RECARI HOLDS OFF CREAMER TO WIN MARATHON CLASSIC
FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
Three weeks remain until the 2013 Solheim Cup but Sunday’s final round of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I certainly had the look and feel of a dramatic singles matches between the United States and Europe.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
par 284 (4x71) players from USA unless stated
267 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 69 65 67 66
268 Paula Creamer 66 68 67 67
271 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 69 68 68 66, Lexi Thompson 66 71 67 67
274 Angela Stanford (US) 71 72 64 67, Jacqui Concolino 67 68 69 70.
275 Stacy Lewis 70 72 69 64, Meena Lee (S Korea) 70 73 70 62, Lydia Ko (NZ) (amateur) 69 67 71 68.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE
Beatriz Recari of Spain and American Paula Creamer provided a duel to the finish at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio as Recari sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to capture her second victory of the 2013 season and the third of her career.
Recari shot a 17-under 267 for the tournament which was just enough to edge Creamer who was just one stroke behind with a 16-under 268.
“I still can't believe it, because I was so focused for the last two rounds to just keep cool and just focus on my game,” said Recari. “Because like Paula said, she played amazing for two days. It was really a competition. It was like who was going to stick it close and who was going to make a putt.”
Recari and Creamer entered the day tied for the lead at 12-under-par, three shots clear of their competitors. The two kept themselves separated from the field but could never quite shake each other as they traded birdies throughout the day. Creamer said the battle certainly has a Solheim Cup feel.
“Oh, definitely,” said Creamer. “I felt it, I know she probably did out there, a little pre‑game into Solheim. I love match play. It felt like match play, yes. But at the same time, you're playing the golf course. Coming down the stretch of course you're playing each other. But it was good. Definitely has your juices going for the next couple of weeks.”
After they each picked up three birdies on the front nine and made the turn tied at 15-under par, Recari finally broke the deadlock on the par-3 14th. The 26-year old took the lead with an impressive 12-foot birdie putt and moved ahead by one stroke lead, which she would not relinquish.
The pair both went par-birdie-par on the next three holes and headed for the final showdown of what had been a thrilling round. Fans crowded the 18th hole to catch a glimpse of the 2008 winner, as she tried her best of force a playoff.
Creamer knocked her third shot to the fringe on the back of the green, leaving herself a tough but very makeable 18-foot birdie putt. Recari followed with her attempt at the green out of the rough which ended up too strong and bounced off the back of the green and a playoff suddenly seemed more than possible.
Recari shook off the pressure and chipped within four feet of the hole, leaving all the pressure on Creamer to make her birdie putt. The crowd watched in awed silence as Creamer took her stance and sent the ball toward the hole but it edged just past and she took a tap-in to make par.
Recari then calmly stepped up and made her winning putt as a wave of relief rushed over her face. The duel was finally over and the Spaniard has emerged the victor.
“I was definitely shaking a little bit,” said Recari. “I knew that I had to make it to win and avoid a playoff. Playoff is always nerve‑wracking or you're even and it can go either way.
“In Kia I won the playoff, but really I took a couple breaths and said, ‘Okay, just read the putt, put a good stroke, and just be calm.’ It went in, so I'm happy. I'm just really happy. Like I said, just all came down to the last putt.”
The Spaniard was coming off her first missed cut in 46 consecutive starts at the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack and said the win this week was the perfect affirmation that her game is right back on track.
“It's definitely a boost of confidence because you never like to miss a cut,” said Recari. “But I felt really good. I said it two days ago: I took a lot of positives from that week. I didn't miss the cut because my game was poor; it was other factors that I let influence myself.
“I mean, I played great on Friday, so obviously my game was fine. It was something that happened and I learned from it. But it's definitely very relieving to bounce back and post a good score, and to win is a bonus. But like I said, I'm just very happy with how I played the last four days. That's what I'm proud of.”
Recari is projected to move to No. 17 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings which will also help solidify her spot on the European Solheim Cup Team. She’s currently ranked in the 8th spot where positions 4-8 are based on the Rolex Rankings. She said she thought the final round today was great preparation for August when Europe will try to defend their title. Recari will make her first Solheim Cup appearance and said she learned from Creamer’s consistency on Sunday.
“It totally felt like Solheim Cup for the last two days,” said Recari. “She is very experienced player in Solheim Cup and I'll be a rookie. It was great to play with her, to learn, because she's so consistent.”
