STEPHANIE MEADOW WINS AGAIN ON US COLLEGE CIRCUIT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow, a first-year student at the University of Alabama, scored her second win today on the US women's college golf circuit within a matter of weeks.
The 19-year-old from Jordanstown, a reserve for last year's GB and I team for the Curtis Cup match in the States, won the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate tournament at English Turn Golf and Country Club, New Orleans.
Stephanie, who moved with her family to live in America so that she could become a resident student at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, had rounds of 72, 66 and 73 for a five-under-par total of 211.
She won by one stroke from Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State University), No 6 in the new women's world amateur rankings. Megan had rounds of 69, 70 and 73.
Undoubtedly it was Meadow's outstanding round of six-under-par 66 on Monday that laid the foundation for a victory that comes hard on the heels of her success last month in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.
Stephanie had six birdies in the space of eight holes in an outward half of 30 and eight birdies in 13 holes. She was heading for a round of 64 until she bogeyed her last two holes.
In her final round of 73 - one over par for the 6,105yd course - Stephanie birdied the fourth, bogeyed the seventh, birdied the short 12th and then bogeyed both the 14th and 18th.
That left the door open for Megan McChrystal, who had started the final round one shot in arrears of the leader, to score a come-from-behind victory but she bogeyed the last two holes she played, the fourth and fifth, to come up one stroke short of catching Stephanie.
McChrystal, starting at the long sixth, had birdied it but had a double bogey 7 at the long 11th before birdieing the short 12th, then the long second.
Meadow's victory in the Lady Puerto Classic pushed her up from No 139 to No 67 in the women's world amateur rankings. She is bound to make another huge leap on the basis of this second win in which she had six players from the current top 20 behind her - McChrystal, Lindy Duncan, Sophia Popov, Lisa McCloskey, Cydney Clanton and former British open amateur champion Carlota Ciganda.
The only downside of the final day for Stephanie was the fact that Alabama, who led the team event after two rounds, were relegated to the runners-up position by Southern California who finished with a total of 868 - four shots ahead of the "Crimson Tide" - with Tulane and Duke joint third on 879.
Former English girls champion Ellie Givens from Darlington, a student at Denver University, finished joint 52nd on 228 with scores of 75, 77 and 76.
Denver (927) came last of 17 in the team title chase.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALSPar 216 (3x72). Yardage 6,105
211 Stephanie Meadow (Alabama) 72 66 73, 
212 Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State) 69 70 73.
213 Letitia Beck (Duke) 66 76 71, Lindy Duncan (Duke) 73 72 68.
Selected totals:
219 Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) 75 74 70 (T18).
228 Ellie Givens (Denver) 75 77 76 (T52).
LEADING TEAM TOTALS
868 Southern California.
872 Alabama.
879 Tulane, Duke.
Selected team total
927 Denver (last of 17).

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Andrew Coltart impressed by University of Stirling golf programme



