPGA Tour card shortly after winning last year’s Portland event, was bidding for her third career win, all in the Northwest. Three weeks ago, Henderson rallied to win the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington.

Henderson has shared or held the outright Portland lead the past six rounds. She was aiming to become the first back-to-back Portland winner since Annika Sorenstam in 2002-03.

All wasn’t well Saturday for Henderson, who shot 69 or better in each of her first seven Portland Classic rounds at Columbia Edgewater, including last year’s Monday qualifier. Though she had four birdies, she was often scrambling to make par, and her card included a double bogey.

“I played pretty awful today. Definitely want to play better tomorrow. I mean, I hit a lot of good shots. I just didn’t capitalize on my chances. That was the first 12 holes for me,” Henderson said.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, tied for the lead with Henderson after the second round, faded to 9-under following a 74. Pettersen was the only player among the top 15 players who didn’t break par Saturday. Also at 9-under was 2014 Portland champion Austin Ernst following a 69.

Pettersen was bidding to become the Portland Classic’s second three-time winner, joining Nancy Lopez (1985, 1987, 1992). Pettersen has history in Portland, rallying during the final round to win the 2011 and 2013 tournaments. In 2011, Pettersen erased a nine-stroke deficit on the final day to beat Na Yeon Choi in a playoff.

American rookie Lee Lopez was 8-under after a 69.

No. 9 Stacy Lewis was six strokes back at 7-under after shooting 67, the day’s second best score. Cheyenne Woods, whose best finish in two years on the tour was a tie for 24th, was also 7-under following a 69, as was Carlota Ciganda after shooting 70.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew was 6-under after a 66, the day’s low round. Matthew had a bogey-free card that included an eagle at the par-5, 463-yard seventh. Brianna Do (70) and Angela Stanford (72) were also 6-under.

Henderson said the golf course “has changed so much since Friday morning … it’s so firm and fast right now.” But Henderson says she doesn’t plan to dramatically alter her strategy for Sunday’s final round.

“I think there are definitely holes where par is good. Just kind of get in and out,” Henderson said. “There are definitely still a lot of birdie opportunities out there. If you’re hitting the ball well and in the right spots, you can definitely still shoot a low score. You just have to be careful of the conditions.”

Henderson, tied for the second round lead with Pettersen after two rounds, opened up a two-shot advantage over Uribe at the turn with a front nine of 2-under 34. Pettersen struggled, closing the front nine with back-to-back bogeys to fall four strokes behind Henderson.

The tournament’s complexion changed at the par-3, 160-yard 13th, when Henderson and Uribe each hit their tee shots in the water and made double bogey. Pettersen suddenly was back in it, trailing Henderson by just a shot.

“I didn’t take my time on the tee shot…I just mishit it,” Henderson said.

But Henderson collected herself and made four pars and a birdie, at the par-3 16th, during her final five holes.

Uribe was looking for her first LPGA Tour win. In her sixth year on tour, Uribe’s best finish was third at the 2015 Manulife Classic. The last Colombian to win an LPGA event was Marisa Baena in 2005.

“It would mean a lot to win. This year has been a little tough one me. The results haven’t come. Tomorrow, I’m going to think on my game, shoot a low round. I love playing with Brooke and she’s been playing so good,” Uribe said. “If I win, I want it to be because I shoot a really good round, not because anyone else struggles.”

Vicky Hurst shot 70 and was among four players at 211.

Mariah Stackhouse, the Stanford four-time All-American making her professional debut is 2-under after a 71, as is 2012 Portland champion Mika Miyazato, who shot 70.

A third-round 73 has Hamilton’s Alena Sharp in a five-way tie for 61st, while Victoria native Naomi Ko of Team Canada’s National Team is 71st at 7-over.

The Portland Classic purse is $1.3 million, with $195,000 going to the winner.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending champion Brooke Henderson and Sweden’s Suzann Pettersen shared the lead at 11-under 133 after Friday’s second round of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic.

