IRISH OLYMPIAN GOLFER Stephanie Meadow has successfully secured her LPGA Tour card for the 2019 season. 

The 26-year-old hit an impressive closing round of 67 to power up the leaderboard at the IOA Classic on the Symetra Tour and subsequently sealed her LGPA status for next year.

Meadow finished joint eighth in Florida, meaning she remains fourth in the Volvik Race for the Card standings.

The Jordanstown native lost her LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season after sustaining a stress fracture in her lower back last year.

When she was set to take a medical exemption, it was too late to regain even partial status.

“Amazing,” she reacted to IrishGolfer.ie. “It has been a lot of hard work and realising that it has paid off is crazy. You never quite know and don’t want to get too excited. It’s really cool, really cool.

“I won’t be a rookie and have already learned a lot of things from being out there before. I’m hoping I can use that to help me perform to my ultimate potential next year.

“I’ve been through a lot the last few years and I’m so glad I have such outstanding support from Investec, Ireland Golf, my family and boyfriend. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without them.”

Meadow also remembered her late father, Robert, who passed away in May 2015 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. 

He would have celebrated his 67th birthday in mid-September and was a massive influence on her golfing career.

“I think my dad would be very proud, it was his birthday a couple weeks ago,” she said.

“I think that’s a pretty awesome birthday present. I’m just really happy that I get a second chance because I came down here and had to work my way back.”

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