Creamer & Recari Tied at Marathon Classic


American Paula Creamer and Spain's Beatriz Recari both carded 4-under 67s to share the 54-hole lead at 12-under 201in the Marathon Classic. The $1.3 million LPGA Tour event - the former Jamie Farr Toledo Classic - is being held at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

Creamer, who won the tournament in 2008, carded two birdies on each of her front and back nines, while Recari, a two-time LPGA winner, had a birdie on the front nine and tacked on three more on the home half, including the final two holes.

Recari knows she'll be having a tough time on Sunday besting Creamer, a nine-time LPGA winner. "I played with her today, and she's a real fighter and a great competitor, so it's not a surprise to see that chip in for birdie on 17," Recari said. "I know that she's always going to give herself good chances and she played great.

"I had a great day too," added the 26-year-old from Pamplona. "I started with a birdie which is great to start your round with, and then I hit my irons really well and gave myself chances all the time. I had some putts that just went by the hole. But I stayed patient, and it was really good to get that birdie there on 17 and 18 to get to 67."

The two have a three-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round. Tied for third at 204 are Americans Lexi Thompson (67) and Jacqui Concolino (69) and Japan's Chie Arimura (68).

Another stroke back are American Jennifer Johnson (66), South Korea's Chella Choi (66) and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68). Sharing ninth at 206 are South Korea's Hee Young Park (67) and American Mo Martin (68).

No. 1-ranked Inbee Park, a six-time winner this year including the LPGA's first three majors, carded a 2-over 73 to drop into a tie for 23rd at 4-under 209.

Park is normally great on the greens, but the South Korean hasn't been too hot on the short grass this week. "I just putted really bad today," said the 25-year-old from Seoul.

"Inside of that everything else was really similar, but nothing seems to be going. I gave myself eight birdie chances out of nine holes on the back nine and nothing went in. So just a bad putting day, nothing else."

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.