Recari leads LPGA's Kia Classic after second round

Recari leads LPGA's Kia Classic after second round










Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange March 22, 2013 10:40 PMThe SportsXchange



CARLSBAD -- Spain's Beatriz Recari shot a five-under-par 67 to take the lead of the Kia Classic after two rounds at Aviara Golf Club on Friday.

Recari held a one-stroke advantage over Paula Creamerand Karrie Webb heading in Saturday's third round. Recari, who opened the tournament with a 69, said her play from Thursday carried over into the second round.

"I had great momentum from (Thursday)," said Recari, ranked No. 6 in the world. "I felt like I left some putts out there. It was kind of shaky to putt on the greens yesterday, so today I started with a good opportunity, birdie opportunity on 2 and 3 that just lipped out.

"I was just patient out there and managed to make birdie on 5 and 6 and that kind of got me a little bit more positive and just kind of keeping that momentum going."

Recari registered five birdies overall, three on the front nine, in her bogey-free round. Recari, whose lone Tour victory was the 2010 CVS Pharmacy Challenge, has come close to winning this season. She finished tied for fourth at the ISPS Honda Women's Australian Open and tied for third at the Honda Thailand in February.

At the last two Tour stops, the HSBC Women's Champions and the RR Donnelley Founders Cup, Recari tied for 24th and 35th respectively.

First-round leader Jane Park fell two shots off the lead, finishing the second round at even par with a 72 for a fourth-place tie with Cristie Kerr, Haeji Kang and Inbee Park.

Caroline Hedwall and Lizette Salas were tied at ninth, three shots back.

Stacy Lewis, the world's No. 1 player, who is seeking her third consecutive Tour victory, was among four players who were four shots behind the leader.

NOTES: After double-bogeying the 13th hole, South Korea's Jin Young Pak nailed a hole-in-one on 14 Friday. Pak, who finished the second round with a three-over 75, won a new Kia for the hole-in-one. ... Michelle Wie missed the cut again after recording a 74 for the second day in a row. She bogeyed four holes during the second round. She had two double-bogeys and a bogey in the opening round. Wie also missed the cut at last week's RR Donnelley Founders Cup in Phoenix. ... South Korea's Jiyai Shin, the No. 3 player in the world, who made all of her cuts last season, also was among the players failing to finish above the cut line.

Consistency key for leader Recari at Kia Classic

Consistency key for leader Recari at Kia Classic










Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange March 22, 2013 11:10 PMThe SportsXchange



CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Consistency is a constant with Beatriz Recari. It's one reason she sits atop of the leaderboard of the Kia Classic.

Recari fired a five-under par 67 for a one-stroke lead overPaula Creamer and Karrie Webb after the second round Friday at the Aviara Golf Club.

"Well definitely the consistency gave me a lot of confidence because that definitely showed me that I was on the right track and doing the right things," said Recari, who didn't miss a cut in 27 events last season. "Just in the winter, I just focused on maybe raising the bar in my short game. I felt that maybe my short game wasn't at the level that I wanted to have last year.

"I took a lot of positives from last year. I didn't win, which is something that I'm definitely looking forward to doing this year."

Recari, whose lone tour victory was the 2010 CVS Pharmacy Challenge, has come close to winning this season. She finished tied for fourth at the ISPS Honda Women's Australian Open and tied for third at the Honda Thailand in February.

At the last two tour stops, the HSBC Women's Champions and the RR Donnelley Founders Cup, Recari tied for 24th and 35th, respectively.

"I would love to win every event, but there's a lot of really good competitors and players out there and it's hard," Recari said. "But to always be in the mix is the important thing."

Recari, who opened the tournament with a 69, said her play from Thursday carried over into the second round. She registered five birdies, three on the front nine, in her bogey-free round Friday.

"I had great momentum from (Thursday)," said Recari, ranked No. 6 in the world. "I felt like I left some putts out there. It was kind of shaky to putt on the greens yesterday, so today I started with a good opportunity, birdie opportunity on two and three that just lipped out.

"I was just patient out there and managed to make birdie on five and six and that kind of got me a little bit more positive and just kind of keeping that momentum going."

