Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow has quietly put on a show the last two days at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, recording back-to-back rounds in the 60s to put herself in the mix with 18 to play at Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower Course. After firing a 3-under 68 on Friday that saw her make four birdies and one bogey, the 31-year-old carded a 4-under 67, her lowest round since day three at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain which was her first start of the 2023 LPGA Tour season. Meadow came to Springfield, N.J. fresh off a T13 performance at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, her best showing so far this year, and said that the momentum she gleaned from that result really helped to propel her to this position.
“I just have a much better swing thought going on, and I think that gave me some confidence to see some irons fly really good. It had been kind of trending that way in practice and at home, but (the Meijer LPGA Classic) was the first week where I finally saw it, so it was great to see that kind of transpire last week,” said Meadow, who recorded rounds of 70-69-68-68 at Blythefield Country Club. “Then I knew on a tough golf course like (Baltusrol), if I could just hit the same shots, then I would be doing pretty good.
“I definitely felt great yesterday. I played some really solid golf. I probably hit the ball a tiny bit better yesterday than I did today, but I made more putts today, and that's the name of the game.”
This is the fifth time that Meadow has been within five of the lead entering the final round, with the most recent occurrence being at the 2022 Palos Verdes Championship where she ultimately finished T26. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship marks just her fifth made cut in 10 starts this season and the two-time Olympian will relish the opportunity to contend for her first LPGA Tour title and first major championship on Sunday.
“This is why we practice, right? This is why I do what I do, and I'm just going to enjoy it,” said Meadow of contending for her first LPGA Tour victory. “Obviously, I have been out on Tour for a long time, nine years. I want the win just as much as anybody else, but at the same time I need to stay within myself and focus on the process, but at the end of the day I want to win, and I'm not shy about being competitive.”
But no matter what happens in the final round, away from the golf course, Meadow is as happy as ever and knows that her worth doesn’t depend on lifting the trophy at Baltusrol. She knows that her now-husband, Kyle Kallan, who she married on April 5, and her beloved Golden Retriever, Dallas, will still be anxiously awaiting her return home, even if the KPMG hardware isn’t amongst her luggage.
“I have a great life. I'll put it that way. I do what I love. Golf is not who I am, but it's what I do,” said Meadow. “I have a family back home, a doggy, in-laws, mother, everybody that supports me. No matter what happens out here, I go back to that, and you can't ask for much more.”
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