CREAMER AND RECARI LOCKED IN LEAD AT MARATHON CLASSIC
FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
World No. 14 Paula Creamer and No. 26 Beatriz Recari both shot rounds of 4-under 67 in the third round of the Marathon Classic and will continue to share the lead at 12-under par heading into Sunday’s final round.
The duo holds a three-shot lead over Americans Lexi Thompson and Jacqui Concolino and Japanese LPGA Tour rookie Chie Arimura who sit in a tie for third place at 9-under par.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71
201 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 69 65 67, Paula Creamer (US) 66 68 67.
204 Lexi Thompson (US) 66 71 67, Chie Arimura (Japan) 69 67 68, Jacqui Concolino (US) 67 68 69.
SELECTED SCORES
205 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 69 68 68 (T6)
209 Inbee Park (S Korea) 67 69 73 (T23)
213 Michelle Wie (US) 74 67 72, Laura Davies (England) 72 72 71 (T48)
217 Becky Morgan (Wales0 71 71 75 (T70).
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Soft conditions from heavy overnight rain in the Toledo area provided players with more chances to be aggressive toward the pins compared to the first two rounds. Recari and Creamer started the third round tied for the lead with Alison Walshe at 8-under par and battled throughout the day.
“I played with her today, and she's a real fighter and a great competitor, so it's not a surprise to see that chip‑in for birdie on 17,” Recari said of Creamer. “I know that she's always going to give herself good chances and she played great.”
The duo both recorded bogey-free rounds and played within one shot of each other the entire day. Creamer held a one-shot lead heading to the 17th tee and they exchanged birdies on the par 5 after Creamer chipped in from the rough. But Recari responded with another on No. 18 with a six-foot putt to grab share of the lead.
“I had a great day too,” said Recari. “I started with a birdie which is great to start your round with, and then I hit my irons really well and gave myself chances all the time. I had some putts that just went by the hole. But I stayed patient, and it was really good to get that birdie there on 17 and 18 to get close to 67.”
Creamer, who won the Toledo-based event in 2008, said she is looking forward to playing in the final group on Sunday. It’s the first time the 26-year old has held a third-round lead since the 2012 Kingsmill Championship and is playing for her first win since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, where she also held the third-round lead.
“This is what I want,” said Creamer. “I've never made a secret of how much I like to win and be in contention. But at the same time, I haven't given myself this opportunity too many times. So it's here, and we'll see how I can handle it tomorrow.
American teenager Lexi Thompson trails the leaders by three shots after a third-round 67 and is playing for her second-career LPGA Tour win. Her first came at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic when she became the youngest winner on Tour. LPGA Tour rookie Chie Arimura (68) and second-year Tour member Jacqui Concolino (69) are seeking their first-career victories and sit alongside Thompson in a tie for third.
American Angela Stanford shot the low round of the day with a 7-under 64 which included eight birdies and one bogey. The 35-year old Saginaw, Texas native made the most of moving day and jumped from T52 to T11 and sits six shots off the lead.
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park will have some work to do on Sunday to put herself in contention after a 2-over 73 in the third round. She’s eight shots off the lead at 4-under par in a T23.
“I just putted really bad today,” said Park. “Inside of that everything else was really similar, but nothing seems to be going. I gave myself eight birdie chances out of nine holes on the back nine and nothing went in. So just a bad putting day, nothing else.”
Ending the Wait? Paula Creamer has not hid her disappointment about the fact that she’s currently in the midst of a 3-year winless drought on the LPGA Tour. Competitive by nature, Creamer has always had high expectations for herself and the fact that she has played in 67 straight events without a win has not sat well with the 26-year-old golfer.
So as Creamer sits in a tie for the lead with Beatriz Recari heading into Sunday’s final round of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I, it’s no secret that she’s focused on finding her way back into the winner’s circle.
“Obviously, this is what I want,” Creamer said of leading entering the final round. “I've never made a secret of how much I like to win and be in contention. But at the same time, I haven't given myself this opportunity too many times. So it's here, and we'll see how I can handle it tomorrow.”
