Creamer, Recari still tied for Marathon lead after 67s
SYLVANIA, Ohio -- Paula Creamer and Beatriz Recari of Spain both shot bogey-free 4-under-par 67s on Saturday and were tied for the lead, three shots ahead of the field after three rounds of the LPGA Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
Recari, seeking her third LPGA Tour victory and second of the season, birdied the last two holes and was tied for the lead with Creamer for the second consecutive day, this time at 12-under 201.
Creamer, who has won nine times on the LPGA Tour but not since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, carded birdies Nos. 4, 9, 13 and 17.
Lexi Thompson, the 18-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., also shot 67 and was tied for third with Chie Arimura of Japan, who posted a 68, and Jacqui Concolino, who recorded a 69.
Thompson became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history when she captured the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic, breaking the record set by Marlene Hagge, who was 18 when she won the 1952 Sarasota Open.
Jennifer Johnson (66), Chella Choi (66) and Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (68) were tied for sixth, four shots back.
Recari, who won the Kia Classic earlier this season, opened with a birdie at the first and then made 11 consecutive pars until her birdie at No. 13.
Recari is looking for her second title this year after bringing home the Kia Classic in March.
Creamer, the 2008 Marathon Classic champion, Creamer hit 13-of-14 fairways, nearly twice as many as she did on Friday.
Thompson birdied Nos. 3, 8, 13 and 16 to get to 9-under. She nearly reached the par-5 18th hole in two and had a pitch of about 35 yards remaining for her third shot.
She nearly jarred it her pitch, but left herself a 10-foot putt after a hard bounce forward. She left her putt barely short and had to settle for par and a tie for third.
NOTES: Inbee Park, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women's World Rankings, struggled on Saturday to a 73 and was tied for 23rd. Park, seeking her seventh LPGA Tour victory of the season, began the third round only two shots out of the lead. ... Alison Walshe started her round tied for the lead, but fell out of the top 10 after shooting 73. ... Angela Stanford carded a 64, the best round of the day, to climb into a tie for 11th.
