Stephanie Meadow retains LPGA Tour card at Volunteers of America Classic
Cheyenne Knight claimed two-stroke victory; Meadow ends week in tied-sixth
Sunday 6 October 2019 23:06, UK
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow birdied her final two holes at the Volunteers of the America Classic to cling onto her playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for next season.
The 27-year-old started the week 112th in the LPGA Tour's Order of Merit and needed at lest a top-10 finish to break into the top 100 and retain her full playing privileges for 2020.
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Meadow made a fast start with after an opening-round 63 but slipped down the leaderboard with rounds of 71 and 73, leaving her eight strokes off the pace heading into the final round in Texas.
After opening with back-to-back birdies and cancelling out a blemish at the fifth by picking up the shot at the ninth, Meadow rolled in from eight feet at the 13th to go three under for her round.
Meadow bogeyed the 15th and then missed her 12-foot eagle attempt at the 17th after attacking the par-five green in
two, tapping in for birdie to leave her still outside the projected top 100 with one hole to play.
As Cheyenne Knight closed in on her LPGA Tour title, Meadow finished in style as she holed a 25-foot birdie at the last to complete a four-under 67 and end the week in a share of sixth.
Meadow's best performance of the season was enough to leapfrog her to 99th in the LPGA Tour standings and hold onto her card, while Georgia Hall's tied-fourth finish took her to 52nd spot.
Knight finished on 18 under and two strokes clear of American pair Brittany Altomare and Jaye Marie Green, with Hall alongside Jane Park on 11 under and Meadow in the group eight shots back.