Momentum also carried Paula Creamer into the mix in the second round. She followed up her opening-round score of 68 by shooting a 69 on Friday. She had six birdies and a pair of bogeys.

"Yesterday, I didn't hit as solid as I wanted," Creamer said. "I hit some balls afterward, kind of found a couple of things, and today made some birdies but had two bogeys still.

"I'm ready for the weekend. Hopefully, I can go out and keep doing what I'm doing and stay in my own world and see what happens on Sunday."

Karrie Webb also was pleased with her play.

"It sort of came together," she said. "Put some hard work in at the beginning of the week because I wasn't super happy with the way I've been hitting it and watching video and emailing the video and lessons over the phone. Just keep doing what I'm doing, hitting fairways and greens, I think, and then just being patient on the greens."

First-round leader Jane Park fell two shots off the lead, finishing the second round at even par with a 72 for a fourth-place tie with Cristie Kerr, Haeji Kang and Inbee Park.

Caroline Hedwall and Lizette Salas were three shots back, tied at ninth.

Stacy Lewis, the world's No. 1 player, who is seeking her third consecutive tour victory, was among four players four shots behind the leader.

NOTES: After double-bogeying the 13th hole, South Korea's Jin Young Pak nailed a hole-in-one on 14 Friday. Pak, who finished the second round with a three-over 75, won a new Kia Cadenza for her gem. ... Michelle Wie missed the cut again after recording a 74 for the second day in a row. She bogeyed four holes during the second round. She had two double-bogeys and a bogey in the opening round. Wie also missed the cut at last week's RR Donnelley Founders Cup in Phoenix. In 23 events last season, she missed the cut 13 times. ... South Korea's Jiyai Shin, the No. 3 player in the world, who made all of her cuts last season, also was among the players failing to finish above the cut line Friday.

Recari leads LPGA Kia Classic by two shots

Recari leads LPGA Kia Classic by two shots










Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange March 23, 2013 10:21 PMThe SportsXchange



CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Spain's Beatriz Recari remained atop of the leaderboard at the LPGA Kia Classic at Aviara Golf Club on Saturday.

Recari, who had a one-shot lead heading into the round, shot a bogey-free three-under par 69 to take a two-stroke lead over Australian Karrie Webb heading into Sunday's finale.

An eagle at the 16th hole boosted Recari, who is seeking her first tournament title since winning the CVS Pharmacy Challenge in 2010 as a rookie. She hit a drive on the 285-yard hole that landed about four feet short of the cup before hitting a putt to briefly tie Webb, who led at the time.

"Well, we were waiting on the tee and I hit that tee shot in the practice round, actually in the pro-am, and you just had to kind of play it safe," Recari said. "And if you get a good bounce, you knew that it was going to bounce left.

"If you got a good bounce on the green, great, even though just to make sure that I'm on the right side and I have enough green to work with. But I hit a very good tee shot and I had a good bounce as well so I had like a (four-footer) for eagle and I made it."

Recari has completed three rounds at the tournament without a bogey.

"I had like two good saves today, but other than that I played really well, hitting the ball solid and just making sure that I position the ball in the right place," Recari said.

Webb led for much of the round before running into trouble on the back nine with bogeys on 13 and 17. She finished with a 70. Webb is seeking her first tournament win since capturing the RR Donnelly Founders Cup in 2011.

Paula Creamer and I.K. Kim of South Korea were tied for third, three shots back. Stacy Lewis, who had an eagle on No. 8, shot a 69 to finish tied at fifth four strokes off the lead with Lizette Salas and Cristie Kerr. Lewis, who is playing in her first tournament since becoming the No. 1 player, is shooting for a third consecutive title.

First-round leader Jane Park and Inbee Park both shot 72 and were tied for eighth, five strokes back.

Spain's Azahara Munoz had a strong start with four birdies on the front nine for a 32. However, Munoz bogeyed 12th and 18th holes to fall into a tie for 10th with Suzann Pettersen, Mo Martin and Na Yeon Choi. The four are six shots behind the leader.