World No. 1 Inbee Park closed out her week with a 1-over 72 to finish at 3-under par in a tie for 33rd. It was her worst finish since the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 2nd when she finished T38.
Park will have the week off before she heads to the Old Course at St. Andrews in pursuit of her fourth-consecutive major championship. The South Korean will be the first male or female golfer to play for four-straight professional major championships in one season.
In a good place: Despite losing a heartbreaker to Beatriz Recari in the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I, Paula Creamer still put together the best finish of her already strong season with a solo second place.
“I am pleased. Am I bummed? Yeah, super bummed. But that's what it is,” Creamer said. “I feel really good being back in this spot and tasting that little bit of pressure and excitement coming down the stretch.”
Creamer hopes that she can continue her strong play into the RICOH Women’s British Open and maybe finally break her winless streak of 68 starts dating back to the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open.
“My game is coming along. I've always been kind of in contention, right around there, but this was a good week for me to start off strong on Thursday and Friday and then continued it on the weekend,” Creamer said.
“But this is what I've been working hard for. I've been just grinding away, and it's starting to pay off. All in all, I've always said golf is a marathon, not a sprint. I just want to continue this up and we'll see what happens going into St. Andrews.”
Ace Alert! For the average eighteen year-old, a new car is simply a dream, with many teenagers scrimping and saving for years to purchase a set of wheels but for Lexi Thompson, all it took was a 6-iron and a little bit of luck.
“That was amazing. I can't describe the feeling in words. I hit just a little backed off 6‑iron and it just kept on rolling, rolling, and just disappeared. So I dropped my club and I just went crazy,” Thompson said. “It's the best feeling just to hear the crowd cheering. I went up the line just high‑fiving everybody. It was awesome.”
Thompson’s hole-in-one was the second of the tournament, with the first coming from Katherine Hull-Kirk in the second round on Friday.
Both golfers will win brand new 2014 Kia Cadenzas. Today’s ace was the fourth of Thompson’s career but her first in official competition.
Lexi almost won a car already in her career, when she hit a hole-in-one in Taiwan, only to fall short of winning the brand new Audi R8 Spyder because she made the shot in a pro-am instead of the tournament.
“I have bad luck with cars,” Thompson said.
Last push for Solheim Cup points: Six American players ranked within the top nine spots in the U.S. Solheim Cup Team points standings earned valuable points this week in Toledo by finishing in the top-20 at the Marathon Classic.
It will be a very tight battle for players vying for a coveted spot on the U.S. Team with just one event remaining for a chance to earn points. Just 77 points separate five players in spots Nos. 8-13. The RICOH Women’s British Open next month will be the final event where points are awarded and points earned will be doubled because of its major championship status.
UPDATED U.S. SOLHEIM CUP TEAM RANKINGS
Belly Up! Belly putters haven’t been banned from the LPGA Tour yet. Golfers are allowed to use the anchored putters until 2016 but Jodi Ewart Shadoff’s belly putter won’t be coming out of storage any time soon.
“It's going to be in the garage when I get home forever, I hope,” Ewart Shadoff said.
She made the switch to a tradition putter only on Tuesday after struggling for months with the belly putter, which had originally helped her game.
“First year I saw it was pretty good for me and helped my confidence a lot,” Ewart Shadoff said. “But the last maybe six or seven months it's kind of been not ruining my stroke, it's not been consistent. It makes you take it pretty inside and push it out.”
She had planned to wait until the end of the season to switch but became to frustrated and followed her gut.
“I was going to wait until this off‑season, but it became so frustrating least week. I finished at 9‑under last week,” Ewart Shadoff said. “Obviously the scores were so low. I gave myself so many opportunities, and it was just really frustrating. I just couldn't take it any longer.”
The decision to switch mid-season wasn’t an easy one, and caused nerves going into this week’s tournament in Sylvania.
“I was nervous switching. I kind of made it out to be more of a big deal than it should have really been. It wasn't a big deal for me. It was just the short putts that I was kind of worried about,” Ewart Shadoff said. “But it's been good. Now my tempo is good. Finally getting my putter on plane.”
Ewart Shadoff hopes her new putter and new confidence will take her far the rest of the year, and maybe onto the European Solheim Cup Team in two weeks.
“I'm playing well right now. Anything can happen,” Ewart Shadoff said. “I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, and hopefully I'll be in Colorado in a couple weeks.”
Lewis finishes strong in front of her ‘Crew:’ With her local crowd behind her and the “Lew Crew” out in full force, hometown hero Stacy Lewis put together a strong final round to finish the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I on a high note.
