Beatriz Recari and Azahara Munoz can blame a volcano for having to withdraw from this week's LPGA Toto Japan Classic.
The Spaniards, along with Jessica Korda and So Yeon Ryu, were on the Indonesian island of Bali for the exhibition Lexus Cup, planning to leave on Tuesday night. Recari and Munoz were off to Japan for the Friday start, while Korda and Ryu were heading home to the U.S. and South Korea, respectively. However, when Mount Barujari began to erupt, the area airport was closed, stranding the players.
Knowing what the players were up against, the LPGA and Japan LPGA, joint hosts of the event, put Recari and Munoz in the final tee time on Friday. However, when the airport was again closed on Thursday, the players were forced to withdraw from the event.
The airport is still closed. Sorry to say I will definitely not make it to @LPGA #TotoJapanClassic.I was really looking forward to it!!
— Azahara Munoz (@AzaharaGOLF) November 5, 2015
Though the players have been stuck at a paradise resort, missing the event has potential ramifications for Recari, who enters this week 71st in the LPGA's Race to the CME Globe points race. The top 72 players get into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, with only this week's event and the limited-field Lorena Ochoa Invitational leading into the final event of the year.
