STEPHANIE MEADOW RISES TO NUMBER FOUR IN WORLD RANKINGS

   Stephanie Meadow driving from the first tee at Royal Porthcawl, watched by the GB and I skipper Tegwen Matthews and team-mates in this year's Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

FROM THE R AND A WEBSITE: WOMEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow moves four steps up this week’s World Amateur Golf Ranking to world number four - her highest ever ranking - following her first victory of the 2011-2012 US college season.
It’s a victory that could book her a place on the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team to face the United States at Nairn Golf Club next June.
Meadow captured her fourth college golf title with victory in the Mercedes-Benz SEC/PAC 12 Challenge at the Holsten Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Meadow, who is in her second year at the University of Alabama, returned rounds of 68, 71 and 72 to finish on five-under-par 211 to win the title by two shots from Lauren Stratton.
The Northern Irish amateur won three times in her first year at Alabama to finish last season as a first team All-American. Her fourth victory came in just her 15th college golf tournament.
Meadow is in pole position to make the GB and I team next year. She was first reserve for the 2010 match.
She played for GB and I against the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy match at Royal Porthcawl in June this year.
Meadow, from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, is now the highest ranked player from the Irish isle on the WAGR table. She is two spots higher than Leona Maguire, who moves three spots this week to world number six.
Scotland’s Kelsey MacDonald did her chances of a Curtis Cup place the power of good by moving into the world top 100. She moves 20 spots on this week’s WAGR table to 84th. MacDonald, a Stirling University student, would not have to worry about getting to know the Nairn links in preparation for the biennial match. Nairn is her home town and she grew up across the road from the first tee at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club.

THIS WEEK'S REVISED R and A WOMEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS
This week/Last week/Change/ Player/ Country/ Points average
1 1 - Lydia Ko NZL                      1818.87
2 2 - Cecilia Cho NZL                  1728.00
3 3 - Kim Williams RSA               1667.19
4 8 +4 Stephanie Meadow IRL      1560.71
5 5 - Iliska Verwey RSA               1532.20
6 9 +3 Leona Maguire IRL            1531.37
7 7 - Ariya Jutanugarn THA           1512.28
8 4 -4 Austin Ernst USA               1497.67
9 6 -3 Erica Popson USA               1444.44
10 11 +1 Bertine Strauss RSA       1439.29
11 13 +2 Charley Hull ENG           1428.57
12 16 +4 Marta Silva ESP             1426.00
13 15 +2 Sophia Popov GER         1416.36
14 10 -4 Tiffany Lua USA             1393.33
15 18 +3 Victoria Tanco ARG        1390.00
16 12 -4 Madelene Sagstrom SWE 1384.21
17 14 -3 Lindy Duncan USA 39 1382.05
18 17 -1 Jaye Marie Green USA 43 1369.77
19 19 - Ashlee Dewhurst AUS 45 1364.44
20 20 - Julie Yang KOR 39 1348.72
21 24 +3 Stephanie Kono USA 53 1337.74
22 22 - Minjee Lee AUS 68 1336.76
23 21 -2 Hyo-Joo Kim KOR 50 1336.00
24 35 +11 Holly Clyburn ENG 41 1334.15
25 23 -2 Kayla Mortellaro USA 36 1333.33