SCOT PRODUCES BIRDIES WHEN SHE NEEDED THEM
CATRIONA BEATS KIA CLASSIC CUT ON
THE LIMIT MARK BUT LAURA FAILS
Battling Catriona Matthew was rewarded by beating the halfway cut in the Kia Classic at Carlsbad, California.
After a first-round 74, the Scot was on the tightrope in the second round and, starting at the 10th, she looked in deep trouble when she had a double bogey 5 at the short 11th to drop to four over par for the tournament.
But the North Berwick player came back strongly with birdies at the 13th, 16th and long 17th to get
back on course to beat the cut.
She finished with a 72 for 146, the limit mark for the qualifiers. She starts the third round in joint 64th place.
Laura Davies is out. She had scores of 77 and 75 for 152 and a share of 118th place.
Nor will the defending champion, Beatriz Recari from Spain. She shot 71-76 for three-over 147
FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) --- Dori Carter, pictured above, might have got a bit
ahead of herself late in the second round of the Kia Classic. She still
left everyone else behind Friday.
After birdieing six of the first seven holes on the back nine, Carter bogeyed the final two holes for an 8-under 64. The round was her lowest in competition and broke the Aviara course record.
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the former University of Mississippi player had 11 birdies and three bogeys. At 10-under 134, she has a two-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr.
"No matter what happens this weekend, I can't believe I'm here," Carter said. "This is my first time. I mean, this is an experience for me. It's kind of like I can't lose. ... I have no reason to be uptight or anything because this is my first time. I'm OK with that. I'm OK with feeling like no matter what happens."
She didn't fret about the closing bogeys.
"I'm not even going to sweat that the rest of the day," Carter said. "I'm just so happy right now just to be here in this spot. ... My putting's always been my issue. Today, obviously, putting was fine. So, that's a big confidence boost for me."
She tied for 68th in the season-opening event in the Bahamas and tied for 28th in the Women's Australian Open, then played three Symetra Tour events.
Last week, she failed to Monday qualify for the Phoenix event, flew to Florida for the Symetra Tour event, then made another cross-country trip to California.
"That's my life," Carter said."
Carter made a 35-foot putt on the par-3 third hole for her first birdie, holed a couple of 20-footers, hit close on some holes and holed out from the fringe on the par-4 15th.
"Kind of a fluke," Carter said about her birdie on 15. "The pin was sitting on this little knob on the front left of the green and I hit it in the rough and I had to kind of roll it up to the front. I got my putter, my caddie and I just said, `Why don't you just putt it.' I was probably like 10 yards short of the green and rolled it all the way in. It bent in the hole. ... That was like, `I can't believe this.'"
Lewis shot 66, and Kerr had a 68.
The third-ranked Lewis had seven birdies and a bogey. She tied for second last week in Phoenix, her fifth runner-up finish since winning the Women's British Open last year at St Andrews.
"It was just a really solid day," Lewis said. "Again, hit the ball really good like I did yesterday and, just the greens were so much better this morning. I mean it was a couple of shots difference, I think, playing in the morning versus the afternoon. Just played a little bit smarter, got on the right side of holes and just hit a lot of good shots."
She noticed Carter's low round.
"I was surprised actually to see the number she shot," Lewis said. "It's very impressive. You know, it's a hard golf course. You can make a double pretty quick."
Kerr holed out for eagle on the par-4 first - her 10th hole of the round -- and had three birdies and a bogey.
"Couldn't see it go in, unfortunately, but it was a great 7-iron, perfect club," Kerr said. "I just said, `Get close,' and it went in."
She won the Kingsmill Championship last year for her 16th LPGA Tour title.
Former Southern California player Lizette Salas was 7 under after a 68.
"I have my fans out here this week," Salas said. "I've been just so blessed to have the support from my family and my community. I'm just out here having fun."
Karrie Webb, coming off a victory Sunday in Phoenix in the JTBC Founders Cup, rebounded from an opening 75 with a 68 to move into a tie for 26th at 1 under. The 39-year-old Hall of Famer also won the Women's Australian Open last month.
Kia endorser Michelle Wie also was 1 under after a 71.
DIVOTS: Spain's Beatriz Recari, a playoff winner last year, missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 71 and 76. ... Yani Tseng is tied for 22nd at 2 under after her second straight 71. She won the 2012 tournament for the last of her 15 tour titles and has dropped from first to 46th in the world in a year.