“I don't know where it came from. I worked on my putting for couple hours yesterday, and I guess I found something that made it click,” Lewis said. “I was glad to give the Lou Crew something to cheer about and go out on a high note.”
Lewis, who sits in the second spot in the Rolex Rankings under Inbee Park, shot an impressive 7-under 64 in the final round and put on quite a show for the crowd that consisted of many of her family and friends.
“I think they've seen me play that way on TV before but never in person, so it was nice to give them something to cheer about,” Lewis said. “They've been great. They followed me all four days. They struggled in the heat and struggled when I was making bogeys. So I was just glad to be able to make a few today.”
Her strong finish also gives her some much-needed momentum heading into the third major of the year, the RICOH Women’s British Open. Lewis will look to break her drought and get her first major win since her first at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011.
“I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've had some rounds where my putter is going in the right direction. So I definitely feel like it's moving in the right direction,” Lewis said. “I just need to get a little bit more consistent.”
Lewis finished the tournament at 9-under, good enough for tie for seventh, and narrowly missed a chance to bring it to 10-under on the 18th hole when she narrowly missed her birdie putt.
“It kind of bounced off the face a little bit and hit a mark on the green. It was a tricky putt. It could have gone either way,” Lewis said. “I was just glad to have a putt to go to 10‑under. I think at the beginning of the day I would have loved that.”
Overall, the tournament was a success for Lewis, her family and Marathon, and she couldn’t have found a better way to finish it.
“It's been a great. It's busy for me, but it's a lot of fun to get back and see my family,” Lewis said. “And just to play the way I did today, it was awesome to go out on a high note.”
Three weeks remain until the 2013 Solheim Cup but Sunday’s final round of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I certainly had the look and feel of a dramatic singles matches between the United States and Europe.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
par 284 (4x71) players from USA unless stated
267 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 69 65 67 66
268 Paula Creamer 66 68 67 67
271 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 69 68 68 66, Lexi Thompson 66 71 67 67
274 Angela Stanford (US) 71 72 64 67, Jacqui Concolino 67 68 69 70.
275 Stacy Lewis 70 72 69 64, Meena Lee (S Korea) 70 73 70 62, Lydia Ko (NZ) (amateur) 69 67 71 68.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE
Beatriz Recari of Spain and American Paula Creamer provided a duel to the finish at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio as Recari sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to capture her second victory of the 2013 season and the third of her career.
Recari shot a 17-under 267 for the tournament which was just enough to edge Creamer who was just one stroke behind with a 16-under 268.
“I still can't believe it, because I was so focused for the last two rounds to just keep cool and just focus on my game,” said Recari. “Because like Paula said, she played amazing for two days. It was really a competition. It was like who was going to stick it close and who was going to make a putt.”
Recari and Creamer entered the day tied for the lead at 12-under-par, three shots clear of their competitors. The two kept themselves separated from the field but could never quite shake each other as they traded birdies throughout the day. Creamer said the battle certainly has a Solheim Cup feel.
“Oh, definitely,” said Creamer. “I felt it, I know she probably did out there, a little pre‑game into Solheim. I love match play. It felt like match play, yes. But at the same time, you're playing the golf course. Coming down the stretch of course you're playing each other. But it was good. Definitely has your juices going for the next couple of weeks.”
After they each picked up three birdies on the front nine and made the turn tied at 15-under par, Recari finally broke the deadlock on the par-3 14th. The 26-year old took the lead with an impressive 12-foot birdie putt and moved ahead by one stroke lead, which she would not relinquish.
The pair both went par-birdie-par on the next three holes and headed for the final showdown of what had been a thrilling round. Fans crowded the 18th hole to catch a glimpse of the 2008 winner, as she tried her best of force a playoff.
Creamer knocked her third shot to the fringe on the back of the green, leaving herself a tough but very makeable 18-foot birdie putt. Recari followed with her attempt at the green out of the rough which ended up too strong and bounced off the back of the green and a playoff suddenly seemed more than possible.
Recari shook off the pressure and chipped within four feet of the hole, leaving all the pressure on Creamer to make her birdie putt. The crowd watched in awed silence as Creamer took her stance and sent the ball toward the hole but it edged just past and she took a tap-in to make par.
Recari then calmly stepped up and made her winning putt as a wave of relief rushed over her face. The duel was finally over and the Spaniard has emerged the victor.
