SHORT GAME PRACTICE PAYS DIVIDENDS FOR STEPHANIE MEADOW

Stephanie Meadow with one of the many trophies she has won since she moved to America with her family to imrove her golf prospects - a career move that has certainly paid off.

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By JULIE WILLIAMS
It's tough to remember at times that Stephanie Meadow is just a freshman. It seems Meadow often forgets that, too.
The Alabama newcomer - a reserve to last year's Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team at Essex County Club - won her second US college tournament in a row on March 1 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
The teenager from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland finished the tournament at 5-under 211, and her second-round 66 included a front-nine 30 as she continually stuck shots inside 10 feet, made the putts and even dropped two unexpected bombs of over 25 feet. The round ended with two bogeys, but it still marks Meadow’s lowest score so far in a college event.
Meadow is no stranger to winning after an illustrious junior career, but she never managed to clear the hump during her first semester – her best finish was T-16 at the SEC/Pac 10 Challenge. What’s different this spring?
“When I ask her she says that the difference is setting a higher standard for herself, taking her first semester and kind of evaluating college golf compared to junior golf and what she needed to do differently to compete on this level,” said head coach Mic Potter.
Potter has noticed improvement in Meadow’s short game after she spent the winter working at Alabama’s indoor facilities – the extent of which she had never had access to before as a junior golfer. Meadow hails from Ireland, but played and practised at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Potter also notes Meadow’s mental prowess, which also carries over to the classroom.
The one-shot win over top-ranked Megan McChrystal, a likely Player of the Year candidate, speaks volumes for a Freshman of the Year run. But Meadow is not looking to chase end-of-the-year accolades.
“The key is not to get greedy and try and make things so much better, just keep gradually improving on what’s been working,” Meadow said. “If I keep playing well maybe I can win again.”


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Daytona State’s Mitsuki Katahira from Kanagawa, Japan continues to maintain one of the most flawless records in US collegiate golf. Katahira, the defending NJCAA National Champion, has built a six-for-seven record (six wins from seven tournaments) so far this season in the Division-I dominant events with which Daytona State head coach Laura Brown fills the team’s schedule.
Katahira’s only non-win came in November when she finished runner-up to teammate Ericka Schnieder at the Pat Bradley Invitational.
As Katahira nears the end of her eligibility at Daytona State, she is keeping an eye on a potential pro career. After having the opportunity to play and practise at the LPGA’s Q-School venue, LPGA International, Katahira’s chances to advance out of qualifying seem better than average. She’ll get her first Futures Tour start April 1-3 at the Daytona Beach Invitational, where’s she’ll play on a sponsor exemption.
Katahira has a history of lighting up the course, shooting 8-under 64 there on her way to the national title last spring.
“Her work ethic is just amazing, there’s not a day that she’s not at the course,” Brown said. “Every tournament we go to, the day after the tournament I give my players a day off but she won’t take a day off.”
For her part, Katahira isn’t focused on winning, playing pro events or really anything but playing the game.
“I don’t really think about that, I don’t really think about my winning but I always try my best playing every tournament.”