Beatriz Recari calmly rolls in two-footer to clinch first LPGA win
The final round
Beatriz Recari, the 23-year-old Spaniard rookie, shot a final round two-under-70 to win by one stroke over Gwladys Nocera at the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge. Recari overcame a late bogey in her final round to win her first tournament on
tour. On the last hole, Recari had to knock in a two-footer that under normal circumstances would be second nature, but with a $165,000 first-place prize on the line it was definitely not a gimme.
Recari carded a total of 14-under at the Blackhawk Country Club course, and was followed by Gwladys Nocera at 13-under and Karine Icher and Michele Redman tied for third at 12-under.
What the win means
This win marks the end of a long win-less streak for Recari. Her last professional win came fourteen months ago on the European LPGA. With the win, her earnings on the LPGA this season total $216,591, putting her 37th on the money list.
Maintaining composure
She correlated her calmness on the final holes of the tournament with the experience of riding with Mario Andretti in an IndyCar going 200 mph. She reflected on the experience after the tournament.
“It was a great experience because I had so much adrenaline, and then I just felt so calm when I was standing on the putt.”
Still, Recari has no intention of making the jump from golf to IndyCar racing saying it “was fun for me … but this is my job and I still have to keep it fun and focused.”
Recari needed all the composure she could muster after she bogeyed the 17th hole and saw Norcera ahead of her birdie on the 18th to put Recari’s lead to one with the 18th still to play. Recari put her approach just short of the 18th and from there was able
to get up and down with her putter to finally break through on the LPGA.
The win is somewhat of a surprise for the young player. In her first thirteen events on tour she only made the cut three times. Perhaps this explains her reaction after rolling in the final putt on the 72nd hole and jumping into the arms of her caddy in
a state of sublime celebration.
Recarri will be playing in Malaysia this week for the Sime Darby LPGA where she hopes to become the second player this season to win back to back.
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