FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
Three weeks remain until the 2013 Solheim Cup but the
leaderboard on Friday at the Marathon Classic had a decidedly European-American feel.
Spaniard
Beatriz Recari and Americans Paula Creamer and Alison Walshe are tied
for the second-round lead at 8-under-par after shooting rounds of 65, 68
and 69 respectively in Friday’s second round at Highland Meadows Golf
Club in Sylvania, Ohio.
Temperatures soared into the 90s for a second straight day in
northwest Ohio but the heat didn’t feel nearly as oppressive during
Friday’s second round thanks to winds that gusted up to 25 mph
throughout the day. The wind also made for slightly more difficult
scoring conditions, although that didn’t appear to bother Recari.
Recari’s 6-under 65 was the low round of the day and tied for the low
round of the week. There were a few ups and downs for the 26-year-old
in her round as she tallied six birdies, two bogeys and one eagle en
route to taking a share of the second-round lead. But overall she seemed
quite pleased with the results.
“My round was really, really good,” Recari said. “I started with a
good par save on the 1st hole where I laid up. I was on the left in the
rough and I had a tree blocking it, and I laid up short and good
approach shots, and then a 15‑footer for par. So that was good mojo and
good way to start with a positive feeling.”
Creamer followed up her impressive opening-round 66 with a 3-under 68
on Friday. While she wasn’t able to record quite as many birdies in
Friday’s second round, Creamer was pleased with how she performed in
what she described as a “different golf course.”
“It played a little bit harder out there today,” Creamer said. “You
know, the breeze definitely was picking up. I know in the morning it
was pretty dead yesterday. A little bit of breeze in the afternoon. But
it was a different golf course today. It was getting a little bit
firmer and some of the pin placements were a little tougher than they
were yesterday, so a little bit harder to get close to the hole.”
(Galway-born) Walshe, who was the first-round leader at 6-under-par, delivered her
second straight round in the 60s. She finished up late in the afternoon
when most of the second wave of players battled the worst of the windy
conditions. The Westford, Mass. native sank a six-foot birdie putt on
the 18th hole to grab a share of the lead at 8-under par.
“It was obviously a nice way to finish,” said Walshe. “Any birdie,
I'll take it. It's good. To do it on the last hole was nice to have a
little momentum overnight and going into tomorrow. At the same time,
ties me with the lead, so it was kind of important.”
The fourth-year LPGA Tour member is playing for her first-career
victory but says she won’t get ahead of herself just yet. Walshe will
try to keep the images of hoisting her first LPGA Tour trophy out of her
mind until the end on Sunday.
“It's definitely another day away,” said Walshe. “(Right now) I'm thinking about
what I'm going to eat. On Sunday, if
I'm in that position coming down the last through holes I'll think about
it. I'm not going to think about it yet.”
Walshe also won’t be thinking about any Solheim Cup contention this
week. While her co-leaders Creamer and Recari are expected to be on
their respective teams for next month’s Solheim Cup, Walshe will have to
wait at least two years until she’ll have an opportunity to earn the
honour of wearing the red, white and blue at the event. Walshe was born
in Ireland and moved to the U.S. when she was three. Under the current
rules that disqualifies her from being eligible for the U.S. Solheim Cup
Team but the rules are changing for the 2015 event.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Being born in Ireland did not stop the USA picking her to play for them in the 2008 Curtis Cup match at St Andrews!
Six American players who are currently ranked in the top-12 in U.S.
Solheim Cup Team points are in good position to earn points this week
with only two chances left on the schedule. U.S. Solheim Cup Team
Captain Meg Mallon arrived onsite at Highland Meadows on Friday to
continue her scouting for her two captain’s picks.
During Saturday’s “Moving Day” all eyes will likely be on Rolex
Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park. After coming up short in her bid to record a
fourth straight LPGA victory last week at the Manulife Financial LPGA
Classic in Canada, Park has once again put herself in great position to
capture win No. 7 of the season.
Park fired a 2-under 69 on Friday and
sits in a tie for fifth place at 6-under-par with 2013 LPGA Tour rookie
Chie Arimura and No. 1 ranked amateur Lydia Ko.
Defending champion So Yeon Ryu has also kept herself in contention to
deliver a second straight victory in Toledo. Rounds of 68 and 69 have
put Ryu in a tie for eighth at 5-under-par with Lexi Thompson and Jodi
Ewart Shadoff.
Iron woman takes a breather:
Beatriz Recari earned
the nickname “Iron Woman” out on the LPGA Tour due to the fact that it
seemed Recari never took a week off. Recari played in all 27 events last
season and she kept that streak alive through the first 10 events of
this season before taking a week off during the Pure Silk Bahamas event
in May.
And last week Recari decided not to play in the Manulife Financial
LPGA Classic in order to give herself some rest. And after shooting
69-65, which put her in a tie for the second-round lead at this week’s
Marathon Classic, it appears that the
rest has only helped the 26-year-old Spaniard.
“I took time off because I wasn't feeling 100%,” Recari
said. “It was something that had bothered me for more than a month, so I
decided to take the time necessary.
