2026 Standard Portland Classic Preview: Who and How to Watch

After a week-long break, the LPGA Tour plays its first of two tournaments in the Pacific Northwest at the Standard Portland Classic. The 54th edition of the tournament will be held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. It is the longest-running event on the LPGA Tour schedule, excluding major championships.

Aki Iwai is in the field this week to defend her title after she earned her first LPGA Tour win at Columbia Edgewater Country Club last year.

Columbia Edgewater Country Club is a par 72 playing 6,541 yards. The golf course was designed by A.V. Macan and opened in 1925. The course hosted the PGA Tour’s Portland Open Invitational four times in the 1960s, along with hosting the Standard Portland Classic.

The purse for the Standard Portland Classic is $2 million, with the winner receiving $300,000.

Who to Watch at the 2026 Standard Portland Classic

The field for the Standard Portland Classic will have 10 of the top 25 players in the Rolex Rankings, with eight of 13 champions on the LPGA Tour.

After claiming her first win last year at the Standard Portland Classic, Iwai has continued her solid play into this season, making the cut in 16 of 19 starts, with four top-10 finishes. Her best finish of the season was third at the Amundi Evian Championship. Iwai said she is feeling good going into this week.

“I feel really comfortable. That’s why I won last year. This is my second year, and I feel even more comfortable,” she said. 

Jeeno Thitikul is looking for her third win this season after a T4 finish at the AIG Women’s Open. After another season without a major championship victory, she will turn her focus to winning her third consecutive CME Group Tour Championship.

Sponsor invite Kiara Romero will return to her home state as well to participate in the Standard Portland Classic again. She just clinched her LPGA Tour card through the LEAP program, the women’s equivalent of PGA Tour University. She is the second college player after Lottie Woad to earn her LPGA Tour card this way and announced she turned professional earlier on Aug. 12.