Stephanie Meadow hoping to end year on a high

Stephanie Meadow is determined to keep on smiling and put a devastating year behind her by winning her LPGA Tour card at the Qualifying Tournament in Florida this week.

The 2015 season promised to be a stellar one for the bubbly Jordanstown native after she burst spectacularly onto he scene in 2014, finishing third behind Michelle Wie in the US Women’s Open at Pinehurst in her first start as a professional.

But after agonisingly missing out to Karlin Beck on the 11th play-off hole for the final card at the LPGA Q-School 12 months ago, her family life was dealt a massive blow when her father, Robert, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The 23-year old took time out to help her mother care for her dad at home and she played just one event, finishing tied 20th in the ANA Inspiration in April as a tribute to him, earning $26,632 (€25,052).

Robert Meadow lost his battle with cancer in May but, while Stephanie returned to action later that month and played another 11 events until the end of August, she was clearly not the same player and didn’t make another cheque.

“It’s been a challenging year of ups and downs but like any family who has a loss like that, you just have to deal with it and move on,” said Meadow, who begins her Q-School quest today. “Dad was a huge part of my golf game so that has definitely been a transition for me.”

She missed 10 cuts and withdrew in her other start to finish her rookie year 131st in the money list and back at Q-School.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle but it’s in the past now,” she said. “There are a lot more things that golf going on. I have to learn from it and go from there.”

A change of coach to Sawgrass-based Spaniard Jorge Parada, who also works with Ana Nordqvist and Carlota Ciganda, has her feeling better about her game and her chances at this week’s five round Q-School test.

She will battle another 158 hopefuls over four days at LPGA International in Florida’s Daytona Beach with the top 70 and ties competing for around 20 full cards in Sunday’s fifth and final round.

Meadow’s ball striking has suffered this year, especially her driving, but she believes she’s got the game to get a card at Q-School where consistency rather than red hot scoring is key.

Ireland’s Olympic Games team leader Paul McGinley has kept in touch with Meadow, who is set to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games alongside world amateur No 1 Leona Maguire. “It’s definitely a goal of mine to be there,” she said, knowing that having a full LPGA Tour card can only help her medal chances. “At the moment, I am just taking it one step at a time but it would be great to be there.”