After winning eight times over the course of her first four years on Tour, it appeared that Creamer was on her way to becoming one of the more dominant players on Tour.
But her career slowed down some due to various illnesses and injuries including a stomach ailment that began to plague her in 2008 and a subsequent injury to her left thumb required surgery in 2010.
It’s resulted in Creamer recording just one victory over the past four seasons, which came at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open.
Still, Creamer has been pleased with how her game has been coming around of late. She tied for fourth at last month’s U.S. Women’s Open and has a total of four top-10 finishes this season. The key this week, she said, has been getting her flat stick going once again.
“I've made more putts,” Creamer said. “That's always a helpful thing. I started off a lot better than I have in most events. Kind of put myself in a good spot after Thursday, and came out and played well on Friday. Today, just kind of kept it going. So I think the first couple of rounds are a lot better than what I've been doing in the past.
Since her playoff win against I.K. Kim at the Kia Classic in March, her only win of the season, Beatriz Recari has struggled to recreate the success that she experienced that Sunday in Carlsbad, California.
Since that win, she only has recorded one top-10 finish and missed the cut in her last event, the U.S. Women’s Open. Something has changed for Recari in Sylvania this week, as she sits poised to make a run at her third LPGA Tour victory going into Sunday’s final round at Highland Meadows Golf Club as she sits atop the leader board with Paul Creamer at 12-under par.
“I had a great day. I started with a birdie, which is great to start your round with, and then I hit my irons really well and gave myself chances all the time,” Recari said.
“I had some putts that just went by the hole. But I stayed patient, and it was really good to get that birdie there on 17 and 18 to get close to 67.”
Despite her struggles leading up to this week, Recari is still having the best season of her 4-year career, as she sits sixth on the LPGA Official Money List and 26th in the Rolex Rankings. A high finish at this week’s Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I would add to what has been a banner season for the Spaniard.
“Still 18 holes left, and a lot can happen. So I just really am trying to stay in the present as much as I can and just go shot by shot and just stay patient. You know, like I did today,” Recari said. “I started with a birdie, and I had some really good chances that didn't go in but I stayed patient out there, and it was great to finish with a birdie, birdie.”
Recari seemed to thrive off of being in such a strong group, which included Alison Walshe and co-leader Paula Creamer. Creamer and Recari traded birdies all day and finished where they started, sharing the lead.
“I played with her today, and she's a real fighter and a great competitor, so it's not a surprise to see that chip‑in for birdie on 17,” Recari said. “I know that she's always going to give herself good chances and she played great.”
Playing alongside Creamer also allowed for Recari to keep a close eye on her closest competition.
“It's easier because you're playing with the player scoring closest to you, if you can say it that way,” Recari said. “But you still have to do your best. You can't control what she does, so you always have to stay focused on what you're doing.”
Recari isn’t lacking momentum heading into the final round after finishing round three with back-to-back birdies and hopes to carry that strong performance into Sunday.
“I felt really good and I'm feeling really good. I'm playing really well, seeing the ball great and making some really good putts out there,” Recari said. “So, yeah, I'm just going to stay patient and do the same thing tomorrow.”
Breaking back in: In 2011, Lexi Thompson became the youngest person to win an LPGA Tournament, at the unbelievable age of 16 years, seven months and eight days, when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic.
However, Thompson has yet to break back into the winner’s circle since that historic win in Alabama. That could all change this week at the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O&I, where she sits tied for third, three strokes behind the leaders.
“I hit it really well today,” Thompson said. “I still left a few putts out there, but it's golf. So hopefully it will be better tomorrow.”
The eighteen year-old will need another strong round tomorrow if she hopes to pass co-leaders Beatriz Recari and Paula Creamer.
“I feel really good. Hopefully I'll drop a few more putts, I guess,” Thompson said. “I just have to take one shot at a time.”