Spaniard Recari maintains lead in LPGA Kia Classic

Spaniard Recari maintains lead in LPGA Kia Classic










Forrest Lee, The Sports Xchange March 23, 2013 11:40 PMThe SportsXchange



CARLSBAD, Calif.-- Beatriz Recari of Spain remained atop of the leaderboard at the LPGA's Kia Classic at Aviara Golf Club on Saturday.

Recari, who had a one-shot lead heading into the third round, shot a bogey-free, 3-under-par 69 to take a two-stroke lead over Australian Karrie Webb heading into Sunday's finale.

An eagle on No. 16 boosted Recari, who is seeking her first tournament title since winning the CVS Pharmacy Challenge in 2010 as a rookie. She hit a drive on the 285-yard hole that landed about 4 feet short of the cup before hitting a putt to briefly tie Webb.

"Well, we were waiting on the tee and I hit that tee shot in the practice round, actually in the pro-am, and you just had to kind of play it safe," Recari said. "And if you get a good bounce, you knew that it was going to bounce left.

"If you got a good bounce on the green, great, even though just to make sure that I'm on the right side and I have enough green to work with. But I hit a very good tee shot and I had a good bounce as well, so I had like a (4-footer) for eagle and I made it."

Recari has completed three rounds at the tournament without a bogey.

"I had like two good saves today, but other than that I played really well, hitting the ball solid and just making sure that I position the ball in the right place," Recari said.

Webb led for much of the round before running into trouble on the back nine with bogeys on 13 and 17. She finished with a 70. Webb is seeking her first tournament win since capturing the RR Donnelly Founders Cup in 2011.

Paula Creamer and I.K. Kim of South Korea were tied for third, three shots back. Stacy Lewis, who had an eagle on No. 8, shot a 69 to finish tied at fifth, four strokes off the lead with Lizette Salas and Cristie Kerr. Lewis, who is playing in her first tournament since becoming the No. 1 player, is shooting for a third consecutive title.

First-round leader Jane Park and Inbee Park both shot 72 and were tied for eighth, five strokes back.

NOTES: Azahara Munoz of Spain had a strong start with four birdies on the front nine for a 32. However, Munoz bogeyed 12th and 18th holes to fall into a tie for 10th with Suzann Pettersen, Mo Martin and Na Yeon Choi. They are six shots behind the leader.

Tiger running out of time to catch Jack? Maybe not

Tiger running out of time to catch Jack? Maybe not











Dan Wetzel April 10, 2013 4:53 PMYahoo Sports







AUGUSTA, Ga. – Whenever Jack Nicklaus is asked about the possibility of Tiger Woods surpassing his record of 18 major championships, it's common for The Golden Bear to shoot the slightest bit of trash talk.

It always starts positive:

"I still expect him to break my record. I think he's just too talented, too driven and too focused on that …"

And then winds up with a cautionary barb:

"… Still, he's got to do it."

Or later when Nicklaus was told it's been nearly five years since Tiger last won a major – the 2008 U.S. Open:

"Really?" Nicklaus said. "A bit further away. I mean it's been awhile. He's going to have to figure it out."

Or when Nicklaus notes the importance of seizing every opportunity, such as this very weekend at the Masters:

"If he doesn't figure it out here, I think it will be a lot tougher for him."

All good and harmless stuff from a 73-year-old who has no other means of defense. None of this was new when Jack broke into routine this week at Augusta National.





View gallery.

Jack Nicklaus reacts to a birdie on the 17th hole at Augusta en route to major win No. 18 in 1986. (AP)It's what else Nicklaus said that, while garnering less attention, suggests that Tiger's window for winning majors – he's been sitting on 14 since that U.S. Open win in '08 – will remain open longer than once believed.



Nicklaus was discussing his last major title. It was his 1986 victory at Augusta. It came at the age of 46 and was his first major since the 1980 PGA Championship. Only Julius Boros (at 48 at the 1968 PGA Championship) won a major at an older age.

As such, 46 has been seen as an unofficial end game for Woods, a time when age will inevitably catch up to him. Since Woods is now 37, speculation is that he has precisely 10 years, or 40 majors, to win five more times. Then he'd be too old.

