Meadow blooming and all is rosy again for women’s golf

IF EVER an event summed up a sport’s astonishing transformation, it was the women’s US Open at Pinehurst last week. Women’s golf was supposed to be beyond the point of no return, dominated by players from the Far East high on quality but low on charisma. Now its higher echelons are dominated by a quorum who look great and play even better. In the final round on Sunday you had world No 1 Stacy Lewis — who spent seven years of her life wearing a back brace to correct curvature of the spine — posting a 66 to set a target for the longlimbed beauty Michelle Wie. How many times have we detailed Wie’s struggles over the years to fulfil her unquestioned talent? This time last year she was an object of ridicule for an outrageous putting style, with her back so parallel to the ground you could serve supper off it. No wonder the Twittersphere exploded with joy when she shrugged off a double bogey at the 16th to birdie the 17th and win her first major at the age of 24 by two shots. On those upturned saucer greens, she didn’t have a three-putt all week. And then there was the lass in third place playing, would you believe, her first event as a pro. Step forward 22-year-old Stephanie Meadow from Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. At the 18th hole, she knocked in one more birdie putt from 15 feet to claim a cheque for £170,000 and earn her card for the LPGA Tour in one fell swoop. What price Northern Ireland having the world No 1 in men’s and women’s golf over the next couple of years? And who’s Meadow (left) going to play for in the Olympics — that will be the next question. Rio 2016 is going to do fabulous things for women’s golf and Britain and Ireland, with the likes of Meadow and Charley Hull right at the forefront. The next stop for all these players is the Ricoh British Open at England’s best course, Royal Birkdale, in a fortnight. Let’s hope the summer weather holds.