Thompson has been working hard to improve her consistency and ball-striking, two things that have come together nicely and have put her in position to improve on her best finish of the season, a tie for eighth at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore back in March.
“I've just been working on trusting my targets. Picking out a target and just visualizing my shot,” Thompson said. “That's what I've been doing every shot. I think I've committed pretty good to them.”
Thompson had a chance to pull within another stroke of the leaders on the final hole, where her birdie putt ended up just short of the pin on the final par-5.
“You know, I hit a good putt on the last hole, so I can't get too frustrated. It was just a misread,” Thompson said. “But you know, I'm going to hopefully drop some more tomorrow and hit it as well as I did today.”
Thompson is one of few that can reach the eighteenth green in two at Highland Meadows Golf Club and her aggressive style for eagle opportunities had local media members drawing comparisons to LPGA Tour great Laura Davies.
“I've played with Laura quite a few times. I would say she still hits it farther than me, but it's all about placing it on the fairway,” Thompson said.
“If I get a 3‑wood turning over and get it to the end of the fairway and then hit through it up there, I can get it pretty good. But, yeah, you just have to get it to the end.”
Quote of the Day: “She's just unbelievable right now. She's playing so great. You can't play great every week, but she's still right in the mix. Even for that, everybody's kind of surprised you don't see her at the top. But you still can't ‑‑ what she's done is remarkable.” –Paula Creamer on Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park who is eight shots off the lead heading into the final round.
Last push for Solheim Cup points: American players are making a final charge for U.S. Solheim Cup Team points with the Marathon Classic being the second to last chance points will be up for grabs. Seven players who are currently ranked in the top-12 in points have put together two rounds to sit within the top-20 at the Marathon Classic. Points are awarded at the end of each event to those who finish in the top-20.
World No. 14 Paula Creamer and No. 26 Beatriz Recari both shot rounds of 4-under 67 in the third round of the Marathon Classic and will continue to share the lead at 12-under par heading into Sunday’s final round.
The duo holds a three-shot lead over Americans Lexi Thompson and Jacqui Concolino and Japanese LPGA Tour rookie Chie Arimura who sit in a tie for third place at 9-under par.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71
201 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 69 65 67, Paula Creamer (US) 66 68 67.
204 Lexi Thompson (US) 66 71 67, Chie Arimura (Japan) 69 67 68, Jacqui Concolino (US) 67 68 69.
SELECTED SCORES
205 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 69 68 68 (T6)
209 Inbee Park (S Korea) 67 69 73 (T23)
213 Michelle Wie (US) 74 67 72, Laura Davies (England) 72 72 71 (T48)
217 Becky Morgan (Wales0 71 71 75 (T70).
TO VIEW ALL THE SCOES
CLICK HERE
Soft conditions from heavy overnight rain in the Toledo area provided players with more chances to be aggressive toward the pins compared to the first two rounds. Recari and Creamer started the third round tied for the lead with Alison Walshe at 8-under par and battled throughout the day.
“I played with her today, and she's a real fighter and a great competitor, so it's not a surprise to see that chip‑in for birdie on 17,” Recari said of Creamer. “I know that she's always going to give herself good chances and she played great.”
The duo both recorded bogey-free rounds and played within one shot of each other the entire day. Creamer held a one-shot lead heading to the 17th tee and they exchanged birdies on the par 5 after Creamer chipped in from the rough. But Recari responded with another on No. 18 with a six-foot putt to grab share of the lead.
“I had a great day too,” said Recari. “I started with a birdie which is great to start your round with, and then I hit my irons really well and gave myself chances all the time. I had some putts that just went by the hole. But I stayed patient, and it was really good to get that birdie there on 17 and 18 to get close to 67.”
Creamer, who won the Toledo-based event in 2008, said she is looking forward to playing in the final group on Sunday. It’s the first time the 26-year old has held a third-round lead since the 2012 Kingsmill Championship and is playing for her first win since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, where she also held the third-round lead.