“I was definitely shaking a little bit,” said Recari. “I knew that I had to make it to win and avoid a playoff. Playoff is always nerve‑wracking or you're even and it can go either way.
“In Kia I won the playoff, but really I took a couple breaths and said, ‘Okay, just read the putt, put a good stroke, and just be calm.’ It went in, so I'm happy. I'm just really happy. Like I said, just all came down to the last putt.”
The Spaniard was coming off her first missed cut in 46 consecutive starts at the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack and said the win this week was the perfect affirmation that her game is right back on track.
“It's definitely a boost of confidence because you never like to miss a cut,” said Recari. “But I felt really good. I said it two days ago: I took a lot of positives from that week. I didn't miss the cut because my game was poor; it was other factors that I let influence myself.
“I mean, I played great on Friday, so obviously my game was fine. It was something that happened and I learned from it. But it's definitely very relieving to bounce back and post a good score, and to win is a bonus. But like I said, I'm just very happy with how I played the last four days. That's what I'm proud of.”
Recari is projected to move to No. 17 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings which will also help solidify her spot on the European Solheim Cup Team. She’s currently ranked in the 8th spot where positions 4-8 are based on the Rolex Rankings. She said she thought the final round today was great preparation for August when Europe will try to defend their title. Recari will make her first Solheim Cup appearance and said she learned from Creamer’s consistency on Sunday.
“It totally felt like Solheim Cup for the last two days,” said Recari. “She is very experienced player in Solheim Cup and I'll be a rookie. It was great to play with her, to learn, because she's so consistent.”
World No. 1 Inbee Park closed out her week with a 1-over 72 to finish at 3-under par in a tie for 33rd. It was her worst finish since the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 2nd when she finished T38.
Park will have the week off before she heads to the Old Course at St. Andrews in pursuit of her fourth-consecutive major championship. The South Korean will be the first male or female golfer to play for four-straight professional major championships in one season.
In a good place: Despite losing a heartbreaker to Beatriz Recari in the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I, Paula Creamer still put together the best finish of her already strong season with a solo second place.
“I am pleased. Am I bummed? Yeah, super bummed. But that's what it is,” Creamer said. “I feel really good being back in this spot and tasting that little bit of pressure and excitement coming down the stretch.”
Creamer hopes that she can continue her strong play into the RICOH Women’s British Open and maybe finally break her winless streak of 68 starts dating back to the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open.
“My game is coming along. I've always been kind of in contention, right around there, but this was a good week for me to start off strong on Thursday and Friday and then continued it on the weekend,” Creamer said.
“But this is what I've been working hard for. I've been just grinding away, and it's starting to pay off. All in all, I've always said golf is a marathon, not a sprint. I just want to continue this up and we'll see what happens going into St. Andrews.”
Ace Alert! For the average eighteen year-old, a new car is simply a dream, with many teenagers scrimping and saving for years to purchase a set of wheels but for Lexi Thompson, all it took was a 6-iron and a little bit of luck.
“That was amazing. I can't describe the feeling in words. I hit just a little backed off 6‑iron and it just kept on rolling, rolling, and just disappeared. So I dropped my club and I just went crazy,” Thompson said. “It's the best feeling just to hear the crowd cheering. I went up the line just high‑fiving everybody. It was awesome.”
Thompson’s hole-in-one was the second of the tournament, with the first coming from Katherine Hull-Kirk in the second round on Friday.
Both golfers will win brand new 2014 Kia Cadenzas. Today’s ace was the fourth of Thompson’s career but her first in official competition.
Lexi almost won a car already in her career, when she hit a hole-in-one in Taiwan, only to fall short of winning the brand new Audi R8 Spyder because she made the shot in a pro-am instead of the tournament.
“I have bad luck with cars,” Thompson said.
Last push for Solheim Cup points: Six American players ranked within the top nine spots in the U.S. Solheim Cup Team points standings earned valuable points this week in Toledo by finishing in the top-20 at the Marathon Classic.