After birdieing six of the first seven holes on the back nine, Carter bogeyed the final two holes for an 8-under 64. The round was her lowest in competition and broke the Aviara course record.
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the former University of Mississippi player had 11 birdies and three bogeys. At 10-under 134, she has a two-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr.
"No matter what happens this weekend, I can't believe I'm here," Carter said. "This is my first time. I mean, this is an experience for me. It's kind of like I can't lose. ... I have no reason to be uptight or anything because this is my first time. I'm OK with that. I'm OK with feeling like no matter what happens."
She didn't fret about the closing bogeys.
"I'm not even going to sweat that the rest of the day," Carter said. "I'm just so happy right now just to be here in this spot. ... My putting's always been my issue. Today, obviously, putting was fine. So, that's a big confidence boost for me."
She tied for 68th in the season-opening event in the Bahamas and tied for 28th in the Women's Australian Open, then played three Symetra Tour events.
Last week, she failed to Monday qualify for the Phoenix event, flew to Florida for the Symetra Tour event, then made another cross-country trip to California.
"That's my life," Carter said."
Carter made a 35-foot putt on the par-3 third hole for her first birdie, holed a couple of 20-footers, hit close on some holes and holed out from the fringe on the par-4 15th.
"Kind of a fluke," Carter said about her birdie on 15. "The pin was sitting on this little knob on the front left of the green and I hit it in the rough and I had to kind of roll it up to the front. I got my putter, my caddie and I just said, `Why don't you just putt it.' I was probably like 10 yards short of the green and rolled it all the way in. It bent in the hole. ... That was like, `I can't believe this.'"
Lewis shot 66, and Kerr had a 68.
The third-ranked Lewis had seven birdies and a bogey. She tied for second last week in Phoenix, her fifth runner-up finish since winning the Women's British Open last year at St Andrews.
"It was just a really solid day," Lewis said. "Again, hit the ball really good like I did yesterday and, just the greens were so much better this morning. I mean it was a couple of shots difference, I think, playing in the morning versus the afternoon. Just played a little bit smarter, got on the right side of holes and just hit a lot of good shots."
She noticed Carter's low round.
"I was surprised actually to see the number she shot," Lewis said. "It's very impressive. You know, it's a hard golf course. You can make a double pretty quick."
Kerr holed out for eagle on the par-4 first - her 10th hole of the round -- and had three birdies and a bogey.
"Couldn't see it go in, unfortunately, but it was a great 7-iron, perfect club," Kerr said. "I just said, `Get close,' and it went in."
She won the Kingsmill Championship last year for her 16th LPGA Tour title.
Former Southern California player Lizette Salas was 7 under after a 68.
"I have my fans out here this week," Salas said. "I've been just so blessed to have the support from my family and my community. I'm just out here having fun."
Karrie Webb, coming off a victory Sunday in Phoenix in the JTBC Founders Cup, rebounded from an opening 75 with a 68 to move into a tie for 26th at 1 under. The 39-year-old Hall of Famer also won the Women's Australian Open last month.
Kia endorser Michelle Wie also was 1 under after a 71.
DIVOTS: Spain's Beatriz Recari, a playoff winner last year, missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 71 and 76. ... Yani Tseng is tied for 22nd at 2 under after her second straight 71. She won the 2012 tournament for the last of her 15 tour titles and has dropped from first to 46th in the world in a year.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Players from USA unless stated
134 Dori Carter 70 64
136 Stacy Lewis 70 66, Cristie Kerr 68 68.
137 Lizette Salas 69 68
138 Tiffany Joh 69 69, Mariajo Uribe (Colombia) 67 71
SELECTED SCORES
139 Paula Creamer 67 72, Lexi Thompson 69 70 (T7)
1141 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 75 68, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 69 72 (T15)
142 Lydia Ko (NZ) 74 68 (T22)
143 Karrie Webb (Australia) 75 68, Carlota Ciganda (Spain) 73 70, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 68 75, Michelle Wie 70 73 (T26)
144 Becky Morgan (Wales) 70 74 (T37)
146 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 74 72 (T64)
MISSED THE CUT (146 and better qualified)
147 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 71 76
152 Laura Davies (England) 77 75.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: LPGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 10:50:00 pm
<< Home