“This is what I want,” said Creamer. “I've never made a secret of how much I like to win and be in contention. But at the same time, I haven't given myself this opportunity too many times. So it's here, and we'll see how I can handle it tomorrow.
American teenager Lexi Thompson trails the leaders by three shots after a third-round 67 and is playing for her second-career LPGA Tour win. Her first came at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic when she became the youngest winner on Tour. LPGA Tour rookie Chie Arimura (68) and second-year Tour member Jacqui Concolino (69) are seeking their first-career victories and sit alongside Thompson in a tie for third.
American Angela Stanford shot the low round of the day with a 7-under 64 which included eight birdies and one bogey. The 35-year old Saginaw, Texas native made the most of moving day and jumped from T52 to T11 and sits six shots off the lead.
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park will have some work to do on Sunday to put herself in contention after a 2-over 73 in the third round. She’s eight shots off the lead at 4-under par in a T23.
“I just putted really bad today,” said Park. “Inside of that everything else was really similar, but nothing seems to be going. I gave myself eight birdie chances out of nine holes on the back nine and nothing went in. So just a bad putting day, nothing else.”
Ending the Wait? Paula Creamer has not hid her disappointment about the fact that she’s currently in the midst of a 3-year winless drought on the LPGA Tour. Competitive by nature, Creamer has always had high expectations for herself and the fact that she has played in 67 straight events without a win has not sat well with the 26-year-old golfer.
So as Creamer sits in a tie for the lead with Beatriz Recari heading into Sunday’s final round of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I, it’s no secret that she’s focused on finding her way back into the winner’s circle.
“Obviously, this is what I want,” Creamer said of leading entering the final round. “I've never made a secret of how much I like to win and be in contention. But at the same time, I haven't given myself this opportunity too many times. So it's here, and we'll see how I can handle it tomorrow.”
After winning eight times over the course of her first four years on Tour, it appeared that Creamer was on her way to becoming one of the more dominant players on Tour.
But her career slowed down some due to various illnesses and injuries including a stomach ailment that began to plague her in 2008 and a subsequent injury to her left thumb required surgery in 2010.
It’s resulted in Creamer recording just one victory over the past four seasons, which came at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open.
Still, Creamer has been pleased with how her game has been coming around of late. She tied for fourth at last month’s U.S. Women’s Open and has a total of four top-10 finishes this season. The key this week, she said, has been getting her flat stick going once again.
“I've made more putts,” Creamer said. “That's always a helpful thing. I started off a lot better than I have in most events. Kind of put myself in a good spot after Thursday, and came out and played well on Friday. Today, just kind of kept it going. So I think the first couple of rounds are a lot better than what I've been doing in the past.
Since her playoff win against I.K. Kim at the Kia Classic in March, her only win of the season, Beatriz Recari has struggled to recreate the success that she experienced that Sunday in Carlsbad, California.
Since that win, she only has recorded one top-10 finish and missed the cut in her last event, the U.S. Women’s Open. Something has changed for Recari in Sylvania this week, as she sits poised to make a run at her third LPGA Tour victory going into Sunday’s final round at Highland Meadows Golf Club as she sits atop the leader board with Paul Creamer at 12-under par.
“I had a great day. I started with a birdie, which is great to start your round with, and then I hit my irons really well and gave myself chances all the time,” Recari said.
“I had some putts that just went by the hole. But I stayed patient, and it was really good to get that birdie there on 17 and 18 to get close to 67.”
Despite her struggles leading up to this week, Recari is still having the best season of her 4-year career, as she sits sixth on the LPGA Official Money List and 26th in the Rolex Rankings. A high finish at this week’s Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I would add to what has been a banner season for the Spaniard.
“Still 18 holes left, and a lot can happen. So I just really am trying to stay in the present as much as I can and just go shot by shot and just stay patient. You know, like I did today,” Recari said. “I started with a birdie, and I had some really good chances that didn't go in but I stayed patient out there, and it was great to finish with a birdie, birdie.”
