SPRINGFIELD (N.J.) — Stephanie Meadow cannot imagine how many drinks will flow at Royal Portrush if an Irishwoman wins at Baltusrol this Sunday. Meadow is two strokes behind her childhood friend Leona McGuire heading into the KPMG Women’s PGA final round.
The PGA of America has moved up tee time due to the weather, and will be using split tees for threesomes. Maguire and Meadow are playing together in the last group, alongside Jenny Shin who is alone in third.
Meadow said, “I’ll say it this way.” I knew her back when she read Harry Potter.
Maguire, the winner of the LPGA Meijer Classic last week, became the first Irish woman to win the LPGA 2022. She finished the championship with 7 under par after a birdie at the 18th. She is the only player to have three rounds of 60s in a row at Baltusrol Lower Course.
Photos KPMG Women’s PGA
Maguire estimates that she has known Meadow about 18 years.
Maguire said, “We played together on Ulster County teams and Irish teams.” “We played Curtis Cup with each other. We played foursomes with each other. We shared a room.
“I have known Steph for a long time.” We have been friends for a very long time. We’ve fought many battles before. “It’s wonderful to see her performing so well.”
Meadow, who is a newlywed from Northern Ireland, ranks 151st worldwide and received a boost with her best-ever T-13 last week in Michigan. She was waiting for her friend on the 18th hole at Meijer, with champagne to celebrate.
Dermot Byrne was Maguire’s Irish Caddie at the 2016 PGA in Baltusrol. He has been a key part of her success over the last two years.
Maguire said, “I think he’s given me confidence.” “I believe he believed in me at times when I didn’t. He’s a very steady presence.
“I don’t think he gets too excited when everything is going well and he does not get too depressed when it’s not.” “I think we are quite similar in this regard.”
Stephanie Meadow hits a chip shot into the 3rd hole during the third round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. (Photo: John Jones/USA TODAY Sports)
Shin’s round of 66 was the lowest score for the day, and it put her into contention to win her first LPGA title since 2008. She said that there was a time when she wasn’t concerned about winning. She was content with playing a decent game of golf. She decided to do more after she did a self-evaluation.
Shin said, “You know this is my thirteenth year here.” “I think that any player who has been here for this long will tell you that there are ups and downsides in life. I’m sure I’ve gone through that phase.”
“Now, you see, I’m more interested in winning than anything else.”
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She started the day with three birdies in the first four bogeys and then went on to make four consecutive birdies in the back nine. It was an unusually up and down round.
Ko laughed and said, “I don’t even know the golf course.”
Lee-Anne Pace is a South African, who played in her first LPGA event of the season, the ShopRite LPGA Classic, and earned her spot at the KPMG by finishing T-30. She shares the lead at 4 under par with Ruoning Yi, who claimed her first LPGA crown earlier this year at the DIO Implant L.A. Open. Yin made 17 greens during the first round, and 18 in the second.
“I have a good chance of winning if my putting gets online,” said Yin.
Lauren Coughlin started the week with 75, but after rounds of 65-68 she is now tied for sixth place with Ko. She has only made one bogey over the last 36.
Coughlin said, “I kept telling myself that you’re a really good golfer.” She is 30 years old and still searching for her first LPGA victory. “I forget that sometimes. I told myself that all day yesterday, and I’ll tell it again today when I get nervous or something comes up.”
Rose Zhang, a rookie sensation, eagled her last hole by nestling the 5-wood up to 5 inches from 219 yards. Zhang, who was making her professional debut at a major tournament this week, is six shots behind in a tie for 12th place.
Zhang said, “I felt that my swing was solid.” “It was much better than the first two days.” “Finally getting into the groove.”
