Mehaffey needs to bounce back after off day at Q-School
Olivia Mehaffey. Credit: Tristan Jones/LET
Olivia Mehaffey is hoping she can bounce back from a bad day at the office after a four-over 75 left her outside the card places heading into the fifth and final round of the Ladies European Tour Q-School in Spain.
The two-time Curtis Cup star (24) fell from ninth to tied 26th on two-over-par at La Manga Resort, leaving her one stroke outside the top 20 and ties who will be awarded Category 11 LET cards after Monday’s final round on the South Course.
“It was just a tough day,” said Mehaffey, who made two birdies and six bogeys on the North Course to fall ten strokes behind her former Curtis Cup teammate Meghan MacLaren of England.
“I didn’t hit it my best, didn’t score my best, didn’t putt my best and that kind of reflected, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.”
While she missed the 72-hole cut, Clandeboye’s Victoria Craig (24) saved the best for last, closing with a one-over 72 on the North Course to finish 112th on 20-over.
The cut for the top 65 and ties fell at eight-over par, and the battle is now to make the top 20 and ties who will be eligible for LET Membership in Category 11.
MacLaren (27) made three birdies in a two-under 69 on the North Course to lead by a shot on eight-under-par from Sweden’s Lisa Petterson, the winner of last week’s pre-qualifier, who shot a three-under 70 on the South Course.
“It felt a bit calmer today, the wind was in a slightly different direction and the greens were a bit softer from the rain last night, so it felt a bit more scoreable today,” said MacLaren, who won on the Symetra Tour in 2021.
“That’s probably the best I’ve hit the ball tee to green this week – I was really pleased with that – I was much better off the tee than I have been so I felt I could step up and be aggressive and give myself some chances from there, which made things a lot less stressful than they have been.
“I’ve played solidly all week and I’ll try and minimise the mistakes – I seem to throw one in every round – so hopefully I can get through without doing that tomorrow.”
Players finishing from 21st to 50th and ties after Monday’s final round will be eligible for LET Membership in Category 15 with Category 18 membership for those who make the 72-hole cut.
Those who missed the cut, including Craig, will be ranked in Category 18 in order of finish.
