Recari Returns to Defend
Beatriz Recari returns to the site of her two-hole playoff victory over I.K. Kim in the 2013 Kia Classic looking to regain her form. After a bogey-free first three days of golf, Recari turned in three bogeys and one birdie in regulation including a bogey on the 18th where she missed a four-foot par putt to win. Recari then was able to battle back and take down Kim with an 18-foot birdie from the fringe on the second playoff hole for her second-career LPGA win.
On the 2014 season, Recari ranks 22nd in the Rolex rankings, 83rd on the money list and 71st in the Race to the CME Globe. The Spaniard was last in action in Singapore at the HSBC Women’s Champions where she withdrew due to illness. Her best finish this season is a T28 at the ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open.
Webb is Never Out of It
Last week at the JTBC Founders Cup, Karrie Webb captured her second title of the year and 41st of her career by firing a final round 63 to erase a six shot deficit. In her first win of 2014 at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, Webb rallied from five shots back with a Sunday 68 to claim the crown in her home country. The six and five stroke rallies mark the largest and second largest come from behind wins in 2014. Webb also had the largest come-from-behind victory in 2013 when she rallied from five back to win the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer.
The World Golf and LPGA Halls of Famer moved into a tie for 10th on the all-time wins list with LPGA Founder Babe Zaharias. With her victory, Webb moved from 6th to 5th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
Race for Number One Continues
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park separated herself by just .03 average points in the rankings from No. 2 Suzann Pettersen after her tie for 10th finish at the JTBC Founders Cup last week. Pettersen finished in a tie for 29th and trails Park in the rankings by .89 average points. Park extends her streak at No. 1 to 50 consecutive weeks. No. 3 Stacy Lewis improved her rank with a runner-up finish last week in Phoenix and sits 1.70 average points behind Park.
Final Charge for International Crown Spots
This week’s Kia Classic marks the final event for players looking to lock in their spots to represent their countries in the inaugural International Crown. Several players who are narrowly on the outside looking in are in the Kia Classic field this week and will try to play their way on their respective squads.
No. 14 Amy Yang and No. 18 Hee Young Park (South Korea) No. 17 Angela Stanford and No. 21 Lizette Salas (USA) No. 103 Thidapa Suwannapura (Thailand) No. 135 Stacey Keating (Australia)
The jockeying for position between the countries in the team race is also coming down to the wire as Team USA (33) has closed the gap on No. 1 South Korea (29) for the top seed. No. 5 Spain (228) will look to chase down Thailand (235) and Australia (356) is gaining ground on Chinese Taipei (349).
Current International Crown participants are playing well of late as seven players finished in the top 10 at the JTBC Founders Cup, including champion Karrie Webb and runners-up Stacy Lewis and Azahara Munoz.If the International Crown started today...
| Pool "A" | Pool "B" | |
| #1 South Korea 29 | #2 United States 33 | |
| 1. Inbee Park 6. So Yeon Ryu 9. Na Yeon Choi 13. I.K. Kim |
3. Stacy Lewis 8. Paula Creamer 10. Lexi Thompson 12. Cristie Kerr |
|
| #4 Thailand 228 | #3 Japan 132 | |
| 28. Pornanong Phatlum 33. Ariya Jutanugarn 80. Moriya Jutanugarn 87. Onnarin Sattayahanphot |
27. Mika Miyazato 30. Ai Miyazato 36. Rikako Morita 39. Sakura Yokomine |
|
| #5 Spain 235 | #6 Sweden 310 | |
| 19. Azahara Munoz 22. Beatriz Recari 45. Carlota Ciganda 149. Belen Mozo |
16. Anna Nordqvist 23. Caroline Hedwall 106. Pernilla Lindberg 165. Mikaela Parmlid |
|
| #8 Australia 356 | #7 Chinese Taipei 349 | |
| 5. Karrie Webb 110. Minjee Lee 112. Katherine Kirk 129. Lindsey Wright |
46. Yani Tseng 50. Teresa Lu 94. Candie Kung 159. Hsuan-Yu Yao |
No. 14 Amy Yang and No. 18 Hee Young Park (South Korea)
No. 17 Angela Stanford and No. 21 Lizette Salas (USA)
No. 103 Thidapa Suwannapura (Thailand)
No. 135 Stacey Keating (Australia)
The jockeying for position between the countries in the team race is also coming down to the wire as Team USA (33) has closed the gap on No. 1 South Korea (29) for the top seed. No. 5 Spain (228) will look to chase down Thailand (235) and Austrailia (356) is gaining ground on Chinese Taipei (349).
Current International Crown participants are playing well of late as seven players finished in the top 10 at the JTBC Founders Cup, including champion Karrie Webb and runners-up Stacy Lewis and Azahara Munoz.
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