Marathon Classic Preview 2014

[bobawiefan]

Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I…Jul 17-20

Race to the CME Globe: 500 points
Purse: $1,400,000
History: This event began in 1984 but was off the schedule in 2011.
Format: 72 holes
In 2013, Beatriz Recari and Creamer provided a duel to the finish at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio as Recari sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to capture her second victory of the 2013 season and the third of her career. Recari shot a 17-under 267 for the tournament which was just enough to edge Creamer who was just one stroke behind with a 16-under 268.

Highland Meadows Golf Club
Sylvania, OH
72 Holes…Par: 71
Yardage: 6,512

Link to Official Site:
marathonclassic.com/

A traditional course has narrow fairways and well-bunkered greens. The fairways are mostly hilly, and the greens are undulating. A creek gently meanders through the lush seven holes.

Link to Highland Meadows golf course description and hole pictures
marathonclassic.com/about-the-tournament/the-course/#&panel1-1
Link to Hole Descriptions:
www.lpga.com/golf/tournaments/lpga/marathon-classic/course-info.aspx

Scorecard:
4 par 3’s
11 par 4’s
3 par 5’s

Front nine
Hole 1...Par 4...347yds
Hole 2...Par 3...162yds
Hole 3...Par 4...396yds
Hole 4...Par 4...382yds
Hole 5...Par 4...401yds
Hole 6...Par 3...170yds
Hole 7...Par 5...575yds
Hole 8...Par 3...132yds
Hole 9...Par 4...375yds
Totals……34...2,940yds
Back Nine:
Hole 10...Par 4...376yds
Hole 11...Par 4...407yds
Hole 12...Par 4...395yds
Hole 13...Par 4...355yds
Hole 14...Par 3...195yds
Hole 15...Par 4...399yds
Hole 16...Par 4...400yds
Hole 17...Par 5...513yds
Hole 18...Par 5...532yds
Totals…….37...3,572yds
Totals…….72...6,512yds

Michelle’s Past Tournament Performance:

2008
01.…Paula Creamer....60 - 65 - 70 - 73 -268...-16
46T..Michelle Wie .....70 - 72 - 71 - 72 -285.… +1
2009
01.…Eunjung Yi …....68 - 66 - 61 - 71 -266 ….-18
03T..Michelle Wie ….65 - 69 - 70 - 64 -268.… -16
2010
Michelle did not play:
2011
NO Tournament:
2012
1.…..So Yeon Ryu…….....67 - 68 - 67 - 62 .264 -20
2.…..Angela Stanford…..66 - 70 - 69 - 66 .271 -13
CUT Michelle Wie….…....75 - 69.…………......144 +2

Link to Michelle’s 2012 Lpga Scorecard:
www.lpgascoring.com/public/Scorecard.aspx?TournamentID=27869&PlayerID=88106

2013
1.…..Beatriz Recari…69 - 65 - 67 - 66 267 -17
45T..Michelle Wie….74 - 67 - 72 - 70 283   -1

Link to Michelle’s 2013 Lpga Scorecard:
www.lpgascoring.com/public/Scorecard.aspx?TournamentID=27915&PlayerID=88106

TV Times
Jul 17 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 18 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 19 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 20 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET

Highland Meadows Golf Club Weather

Thu Jul 17
High 76°…Low 55°
Mostly Sunny
Chance of rain: 10%
Wind: SW at 6 mph
Fri Jul 18
High 79°…Low 57°
Mostly Sunny
Chance of rain: 10%
Wind: SE at 6 mph
Sat Jul 19
High 82°…Low 60°
Partly Cloudy
Chance of rain: 0%
Wind: ESE at 7 mph
Sun Jul 20
High 84°…Low 65°
Partly Cloudy
Chance of rain: 10%
Wind: S at 6 mph

[bobawiefan]

Tee Times and Pairings for Marathon Classic:

On Thursday, Michelle’s group will be about 2 hours into their golf game when TV comes on at 3:00 PM EST…
On Friday, Michelle’s group will be done with their second round when TV comes on at 3:00 PM EST…

Thursday, 17 July

12:59 PM EST
Tee #1...Grp #33
WIE, Michelle
MARTIN, Mo
RYU, So Yeon

Friday, 18 July

7:59 AM EST
Tee #10...Grp #10
WIE, Michelle
MARTIN, Mo
RYU, So Yeon

TV Times
Jul 17 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 18 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 19 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET
Jul 20 - GC 3:00 PM-5:00 PM ET