Recari seemed to thrive off of being in such a strong group, which included Alison Walshe and co-leader Paula Creamer. Creamer and Recari traded birdies all day and finished where they started, sharing the lead.
“I played with her today, and she's a real fighter and a great competitor, so it's not a surprise to see that chip‑in for birdie on 17,” Recari said. “I know that she's always going to give herself good chances and she played great.”
Playing alongside Creamer also allowed for Recari to keep a close eye on her closest competition.
“It's easier because you're playing with the player scoring closest to you, if you can say it that way,” Recari said. “But you still have to do your best. You can't control what she does, so you always have to stay focused on what you're doing.”
Recari isn’t lacking momentum heading into the final round after finishing round three with back-to-back birdies and hopes to carry that strong performance into Sunday.
“I felt really good and I'm feeling really good. I'm playing really well, seeing the ball great and making some really good putts out there,” Recari said. “So, yeah, I'm just going to stay patient and do the same thing tomorrow.”
Breaking back in: In 2011, Lexi Thompson became the youngest person to win an LPGA Tournament, at the unbelievable age of 16 years, seven months and eight days, when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic.
However, Thompson has yet to break back into the winner’s circle since that historic win in Alabama. That could all change this week at the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O&I, where she sits tied for third, three strokes behind the leaders.
“I hit it really well today,” Thompson said. “I still left a few putts out there, but it's golf. So hopefully it will be better tomorrow.”
The eighteen year-old will need another strong round tomorrow if she hopes to pass co-leaders Beatriz Recari and Paula Creamer.
“I feel really good. Hopefully I'll drop a few more putts, I guess,” Thompson said. “I just have to take one shot at a time.”
Thompson has been working hard to improve her consistency and ball-striking, two things that have come together nicely and have put her in position to improve on her best finish of the season, a tie for eighth at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore back in March.
“I've just been working on trusting my targets. Picking out a target and just visualizing my shot,” Thompson said. “That's what I've been doing every shot. I think I've committed pretty good to them.”
Thompson had a chance to pull within another stroke of the leaders on the final hole, where her birdie putt ended up just short of the pin on the final par-5.
“You know, I hit a good putt on the last hole, so I can't get too frustrated. It was just a misread,” Thompson said. “But you know, I'm going to hopefully drop some more tomorrow and hit it as well as I did today.”
Thompson is one of few that can reach the eighteenth green in two at Highland Meadows Golf Club and her aggressive style for eagle opportunities had local media members drawing comparisons to LPGA Tour great Laura Davies.
“I've played with Laura quite a few times. I would say she still hits it farther than me, but it's all about placing it on the fairway,” Thompson said.
“If I get a 3‑wood turning over and get it to the end of the fairway and then hit through it up there, I can get it pretty good. But, yeah, you just have to get it to the end.”
Quote of the Day: “She's just unbelievable right now. She's playing so great. You can't play great every week, but she's still right in the mix. Even for that, everybody's kind of surprised you don't see her at the top. But you still can't ‑‑ what she's done is remarkable.” –Paula Creamer on Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park who is eight shots off the lead heading into the final round.
Last push for Solheim Cup points: American players are making a final charge for U.S. Solheim Cup Team points with the Marathon Classic being the second to last chance points will be up for grabs. Seven players who are currently ranked in the top-12 in points have put together two rounds to sit within the top-20 at the Marathon Classic. Points are awarded at the end of each event to those who finish in the top-20.
| Player | 2nd Round Position | Rank in U.S. Solheim Cup Points |
| Paula Creamer | T1 | 2nd (496.5) |
| Lexi Thompson | T3 | 7th (232.5) |
| Jennifer Johnson | T6 | 12th (162.5) |
| Angela Stanford | T11 | 4th (381) |
| Gerina Piller | T11 | T9 (174) |
| Morgan Pressel | T11 | 11th (164.5) |
| Brittany Lang | T20 | 8th (226) |
Labels: LPGA TOUR
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