Paula Creamer, Beatriz Recari and Alison Walshie are tied for the lead at the Marathon Classic at eight-under par. Creamer shot a second round 68 and Recari posted a 65, the low round of the day. First round leader, Walshie shot 69 on a hot and steamy Highland Meadows Golf Course.
Paula Creamer has not won an LPGA event since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open and is looking to get back to the winner’s circle. She had three birdies on the front nine and was even on the back side.
Known as the “Pink Panther,” Creamer is one of the most popular players on the LPGA Tour. She has nine career tour wins and has earned over $10 million.
Since her win at the U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont, she has battled injuries and is beginning to regain her form.
Recari was as hot as the weather. She made three birdies and turned the front nine in 31. Her back nine included two bogeys, three birdies and an eagle at the par-4 No. 15.
Recari collected her second LPGA Tour win earlier this year at the Kia Classic in a playoff over I.K. Kim.
Alison Walshie led the first round of the Marathon Classic shooting a six-under par 65. She followed up with a two-under par 69 in Friday’s second round.
Walshie joined the LPGA Tour in 2010. She has had two top-10 finishes in her career and none in 2013. Her best finish this year was a T-17 at Kingsmill. She missed the cut at the Sebonack in the U.S. Women’s Open and was T-41 at the Manulife Classic last week.
Lexi Thompson, who was in the second spot after her fine 66 on Thursday, posted an even-par 71 on Friday and fell to T-7.
Defending champion, So Yeon Ryu has shot 68-69 and is five-under par for the tournament, just three shots behind the leaders.
Teenager Lydia Ko from New Zealand is the No. 1 ranked woman amateur and is No. 17 on the Rolex Rankings even though she has played a limited number of professional events.
Ko won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year and also finished inside the Top-25 in the Kraft Nabisco, the LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open. She also won an LPGA Tour event, the 2013 Canadian Women’s Open, while only 15-years-old.
She has shot two rounds of 69-67 at the Marathon Classic and at six-under par is only two shots off the lead heading into the weekend.
World No. 1, Inbee Park has put herself in contention again, with two rounds of 67-69. At six-under par for the tournament, she is only two shots behind the leaders and in a perfect position to win her seventh event of the year.
She has won the first three major tournaments this year and will try to make history in two weeks at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Bobby Jones is the only player to ever win four major championships in a single calendar year.
If Park could win the Women’s British Open, she would be the first professional golfer, man or woman, to win four major championships in one season.
The Marathon Classic has some great names at the top of the leaderboard and is shaping up to be a sprint to the finish.