Pettersen shot the day’s low score with an 8-under 64, while No. 2 Henderson, an 18-year-old Canadian who won her first LPGA Tour event last year in Portland, shot 68 at Columbia Edgewater.

Pettersen and Henderson, who have combined to win three of the past five Portland Classics, led by one stroke over Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, who shot 67.

The No. 18 Pettersen, playing in the morning, had eight birdies on a bogey-free card. Henderson, playing in the afternoon, caught Pettersen when she rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4, 393-yard 18th.

“I finally had a fantastic putting day today. Finally. It’s nice,” Pettersen said. “The long game is good. I feel like when I putt well I can put a good score. Today, I felt like I could make anything. That’s a nice feel.”

Henderson has shared or held Portland’s outright lead the past five rounds, dating back to last year’s second round.

“I really like this golf course. I like the Northwest. I’ve played pretty well on these courses,” said Henderson, who won the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington, three weeks ago.

Pettersen was no surprise on the Portland Classic leaderboard. She has posted top-five finishes in four of her past seven Portland tournaments, winning in 2011 and 2013.

“I just like it here. It’s a lot of hard work that is finally starting to come together,” said Pettersen, who has struggled with back problems and is looking for her first win in 13 months.

Austin Ernst, Pernilla Lindberg and Angela Stanford were five shots back at 6-under. Ernst, the 2014 Portland champion, shot 66, while Lindberg had 68 and Stanford a 71.

Lee Lopez (68), Prima Thammaraks (69) and Carlota Ciganda (71) were 5 under. Among a group of seven at 4 under are Kelly Shon, Cheyenne Wood and Jaye Marie Green. Shon made eight birdies on her way to a 66.

Pettersen was bidding to become the tournament’s second three-time winner, joining Nancy Lopez, who won in 1985, 1987 and 1992. The Portland Classic is the LPGA Tour’s longest-running non-major, now in its 45th year.

Pettersen collected her birdies in bunches. Starting on the back nine, she made four consecutive on holes No. 12-15. Pettersen finished strong, making birdies on three of her final four holes, closing with a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-4, 410-yard ninth.

Pettersen thought the difference between Thursday’s 69 and her second-round 64 might have been playing in the morning.

“Obviously there are certain courses you play well, but you can’t take anything for granted out here,” Pettersen said. “I sure did find some magic on the greens today. I felt like I played great yesterday. I tried to take advantage of the little softer greens this morning and little purer greens as well.”

Pettersen took 24 putts, which she said “for me, that’s record breaking.”

Henderson, who had five birdies and a bogey, thought she got the most out of her round.

“I didn’t hit the ball as solidly as I’m used to. On this course you kind of need to hit fairways and you need to hit greens. For the way I struck the ball, I scored extremely well,” Henderson said.

Henderson did most of her damage on the par-5s, making birdies on all four. But perhaps the best shot of Henderson’s round came at the par-4, 393-yard 18th, where she hit her drive under a tree. With a greenside lake directly between her ball and the hole, Henderson blasted a low-running 6-iron from about 165 yards to within 10 feet, then made the birdie putt.

“That was definitely the high point of today’s round,” Henderson said.

Henderson, who earned her LPGA card shortly after winning at Portland last year, plays in Pettersen’s group Saturday, just the second time the two have been paired.

“Along with Morgan Pressel, she was the one I really looked up to growing up and kind of wanted to be like,” Henderson said.

Christina Kim shot 66 to finish at 3 under, a group also included Vicky Hurst (71), Chella Choi (71) and Lee-Anne Pace (72).

No. 9 Stacy Lewis was 2 under after a 70. American Morgan Pressel shot 71 to finish at 1 under.

A 3-under 69 from Team Canada National Team member Naomi Ko moved the Victoria native into a tie for 62nd alongside Hamilton’s Alena Sharp. Lorie Kane (Charlottetown), A.J. Eathorne (Penticton, B.C.), Québec’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., will not advance to weekend-play.

Among those who didn’t make the cut at 1 over were Americans Cristie Kerr, Lizette Salas and Marina Alex.