“I always said it was a joke with Iron Woman. I am not going to play
every week if I don't feel like I can perform at my best. I didn't feel
like I could, so I decided to take a week off. It was hard for me, but
I took some days off to recover physically.
"I did, and I'm feeling
match better. I made sure the days leading into this week that I
practised really well and with quality, and I'm feeling good.”
Recari saw another streak come to an end at her last event, the U.S.
Women’s Open. Recari had not missed a cut for 46 consecutive events
prior to shooting 81-71 at Sebonack Golf Club last month to miss the cut
by two shots.
But Recari isn’t going to dwell on the fact that she wasn’t able to keep the streak going.
“I would have loved to keep continuing and it was a disappointment
not to make it,” Recari said. “I played good round on Friday, just not
the first round. But I have had some time to reflect, and I am actually
pleased that it happened because it was a good lesson that I had to
learn.
“I took some positives out of it and I decided that it's no
pressure. If I have to start from zero again, I will start from zero. I
always go out there and do my best, regardless of the result.”
While memories of 60 danced in her head…Paula
Creamer knows that she’s capable of shooting a low round at Highland
Meadows Golf Club. All she has to do is look back at her career-low 60
she shot in the first round here in Toledo in 2008 for a reminder of
that.
And after shooting a 68 on Friday to sit in a tie for the
second-round lead at 8-under-par with Beatriz Recari, Creamer admitted
that she does draw upon the success she’s had at this golf course each
and every time that she plays it.
“That was an awesome round,” Creamer said of her 60. “I think
yesterday I had a ton of opportunities to go low; today I did as well.
Obviously a little bit different, but a 60 anywhere is a good
score.
“Do I feel like I can do it again? Sure. Why not? It was fun doing it.”
Creamer’s past experience on this golf course also helped on a day
like Friday when the breeze picked up and conditions weren’t quite as
ideal for scoring as they were in Thursday’s first round. Having played
this course numerous times, the 26-year-old Creamer said that she’s
learned how to manage the various conditions.
“You know when to step on the gas and when not to,” Creamer said.
“When you get a rhythm going on out here it kind of takes care of
itself. Experience in any case takes care of the issues that you have
out there. Just being confident. I have so much confidence out here,
and the fans have been so great over the years. I kind of feel like I
have a little extra bonus with them in my back pocket.”
Surprise! Inbee in the mix: After failing to win her
fourth-consecutive LPGA Tour event last week at the Manulife Financial
LPGA Classic, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park wanted to regroup with a
certain part of her game that always seems to be her strength: her
putting.
Park said last week she had a tough time with the green speeds
in Waterloo, Ontario, but she’s feeling back to her old self at
Highland Meadows.
“I didn't have a really good start,” said Park. “I started with bogey
today, but I really played well rest of the day. I'm putting really
good this week. My putting has gotten a lot better than last week, so
that's really a good positive to take on.”
Park shot rounds of 67-69 the first two days of the Marathon Classic
this week and is currently two shots off the lead at 6-under par.
“Still working a little bit on my swing,” said Park. “I guess I see
progress a little bit, so on the weekend hopefully I hit it a little bit
better. I mean, it was a tough day. Just grinded for pars. The last
two birdies felt like heaven. Felt really good.”
Park already has six wins this season and is no stranger to finding
herself near the top of the leaderboard with a couple rounds remaining.
And this week, like many others, she’s in great position to make another
run at lucky No. 7.
Only two times this year has Park won after holding the second-round
lead. In the majority of her victories this season, she has come from
behind and used the weekend to seal the deal.
PART OF INTERVIEW WITH US SOLHEIM CUP CAPTAIN MEG MALLON
Q. Talk about what it's going to be like to make your picks on the green at St. Andrews (at the Ricoh Women's British Open)
MEG MALLON: Yeah, I think my perfect scenario would be is if Inbee Park
is in the lead going into Sunday and then an American player wins the
British Open on Sunday so all the media is there. Then we announce the
Solheim Cup team and go right into the Solheim Cup. I think that would
be my ideal scenario.
Yeah, how thrilling to be in the home of golf and have the
women's greatest stage for the British Open, and then two hours after the
last putt drops we select our teams. It's going to be great. I hope.
(Laughter.)
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71) Players from US unless stated
134 Beatriz Recari (Spain) 69 65, Paula Creamer 66 68, Alison Walshe 65 69
135 Jacqui Concolin 67 68
136 Chie Arimura (Japan) 69 67, Lydia Ko (NZ) (amateur) 69 67, Inbee Park (South Koea) 67 69
137 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 69 68, Su Yeon Rhy (South Korea) 68 69, Lexi Thompson 66 71
SELECTED OTHER SCORES
142 Becky Morgan (Wales) 71 71 (T40)
144 Laura Davies (England) 72 72 (T65)
MISSED THE CUT (144 and better qualified)
149 Karen Stupples (England) 71 78
151 Felicity Johnson (England) 76 75
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
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152 Janice Moodie (Scotland) 75 77