However, Nicklaus said one of the reasons he stopped winning in his 40s wasn't a deterioration of his skills, but a lack of drive and interest in preparation.

"I don't know whether my skills were all that diminished at 46," Nicklaus said. "I don't think your skills are really diminished. It's more my desire and desire to work hard and prepare. Because I said I'd prepare but I didn't prepare quite as hard as I normally would. So I never thought that, you know, I was deteriorated yet. I don't think I was quite old enough for the wheelchair yet.

"I mean, I was just playing a dozen tournaments a year. I was just going through the motions."

If that's the case, then the long-settled upon window for Woods to catch and surpass Nicklaus may be too small.

[Related: Tianlang Guan, 14, will be the youngest player in Master's history]

Tiger is, at the very least, the most talented golfer since Nicklaus. And if Nicklaus could maintain his skills at 46 without working hard, then why can't Tiger go even older?

Moreover, it is highly unlikely that Tiger will ever, ever lose his desire to win or his commitment to physical and mental preparation. While Nicklaus slept-walked through some chances, Tiger will attack every one of those 40 opportunities.

Extending the all-time major championship mark was not a priority for Nicklaus after 1980. He had 17 at the time; six more then Walter Hagen, who was second at the time but passed away in 1969. Third place was a tie at nine between Gary Player and Ben Hogan.

There was no true threat on the horizon – contemporary Tom Watson would finish with eight. And there was no way to imagine a force of nature such as Woods coming along to challenge the mark.

What Jack was suggesting – perhaps on purpose – is that if he wanted, he could've remained a high-level player on the tour deep into his 40s. Instead he was bored so he went into a semi-retirement.

"Well, I [could] always win," Nicklaus said. "But I didn't play very much. I don't know why I was playing. I really sort of finished my career, basically, in 1980, and … I just happened to like to play golf and I wanted to be part of it and a few other things.

"I was doing more golf course design and watching my kids play football, basketball or baseball or golf or whatever it may be. And I was frankly enjoying my life."

So maybe Tiger's career clock isn't ticking as loudly as some believe. The "some" includes Nicklaus.

"Obviously the older he gets and if he doesn't win, it makes my record move out further," Nicklaus said. "From this point he's got to win five majors, which is a pretty good career for most people." [Indeed, only 18 golfers have ever won that many; Phil Mickelson, for all his ability, has won four.]

Age is said to be a big factor here. Nicklaus went so far as to say Woods was 38. When he was corrected that Tiger was just 37, Jack smiled.

"[He's] in his 38th year."

Even Tiger seems to have embraced the idea that the age of 46 is a potential cut-off.

"It took Jack a while to get to 18, all the way until he was 46 years old," Woods said. "So there's plenty of opportunities for me."

Really, though, there may be not just even more opportunities than Tiger realizes, but a higher yield in the meantime. Nicklaus essentially wrote off years he could've padded his total.

While Tiger may decide he wants to cut back and also spend time watching his children grow up, it's far more likely he'll remain every bit as focused as he currently is.

He is a testament to preparation, both physical and mental. He remains committed to practice. And with the obvious goal that Nicklaus lacked – someone to pass on the all-time majors list – there is reason to continue on and on.

Yes the competition continues to improve and injuries always loom, but whether Jack realized it or not when he was telling stories here this week, he showed how the oft-established window of Woods could be improperly calculated.

And while a winning a major championship ASAP would be welcome for Tiger, it may not be as imperative as some believe to eventually break that record.

Masters change allows more winners in field

Masters change allows more winners in field











PGA.COM April 10, 2013 7:11 PM

.

View gallery
The changes to the criteria are to keep the field at Augusta National the smallest among all the majors, …


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The Masters found a way to keep its field small while bringing in more PGA Tour winners.

The PGA Tour is going to a wraparound schedule that starts in October, meaning the six events held in the fall will be part of the FedExCup season. Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne said Wednesday the winners of those fall events will qualify for the Masters.