[bobawiefan]

Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I Pre-tournament Notes & Interviews

Beatriz Recari of Spain reacts after making her par putt on the 18th hole to win the Marathon
Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I on July 21, 2013 in Sylvania, Ohio

Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I
Highland Meadows Golf Club
Sylvania, Ohio
Wednesday Pre-Tournament Notes
July 16, 2014

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Stacy Lewis
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Lydia Ko
Rolex Rankings No. 5 Lexi Thompson
Rolex Rankings No. 6 Michelle Wie
Rolex Rankings No. 12 Paula Creamer

The 29th edition of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I will tee it up at Highland Meadows Golf Club on Thursday. The favorites are obvious - No. 1 player in the world Stacy Lewis, U.S. Women’s Open winner Michelle Wie, and fan favorite and 2008 champion Paula Creamer.

The course is in as good of shape as it’s ever been for this event, according to players, and the layout has been lengthened from previous years to 6,512 yards. Still, the narrow fairways and small greens remain on the historic layout. Seven former champions of this event will navigate their way around the par-71 layout.


WIE BOUNCING BACK AFTER SEASON’S 1ST MISSED CUT

Michelle Wie remembers the first time she came to Highland Meadows Golf Club to play the LPGA event that’s been hosted here since 1984. It was 11 years ago, and she was just 13. She didn’t make the cut with a 73-72 and brings a dramatically different strategy 11 years later to Toledo this week.

“I definitely remember coming here when I was 13. Kind of wide eyed not knowing. I hit a lot of drivers back then. Frustrated I couldn’t do that on every hole,” Wie said.

Wie’s realized the error of her ways back then now as she’s gained experience. The narrow fairways and small greens put a premium on driving accuracy, and so she’ll still pull driver but it won’t be near as many times as she did back then.

“Probably about like four or five [drivers per round]. It’s still a good amount of drivers here,” she said. “Yeah, frustrated the first time I played. I was like, ‘Why isn’t it wider? So many trees.’”

And despite coming here for years, Wie’s never seen the course in as good of shape as it is this year. It’s always been good, but this year is on another level.

“The course condition this year more than any other is perfect. It’s amazing,” Wie said. “A lot of players have talked about how great it is this year.”

Wie returns here after her first missed cut of the season at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Rounds of 75-78 left her three shots back of the cut, so she spent her down time going to an Eminem concert in England before flying back to the States.

“Definitely disappointed in myself. I was just in my bed with the sheets over my head wallowing in self-pity. You know, my friends just didn’t let me do that,” she said. “The concert was a nice surprise, but it was a lot of fun.”

MICHELLE WIE

Q. Your life changed since you won a major. Are things coming a little bit easier for you now? Feel a little bit better?
MICHELLE WIE: Nothing really much has changed. Just been really busy the last couple weeks. Yeah, you know, just I'm really happy to be back here in Toledo. Fun playing in tournaments.
Nothing really much has changed personally for me. Just been really busy.
Q. How hard is it to be at the British Open -- like Mo Martin gets in here at noon on Tuesday -- and have a tournament after in the States? Got to be really tough on everybody. How is that for a golfer to handle?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, I didn't really play the weekend so I had a couple days off.

But, yeah, I luckily got on a flight that didn't get delayed. I've heard some players were having troubles getting here.

It's a great golf course. Just really excited to be back in the States and playing back in Toledo. Yeah, very exciting for us.
Q. Do you remember when you played here at 13?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I definitely remember coming here when I was 13. Kind of wide eyed not knowing. I hit a lot of drivers back then. Frustrated I couldn't do that on every hole.