It will be a very tight battle for players vying for a coveted spot on the U.S. Team with just one event remaining for a chance to earn points. Just 77 points separate five players in spots Nos. 8-13. The RICOH Women’s British Open next month will be the final event where points are awarded and points earned will be doubled because of its major championship status.
| Player | Finish | Points Earned | Rank (Total Points) |
| Paula Creamer | 2nd | 30 | 2nd (526.50) |
| Lexi Thompson | T3 | 28.5 | 6th (261) |
| Angela Stanford | T5 | 25.5 | 4th (406.5) |
| Stacy Lewis | T7 | 22.5 | 1st (857) |
| Jennifer Johnson | T7 | 22.5 | 9th (185) |
| Brittany Lang | T20 | 15 | 8th (241) |
UPDATED U.S. SOLHEIM CUP TEAM RANKINGS
| 1 | Stacy Lewis | 857 |
| 2 | Paula Creamer | 526.5 |
| 3 | Cristie Kerr | 484.5 |
| 4 | Angela Stanford | 406.5 |
| 5 | Brittany Lincicome | 269 |
| 6 | Lexi Thompson | 261 |
| 7 | Jessica Korda | 247.5 |
| 8 | Brittany Lang | 241 |
| 9 | Jennifer Johnson | 185 |
| 10 | Gerina Piller | 174 |
| Lizette Salas | 174 | |
| 12 | Morgan Pressel | 164.5 |
| 13 | Michelle Wie | 160.5 |
| 14 | Katie Futcher | 116.5 |
| 15 | Nicole Castrale | 104 |
Belly Up! Belly putters haven’t been banned from the LPGA Tour yet. Golfers are allowed to use the anchored putters until 2016 but Jodi Ewart Shadoff’s belly putter won’t be coming out of storage any time soon.
“It's going to be in the garage when I get home forever, I hope,” Ewart Shadoff said.
She made the switch to a tradition putter only on Tuesday after struggling for months with the belly putter, which had originally helped her game.
“First year I saw it was pretty good for me and helped my confidence a lot,” Ewart Shadoff said. “But the last maybe six or seven months it's kind of been not ruining my stroke, it's not been consistent. It makes you take it pretty inside and push it out.”
She had planned to wait until the end of the season to switch but became to frustrated and followed her gut.
“I was going to wait until this off‑season, but it became so frustrating least week. I finished at 9‑under last week,” Ewart Shadoff said. “Obviously the scores were so low. I gave myself so many opportunities, and it was just really frustrating. I just couldn't take it any longer.”
The decision to switch mid-season wasn’t an easy one, and caused nerves going into this week’s tournament in Sylvania.
“I was nervous switching. I kind of made it out to be more of a big deal than it should have really been. It wasn't a big deal for me. It was just the short putts that I was kind of worried about,” Ewart Shadoff said. “But it's been good. Now my tempo is good. Finally getting my putter on plane.”
Ewart Shadoff hopes her new putter and new confidence will take her far the rest of the year, and maybe onto the European Solheim Cup Team in two weeks.
“I'm playing well right now. Anything can happen,” Ewart Shadoff said. “I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, and hopefully I'll be in Colorado in a couple weeks.”
Lewis finishes strong in front of her ‘Crew:’ With her local crowd behind her and the “Lew Crew” out in full force, hometown hero Stacy Lewis put together a strong final round to finish the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning & O-I on a high note.
“I don't know where it came from. I worked on my putting for couple hours yesterday, and I guess I found something that made it click,” Lewis said. “I was glad to give the Lou Crew something to cheer about and go out on a high note.”
Lewis, who sits in the second spot in the Rolex Rankings under Inbee Park, shot an impressive 7-under 64 in the final round and put on quite a show for the crowd that consisted of many of her family and friends.
“I think they've seen me play that way on TV before but never in person, so it was nice to give them something to cheer about,” Lewis said. “They've been great. They followed me all four days. They struggled in the heat and struggled when I was making bogeys. So I was just glad to be able to make a few today.”
Her strong finish also gives her some much-needed momentum heading into the third major of the year, the RICOH Women’s British Open. Lewis will look to break her drought and get her first major win since her first at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011.
“I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've had some rounds where my putter is going in the right direction. So I definitely feel like it's moving in the right direction,” Lewis said. “I just need to get a little bit more consistent.”
Lewis finished the tournament at 9-under, good enough for tie for seventh, and narrowly missed a chance to bring it to 10-under on the 18th hole when she narrowly missed her birdie putt.
“It kind of bounced off the face a little bit and hit a mark on the green. It was a tricky putt. It could have gone either way,” Lewis said. “I was just glad to have a putt to go to 10‑under. I think at the beginning of the day I would have loved that.”
Overall, the tournament was a success for Lewis, her family and Marathon, and she couldn’t have found a better way to finish it.
“It's been a great. It's busy for me, but it's a lot of fun to get back and see my family,” Lewis said. “And just to play the way I did today, it was awesome to go out on a high note.”
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