Spain’s Beatriz Recari fired a six-under-par 65 Friday to match Paula Creamer and Alison Walshe for the lead at the LPGA Marathon Classic, with world No.1 Park In-Bee lurking two shots back.
Recari fired six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle to stand alongside the US duo at eight-under 134 after 36 holes – one stroke ahead of American Jacqui Concolino.
South Korea’s Park, who has won the first three majors of the women’s golf season and continues her grand slam bid in two weeks at the British Open, fired a 69 to share fifth on 136 with Japan’s Chie Arimura and New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old top world amateur.
Katherine Hull-Kirk was the best-placed Australian, six shots off the lead on 140 after rounds of 73 and 67.
Creamer has won nine LPGA titles, but none since her only major crown at the 2010 US Open.
Recari won the 2010 LPGA Challenge and this year’s Kia Classic. Walshe’s best LPGA showing was a share of eighth at last year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Recari closed a run of three birdies in four holes at the par-3 sixth, then followed a bogey-bogey start to the back nine with back-to-back birdies and charged to the top with an eagle at the par-4 15th and a birdie at the 16th.
Creamer, who fired a 68, opened with back-to-back birdies, added another at the par-5 seventh and answered her lone bogey at 11 with a birdie at the 15th.
“I feel great. I feel confident – hitting the ball well,” Creamer said.
Walshe opened and closed the front nine with bogeys, sandwiched around birdies at the fourth and fifth holes, and birdied the 12th and par-5 18th to fire a 69.
Park opened with a bogey and twice followed birdies with bogeys on the next hole before closing the round with back-to-back birdies.
“I didn’t have a really good start but I really played well the rest of the day,” Park said. “It was a tough day – just grinded for pars. The last two birdies felt like heaven.”
Park is focusing on winning her seventh title of the season as preparation for the next major in August at St Andrews.
“I’m just trying to tune my game up a little bit so I’m ready for going to the British.”