The only tour events that don't include a Masters invitation are those held opposite majors or World Golf Championships -- the Puerto Rico Open in March, the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi and the Reno-Tahoe Open.

"All of us take great pride and pleasure in seeing a tournament winner beam with pride and excitement knowing that his victory had earned him an invitation to the Masters," Payne said.

To allow room for more winners, however, the Masters is making its first changes to the qualifications since 2007.

Only the top 12 and ties from the previous Masters will be eligible to return, down from the top 16 and ties. The top eight and ties from the U.S. Open used to be eligible for the Masters. That number will shrink to the top four and ties, same as the British Open and PGA Championship.

In the biggest change, the Masters will no longer include the top 30 from the PGA Tour money list.

The Masters since 2007 has invited the 30 players who reach the FedExCup finale at the Tour Championship, and that will remain.

Payne announced one other change effective this year -- the cut will increase from the top 44 to the top 50, including the 10-shot rule.

The changes to the criteria are to keep the field at Augusta National the smallest among the majors. There were 94 eligible players this year -- including Darren Clarke, who was forced to withdraw with a hamstring injury -- compared with 156 players at the other three majors.

The largest field in Masters history was 109 players in 1962, and the tournament has not had more than 100 players since 1966. There were 99 players in 2011.

"In recent years, our field of participating players has grown," Payne said. "As I've said repeatedly, we annually examine our invitation criteria in order to main Bobby Jones' desire to keep the Masters an intimate gathering of the world's best competitors and to afford all players a reasonable expectation of completion in the reduced hours of sunlight in early spring."

With a calendar schedule, the tour's FedExCup season ended at the Tour Championship in September and was followed by the "Fall Series." Those tournaments had the weakest fields of the year, comprised mainly of players who were trying to earn enough money to keep their cards.

Those tournaments will be the start of the new 2013-14 season in October -- the Frys.com Open in San Martin, Calif., Las Vegas, the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the McGladrey Classic in southeast Georgia and the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico.

Jonas Blixt (Frys.com Open), Tommy Gainey (McGladrey) and Charlie Beljan, who won the now-defunct tournament at Disney were not eligible for the Masters this year. Disney had only one player from among the top 50 in the world ranking.

The changes are a boost to the PGA Tour because all of its tournaments that offer full FedExCup points now are treated equally.

The Masters did not have a cut until 1957, and it started by taking the top 40 and ties. That increased in 1962 to the top 44 and ties and has not been changed until this year. The 10-shot rules means that everyone within 10 shots of the lead after two rounds makes the cut.

Always difficult, Augusta doesn't play favorites

Always difficult, Augusta doesn't play favorites











PGA.COM April 10, 2013 8:05 PM

.

View gallery
It has been 11 years since the No. 1 player in the world won the Masters.(Getty Images)


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The first tee shot clattered through a pair of pines on the left side of the 13th fairway, finally landing on the wrong side of Rae's Creek. Tiger Woods tried again, and this wasn't any better. Fans peered across the fairway and only heard the ball rifle through some bushes.

"He's hitting another one," a man announced from the gallery.

The third shot with a fairway metal caused them to retreat until it turned with a slight draw, clipping a pine branch and settling in the second cut of rough.

Woods played nine holes Wednesday morning in his final tuneup for the Masters, and how he played was of little consequence. Even so, that snapshot from the 13th tee was another reminder how quickly the best plans can fall apart, even for the No. 1 player on top of his game, especially at Augusta National.

Think back to Woods at his absolute best.

He won 10 times in 2000, including three majors, and finished no worse than fifth in 19 of his 22 tournaments worldwide. Going into the Masters, he either won or finished second in 10 of his previous 11 PGA Tour events. It felt as though everyone was playing for second at Augusta that year.

What happened?

Woods made a double bogey and a triple bogey in a span of three holes, shot 75 in the opening round and never caught up.

The hype over Woods is not that strong this year, though there is no doubt who is driving the conversation. Those who have played with him on the course or hit balls next to him on the range talked about how he never missed a shot. His putting has been pure since he got that tip from Steve Stricker last month at Doral. And it shows in the scores. Woods has won his last two tournaments, at Doral and Bay Hill, and neither was terribly close.