I think I've learned over the years to get a good game plan going. Yeah, definitely a lot of fun. Very cool to come back and look back that I played 10 plus years.
Q. How has your fitness program changed? Has it consistently stayed the same with strength conditioning, or are you working on more mobility and stability during the tournament season?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, obviously during the off-season I do a lot more strength training. Yeah, I'm really limber so stability is big key for me. Doing a lot of corrective exercises. My trainer, he sends me a good program every week to do, so I just try to follow it and listen to him.
Q. Nine years ago you hit 14 drivers on this course. How many now?
MICHELLE WIE: Probably about like four or five. It's still a good amount of drivers here. Yeah, frustrated the first time I played. I was like, Why isn't it wider? So many trees. (Laughter.)
Q. (Wind disturbance.) (Question regarding Lydia Ko's role model comments.)
MICHELLE WIE: It's crazy. You know, she doesn't need any role models. I think she is a role model herself. When I first played with her she was like 15 or something and she said she wanted to go to college.
She said I was someone she looked up to, and I thought that was really strange to hear that from other people. You know, she has done really great and has a really great head on her shoulders. I feel very honored that I could help her in any way I can.
I just want to make it easier, because I know what it's like to be young and out on tour. Hopefully I've helped her a little bit.
Q. Why is this course so likable?
MICHELLE WIE: It's a great golf course. So much history. Small greens, narrow fairways. You feel like if you hit good shots you should be rewarded. The course condition this year more than any other year is perfect. It's amazing. A lot of players have talked about how great it is this year.

But it's always great to come back to a tournament that's been here for a very long time. I feel like the fans here really support us. It's always great to come back to a community that supports the LPGA.
Q. First time since 1999 that we Americans have won the first three majors. Do you guys talk about that, or is it something you thought about during the last decade when American golf was quote/unquote down?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, we don't really talk about it much with each other. After I saw Mo won, I was very excited for her. That an American won the British Open, it's pretty cool. I saw that stat on Twitter on Sunday. Really interesting and really cool.

Don't talk about it much. Personally when I see it, it's very cool.
Q. You haven't been used to not playing on the weekends this year. You wasted a little time going to an Eminem concert in Wembley. Is that something you thought, Let's get my mind off this and pass a bit of time?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, definitely disappointed in myself. I was just in my bed with the like the sheets over my head wallowing in self-pity. You know, my friends just didn't let me do that.

It was good. I just bought the ticket. Had a couple friends in London. The concert was nice surprise, but it was a lot of fun. It was definitely a lot of fun. I think I was just really excited to get back out here on Tuesday and practice. Start of the new week I felt really good.
Q. How are you able to get your mind right after this finish? The travel to get here and the quick turnaround.
MICHELLE WIE: We're used to it, life on the road. We're used to getting there, get used to the jet lag and everything. Really not that big of a deal anymore.
Q. Up for an Espy tonight for best golfer.
MICHELLE WIE: Oh, cool.
Q. Yeah. And Mo is on ESPN for her highlights. You guys have been breaking into mainstream stuff. Obviously on the Today show. How big is that for the LPGA players and the tour? You've been talking about how great it is to be in bigger outlets and bigger stages other than just regional or local.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, you know, I feel very proud of our tour. Feel like over the last couple years we really broke through a lot of barriers and are really pushing ourselves.
I feel like we're getting bigger. I feel like it's just so cool that people are starting to notice the different personalities on tour. It's great people start to know about Mo Martin. It's really cool. She's really a cool person.
There are really so many great personalities out here, so it's very -- you know, I'm very lucky to be part of such a cool group of girls and we can start to break barriers.
Q. You touched on the fact that this community supports the LPGA. How do you notice that?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, so much history here. It goes way back. You know, the fans have been coming out every year since way back in the day. Just really cool.
You can see that the community loves having us here, and you definitely can feel that.
Q. What's the most challenging hole for you on this course and why?
MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. There are a lot of challenging holes out here. The par-5s are tricky. You know, you have a couple reachable ones, but also ones you can't really reach. So, yeah.
Q. When you look at the world rankings, you, Lexi, on and on, if American golf was supposedly struggling, are you proud when you look and see those names now? Do you feel that you have proved that American golf is back?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it feels great. I always get excited when my Solheim teammates play well. We just played on a couple Solheim Cup teams and just kind of bonded. I definitely root for Americans.
But I still think that our tour so international. I think that's one the biggest keys about our tour. We have so many great international players. You see a lot of Thai girls rising. You see a lot of Korean girls, a lot of Spanish girls, and I think especially with International Crown coming up and the Olympics, it's so great that we have such an international tour.

Link to Article:
www.lpga.com/golf/news/2014/7/marathon-pre-tour-notes-wednesday.aspx