Alabama Women’s Golf Slips into Tie for Third; Meadow Tied for Second

The No. 2 Alabama women’s golf team struggled around the par-72, 6,372-yard University of Georgia Golf Course on Thursday, shooting 13-over 301 and slipping into a tie for third place at 9-over 873.

Southern California, who entered the round with a 12-shot lead, extended it to 28 shots over the Crimson Tide and 17 over second-place Duke. The Crimson Tide is tied for third with Purdue and UCLA at 873. Alabama will play with UCLA and Arizona State in Friday’s fourth and final round, teeing off the first hole beginning at 10:53 a.m. (CDT).

“It is really important that our players learn that the things we talk about daily, like committing to each shot, being focused on each shot and not worrying out winning or losing, but hitting as high quality shots as we can, apply whether things are going well or they are not,” Alabama head coach Mic Potter said. “This is the hardest time to do that, but it is the most important time to do that. Our challenge is to come back out here (Friday) and do the things that got us to this position this year.”

Crimson Tide junior and national player of the year candidate Stephanie Meadow shot 1-over-par 73 in the third round and never could pick up any momentum. She fell into a tie for second place at 7-under 209, two shots off the lead of Southern California’s Annie Park. Park carded a 2-under 70 on Thursday while Mississippi State’s Ally McDonald also shot 70 to pull into a tie with Meadow in second.

Meadow posted three birdies on her round, including a two on the par-3 16th. Her birdie putt on the par-5 18th came up just inches short. Her 73 broke a string of seven straight rounds of par or better and five straight rounds in the 60s.

“Stephanie said she didn’t hit the ball particularly well today and she didn’t feel like she was as committed on all of the shots as she wanted to be,” Potter said. “But there are days like that for whatever reason, if it is the wind of if it is fatigue. The key is to know it is going to happen, make the corrections, and come back stronger the next time.”

Jennifer Kirby finished with birdie on the 18th Thursday for the Tide’s second-best round of the day at 75. She is tied for 50th at 7-over 151. Emma Talley shot 5-over 77 in round three and is tied for 24th entering the final round of her freshman season.

Daniela Lendl also counted to the Alabama team tally on Thursday with a 4-over 76. Hannah Collier shot 81 and was the drop score for the Crimson Tide.