University of Stirling golf squad, and guests, with coach Dean Robertson (third from left on front row). Andrew Coltart is in the red sweater, second left front row; Tartan Tour pro Chris Kelly is third from the right front row, Heather MacRae (Downfield assistant pro) is second from right, and University sports pyschologist John Mathers is on the extreme right.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING
Experienced tour pro Andrew Coltart believes the University of Stirling golf programme is on course for further success.
Coltart took time out from his own pre-season preparation today to share his knowledge with the scholarship golfers at Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence.
Golfing alumni from Stirling include Richie Ramsay and Catriona Matthew, with the current men's programme delivered by former European Tour player Dean Robertson.
"Dean [Robertson] knows what he is talking about and the players stand to gain a lot from him," said Coltart, who famously went head-to-head with Tiger Woods in the 1999 Ryder Cup. "He has the experience of having played at the sharp end, having scaled the heights and played against the best.
"All his coaching is based upon his own experiences; it's not just reading from a manual. And having been coached by him myself, I know he makes it easy to understand.
"I am really impressed with the programme and with the amount of effort the guys and girls put into both their golf and their studies. For those who don't make it to the highest level, they will not have wasted their time. Far from it, they will hopefully be able to enjoy a great career."
Coltart, 40, travelled to America to develop his game before qualifying for the European Tour in 1993, but believes the Stirling golf scholarships are an excellent option.
He said: "I must confess I wasn't academically talented enough to get a University scholarship, so I decided to take advantage of an opportunity to go to America and that was really because of the weather. That was at a time when the only way you could be perceived to be improving was by hitting 10,000 balls a day.
"There is a lot more to a golfer's development nowadays, like the sports psychology and the fitness training, which I know the Stirling programme provides. The weather isn't so much of a factor and lately I've spent more time in the gym than just hitting golf balls."
Having missed out on his full European Tour card for 2011, Coltart will instead turn his attention to the European Challenge Tour and tees off at the Barclays Kenya Open in Nairobi from 31 March
"I've taken a few weeks off," he explained. "I had a couple of opportunities because of my ranking to play on some of the main tour events, but I've decided not to so I can focus fully on the start of the Challenge Tour. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to come back up to Stirling again and continue my preparations.
"Golf can be difficult, especially when things aren't going well, but you have to remain driven, otherwise you might as well lock your clubs away and make it your hobby. It is still my job and I feel I still have another four or five years left before the body starts to break down."
Postgraduate Sports Management student David Booth was part of the Stirling squad which secured the British University stroke play and match play team titles last year. He said: "The chance to rub shoulders with players like Andrew Coltart is great. Our coach keeps telling us we all have two arms, two legs and a head so we can all do the same thing as them if we show the right attitude and keep working away."
Coach Dean Robertson hopes the experience will stand his players in good stead. He said: "This get together is all about getting the players to adopt a professional mindset. Andrew [Coltart] is a top class professional and some of our players were able to hit the same shots as him during the drills we put on, but the next stage is to replicate those skills outside of their comfort zone, when the pressure is on."

STEPHANIE MEADOW LEADS AFTER SCINTILLATING ROUND OF 66

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview
Curtis Cup reserve Stephanie Meadow leads the field with one round to go in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate women's tournament after a superb second round of six-under-par 66 at English Turn Country Club, New Orleands.
University of Alabama first-year student Stephanie, who had opened with a par-matching 72 over the 6,105yd course, was heading for a best-ever round of 64 until she bogeyed her last two holes of the day. She had gone to the turn in six-under-par 30.
The Northern Ireland teenager, who has lived in America for the past few years, got to eight under the card with birdies at the long second, the short tird, the fourth, long sixth, short eighth, ninth, 10th and 14th before she stumbled with a bogey at the short 17 and another at the par-4 18th.
But it was still a great round from the former Irish girls' champion who is a member at Royal Portrush Golf Club (the venue for the British women's open amateur championship in June).
In a field of 95 players, Stephanie leads by one shot from the highly-ranked American Megan McChrystal (Louisana State University) who has shot 69 and 70 for 139.
Alabama University lead the team event.
Past English girls champion Ellie Givens (Denver University) is sharing 52nd place on 152 after rounds of 75 and 77. Ellie had a double bogey 6 at the fourth and a double bogey 7 at the long 11th in halves of 40 and 37 in the second round. She had a double bogey in her first round.

NEW ZEALAND WHIZZ KIDS LEAD RIVERSDALE CUP DOWN UNDER

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
New Zealand's world No.2 and No.3 ranked amateur golfers, Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko, pictured, lead the field after three rounds at the prestigious Riversdale Cup women's amateur tournament in Melbourne.
The 16-year-old Cho fired a second round eight-under-par 65 to grab the lead on eight-under after 36 holes and then added a solid third-round of par 73 for 211.
She is five shots clear of the 13-year-old Ko, who shot a five-under 68 in Round 2  after an even par opening round. In today's third round, Cho had a 75.
The leading Australian is Lee Park in fourth place on 218,  a shot behind South Korea's Su-Hyun Oh.
The Riversdale Cup is one of Australia's oldest amateur tournaments with international players from Asia, Europe and New Zealand as well as acting as the official Australian trials.
Leading scores:
THIRD ROUND
Par 219 (3x73)
211 Cecilia Cho (NZ) 73 65 73.
216 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73 68 75.
217 Su-Hyun Oh (S Korea) 72 72 73.
218 Lee Park (Australia) 74 69 75.
222 Sue Webster (Australia) 74 74 74.
223 Rhianna Davies (Australia) 75 71 77.

+Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko will almost certainly be in the New Zealand team for the Astor Cup (formerly the Commonwealth Tournament) at Fairhaven Golf Club, Lancashire from June 15 to 19.