The arrival of Stephanie Meadow on to the global golfing stage could not have been choreographed any more dramatically, even if her third-placed finish in the US Women's Open doesn't automatically give her any status on the LPGA Tour where the 22-year-old golfer ultimately aims to ply her trade.
For the immediate future, Meadow – who jumped 506 places in the latest world rankings up to 95th on the back of her hugely impressive professional debut – will have to rely on sponsors’ invites into tournaments; or, alternatively, to attempt to play her way out of Monday qualifiers.
On the Majors front, Meadow, with a top-10 finish, has secured an exemption into next year’s US Open in Pennsylvania, but unfortunately not into next month’s Ricoh British Open at Royal Birkdale.
However, the LGU has granted her a special exemption into final qualifying for Birkdale. Meadow would have been in final qualifying as a member of the Curtis Cup team but, as the condition stipulates that the players be amateur to utilise this, she has been given the special exemption.
Meadow has exploded on to the women’s professional scene and, as she puts it, her ambitions are “endless . . . I want to win a Major. I want to be number one in the world some day.”
Exceptional in college days
Just over a week ago, on the Sunday of the final round of the men’s US Open at Pinehurst, Meadow had gained access inside the ropes to watch Rory McIlroy and
Adam Scott
play their final round. Afterwards, she hit the range to hit balls alongside the 11-year-old
Lucy Li
. A week on, and Meadow – a standout in her college days with University of Alabama and on two successive Curtis Cup teams – has shown she is the one made for the spotlight.
Moreover, her dramatic emergence is set to make her the new poster girl for the ILGU in attracting more girls to play the sport. Sinéad Heraty, chief executive of the Irish Ladies Golf Union, had been earmarked for her potential when first playing in an Irish girls’ championship as an 11-year-old. “We knew she was our great white hope and she has lived up to it,” said Heraty.
“I believe she will be a great role model for young girls who take up the sport. She’s young, attractive, gregarious . . . an absolute role model,” added Heraty, of a player who has represented Ireland through girls’ and senior golf in the home internationals and European championships.
Meadow – who on turning professional was granted the top amount of €20,000 by the Team Ireland Golf funding administered by the Confederation of Golf in Ireland – has, in one move, elevated herself to another level and has the potential to be a trendsetter for women’s professional golf here.
“Traditionally, because there is so little prize money available on the Ladies European Tour, our players have tended to achieve a high level academically and remain on as amateurs. Stephanie has shown you can successfully make the move [to the professional game] and compete with the best. She has done it the right way, playing in the Curtis Cup and getting into the US Open [as a qualifier]. It is terrific for her and for Irish golf,” said Heraty.
Meadow, who played with Juli Inkster, competing in her 35th and final US Open, in Sunday’s final round said: “I couldn’t have pictured a better way to start my professional career, it’s pretty much a dream come true. I always believed that I could do it. Honestly, the amount of hours that I’ve put in for I don’t know how many years . . . to see all that pay off was really amazing. But to do it on my first week and to have enough confidence to keep going, I’m proud of myself for doing that.
‘You want more’
“This whole experience is only going to make me work harder. Obviously, I didn’t win, there’s still people beating me and I’m competitive, so I want to try and win Majors some day. So I’m going to go back and work hard. If you’re a competitive person, this is a driving force, you do well and you want more. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
The letters for sponsors’ invitations went out before Meadow made her professional debut at Pinehurst. She has been assured of one on the secondary Symmetra Tour but the likelihood is more will be forthcoming on the LPGA Tour as she seeks to earn her full tour card that way, with an expectation that Meadow will get one to the LPGA Classic in Alabama (where she recently graduated from the University of Alabama) in September. The plan would be to play a lot more golf before then.
Meadow will also have to face the Olympic question concerning Rio in 2016, although when asked about this she replied: “Ireland is an all Ireland, our golf is an all Ireland sport . . . we grew up playing for Ireland. There was never a Northern Ireland team or we didn’t play for UK, so it is very difficult and . . . I haven’t even thought about that decision yet.” All in its own good time.
For now, Meadow is intent on getting into professional events and showcasing her game to the big stage.