When the Masters begins Thursday, he is the odds-on favorite to end his five-year drought in the majors, and win a green jacket for the first time since 2005.

Trouble is, Augusta National doesn't play favorites.

"Obviously, Tiger is Tiger," said Scott Piercy, who will play alongside Woods and Luke Donald in the opening two rounds. "He's always going to be that target. He knows it, and that's how he wants it. But there's a lot of people getting closer. And the golfing gods, or whatever you want to call them, have a lot to do with winning. A bounce here, a bounce there. A lip in, a lip out."

Angel Cabrera got one of those bounces off a pine tree and back into the 18th fairway in 2009 that helped him save par and win a playoff on the next hole. Sure, he was a former U.S. Open champion, but the big Argentine was No. 69 in the world that year, the lowest-ranked player to ever win the Masters.

The hole got in the way twice for Charl Schwartzel in 2011, once on a chip across the first green that fell for birdie, another a shot from the third fairway that dropped for eagle. He finished with four straight birdies to win.

It has been 11 years since the No. 1 player in the world -- Woods -- won the Masters.

There is always the usual assortment of players who seem to contend every year for a green jacket. Phil Mickelson is a three-time Masters champion, his most recent in 2010 when he arrived at Augusta National without having come close to winning that year. Fred Couples was tied for the 36-hole lead last year at age 52. Rory McIlroy has shown he can play the course, at least on the weekdays. Lee Westwood has been among the top three twice since 2010.

But for every Woods there is Zach Johnson. For every Mickelson there is Trevor Immelman.

Johnson was just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who would not seem to fit the profile of a Masters champion. He wasn't very long, didn't hit the ball very high and didn't go for the green in two on any of the par 5s. He won by two shots in 2007.

"I thought I was playing good that week," Johnson said.

"I might have been the only one who realized it. Johnson put the estimate at "0.5 percent" of those who could have pictured him in a green jacket. Then again, it's like that just about everywhere he goes.

"The favorite is all media-driven, all public-driven," Johnson said. "There are no surprises out there. There's probably 70 or 80 guys that you would not be surprised one bit if any of them won."

Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo didn't name them all, but his list kept growing when he talked about 20 players who could win the Masters, all from what he referred to as the second tier and described as "pretty darn good."

Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald. Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas. Louis Oosthuizen and Schwartzel.

"Yes, Tiger is the favorite," Faldo said. "He's strong. He's determined. We will see. But he's going to be chased by a lot of really good players."

Robert Garrigus considered the last few weeks on the PGA Tour to illustrate how fickle this game can be. Martin Laird had missed the cut in half his tournaments and had yet to crack the top 30 when he closed with a 63 to win the Valero Texas Open. D.A. Points had missed seven cuts in nine tournaments and had not finished in the top 60 when he won the Shell Houston Open.

"I saw the odds on Tiger last night and I thought, `Man, you just never know what's going to happen,'" Garrigus said. "I saw I was like 200-to-1, and thought if I could bet I might throw a couple of hundred dollars on me."

Woods is annoyed that seven Masters have come and gone since he last sat in Butler Cabin with his green jacket, though he looks at his record and isn't worried. He keeps giving himself chances, and he figures one of these years, everything will fall into place.

And he's still the guy to beat.

"One shot in front of Tiger is not a bad place to be around here," Ian Poulter said.

It all starts on Thursday, with the biggest concern a weather system that was due to arrive before the weekend and could alter the nature of the course. It has been beautiful all week, the kind of weather that allows officials to set the golf course for birdies or for pars, whatever they choose.

All eyes will be on Woods, though this might require some patience. Woods has broken 70 only once in his 16 years at Augusta as a pro. His average score is 71.9.

"I think everybody has the same thought on Tiger: We'll worry about that Sunday afternoon," Snedeker said. "I'm sure he's going to be up there. I think everybody has a complete idea of knowing he's probably playing the best golf in the world right now, hands down. If I'm there Sunday afternoon with Tiger Woods at some point ... it's probably going to be a good week because he's going to be somewhere close."