Consistency key for leader Recari at Kia Classic
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 over Paula 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.
