Meadow finishes three strokes shy at LPGA Tour Q-School
Stephanie Meadow
Stephanie Meadow played her heart out at the LPGA Qualifying School over five rounds but finished three shots outside the top 20 who won cards at LPGA International at Daytona Beach.
The Jordanstown star added a two under 70 to previous rounds of 73 70 73 and 73 to finish tied 27th on one under par as American Jaye Marie Green topped the qualifiers on 13 under par.
Meadow was already guaranteed category 17 (conditional) LPGA status for 2017 but needed to finish in the 20 to secure category 12 (full) status.
World number two ranked amateur and Curtis Cup GB&I star, Bronte Law finished in a tie for 24th, just two shots outside the qualifying places on two under.
Exactly 20 players finished on four under par or better with Green holing a 20-footer on the 90th to earn medalist honours by one shot over Iceland’s Olafia Kristinsdottir (.
While three of the top four finishers are from the USA, a total of 13 different countries (USA, Iceland, Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Canada, England, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Philippines, Japan and Thailand) are represented amongst the players that finished in the top 20 to earn Category 12 status on the LPGA Tour for 2017.
Further, four teenagers finished in the top 20 (Nasa Hataoka, Maria Parra, Angel Yin and Ssu Chia Cheng).
Green, who also won Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying Tournament in 2013 with a record score of 29-under, is the first player since the event moved to Daytona Beach in 1991 to win Final Stage twice.
“I feel really good about it and the weeks leading up I wasn’t really that nervous which is weird,” said Green. “I was really laid back this week and I felt like I was picking up where I left off from three years ago.”
Green and Kristinsdottir were tied heading to the 18th hole and Green made a bet with her brother and caddy, Matt, in the fairway. The stakes were simple. If they made birdie and won, Jaye would pay Matt $1,000.
