Round-up: Mixed bag for Meadow and McGinley; Ward loses playoff
Stephanie Meadow
LPGA Tour — Stephanie Meadow is in the top third of the field after opening with a one over 73 in the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament at Daytona Beach in Florida.
The Jordanstown player, who has conditional status for 2017 but hopes to win her full card by clinching a top 20 finish after five rounds, is tied for 52nd after making two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey six on the Hills Course at LPGA International.
Thailand's Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras and American amateur Katelyn Dambaugh shot five under 67s on the Jones Course to lead by one stroke from Min-G Kim, Nasa Hataoka and Jaye Marie Green.
Five time LET winner Melissa Reid of England, who feels she has become stale in Europe, is tied sixth after a three under 69 on the Hills Course while English amateur Bronte Law is 92nd after a three over 75 on the Hills.
10 shot improvement for McGinley
PGA TOUR Champions Q-School — Paul McGinley added a 75 to his opening 85 but remains near the back of the field in the race for a Champions Tour card at Disney's Magnolia Course in Orlando.
The Dubliner, 50 next month, improved just two places to 76th in the 78-man field on 16 over after another disappointing day.
Jim Carter shot a six-under-par 66 to lead by one stroke from Scott Parel, Skip Kendall and Jose Coceres on eight under par.
Under the new eligibility regulations for PGA TOUR Champions in 2017, the top five finishers at Q-School will earn fully-exempt status, while Nos. 6 through 30 (and ties) will be granted associate membership on Tour, and will have access to event qualifying while bypassing pre-qualifying. Should there be a tie for the fifth and final fully-exempt card, a sudden-death playoff will ensue.
Simon Ward. Picture ©Rafacabrera.com
Ward beaten in Gecko playoff
Gecko Pro Tour — Carrickmacross' Simon Ward followed up his third plae finish at the Westin La Quinta Golf Country Club with a playoff defeat at Parador (Málaga) Golf on the Gecko Tour in Spain.
He tied on seven under par with Sam Connor in just his second stroke play start this year.
