Golf
Today's Karen recovers to stay in contention
heading into final round
First-round
co-leaders Karen Stupples and Tina Barrett were in the tie for second at 10-under
134 along with Colombian rookie Marisa Baena, who entered the tournament as an
alternate, and Mi Hyun Kim of South Korea.
Golf Today's LPGA sponsored player Karen Stupples, who played on the British amateur
circuit with Moodie, had a horrible start to her round at the 6,403-yard Rail
Golf Club course but rallied to shoot a 70.
Stupples, a non-exempt player competing in only her 11th LPGA Tour event, got
a case of the jitters and topped her drive, that didn't even reach the fairway,
in front of a large gallery and ESPN2 audience. For an encore, she topped her
second shot with a three wood.
Stupples
composed herself and nailed a nine wood to the back of the green, chipped to eight
feet and made the putt for bogey. "I tried not to think about it at all, then
when I got up there on the first tee and they said my name, I realised I was tied
for the lead of an LPGA tournament," said Stupples. "My arms didn't want to work.
I was so nervous. But I am thrilled with the way I hung in there and came back.
I am very proud of myself."
Karen
also bogeyed the 15th (her 6th) before making birdies on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and
6th holes to finish two behind the leader.
Like Stupples, Barrett got off to a rough start, bogeying No. 2 on the way to
a 70.
After that,
she said, "I tried to tell myself to go out and have a little fun."
Janice
Moodie shot a 5-under-par 67 today to take a two-stroke lead over four players
after two rounds of the LPGA Rail Classic.
Moodie, who has seven top-10 finishes this year, said she's ready to win.
"I've been champing
at the door all year," said the 26-year-old native of Scotland who played collegiately
at San Jose State.
Baena shot a 67 Sunday, while Kim had a 68.
Former Rail winner Barb Mucha, Jan Stephenson and Emilee Klein all had 68s Sunday
and were tied at 9 under. Six others were another stroke back in the tournament
that ends Monday.
Pearl Sinn, last year's Rail champion, had a 68 and was at 137, while Dottie Pepper,
winner of last week's LPGA event in Ohio, shot a 72 and was at 139.
Juli Inkster, who needs one win to gain entrance into the LPGA Hall of Fame, had
a 73 and was at 1-under 141, just making the cut.
Two-time Rail winner Nancy Lopez, going for her 50th career win, shot a 70 and
failed to make the cut at 144.
