The first staging of the World Invitational saw Stephanie Meadow win in her home country ahead of Charley Hull with Jack Senior taking the men's title
World Invitational report: What happened at Galgorm?
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow held off the likes of Charley Hull and Olivia Cowan to win the women’s section of the World Invitational on 10-under par in her own backyard.
The inaugural staging of the event, the brainchild of musician Niall Horan and his Modest Golf agency, saw the men of the Challenge Tour and female stars from the LET, LPGA and Symetra Tours all compete for the same prize money of £192,000.
Here's how it finished in the inaugural ISPS Handa #WorldInvitational ????
Men ????
-11 Senior ????
-11 Baldwin
-9 Clements
-8 PerrierWomen ????
-10 Meadow ????
-9 Hull
-7 Fuenfstueck
-7 Cowan— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) August 18, 2019
It was also a two-cut event, with the original field of 300 players slashed after both 36 and 54 holes.
By Sunday morning, there were 35 men and 35 women left in contention, and it was Meadow who held the lead on the women’s side of the event.
Fan favourite @StephMeadow20 is giving the the crowd something to cheer about here at the ISPS Handa @World_Inv_Golf! After 10 holes, she is in first position with a total of -10 pic.twitter.com/SlIXMKdfpl
— ISPS Handa (@ISPSHanda) August 18, 2019
She played the final round in level par and despite many challengers making moves on Sunday, her score of 10-under was enough to get the job done.
It was not all plain sailing on Sunday and although she was cruising at 1-under through eight holes, a double-bogey at the 9th brought the chasing pack into play.
Where some may have crumbled, Meadow bounced back with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11.
What a day ! Won the @World_Inv_Golf in front of a home crowd ❤️ #nowords pic.twitter.com/l6HRjHWnCN
— Stephanie Meadow (@StephMeadow20) August 18, 2019
Hull, who put in a decent performance at her home course of Woburn in the Women’s British Open earlier this month, was the closest to catching the Northern Irishwoman.
Hull carded an impressive closing round of 4-under and finished just one shot shy of the eventual champion, leaving her to rue bogeys at the 5th and 16th.
Cowan was also in contention again this week and finished in a tie for 3rd on 7-under-par.
The 22-year-old had her round of the week on Saturday when shooting 69, but a final round of 71, which included five birdies and three bogeys, was not enough to challenge for the title.
Your men’s and ladies leaders as the @ISPSHanda World Invitational enters the back 9@modestgolf @JSenior88 @StephMeadow20 pic.twitter.com/kUvSc7FVxI
— World Invitational (@World_Inv_Golf) August 18, 2019
On the men’s side of things, Jack Senior took the title after a two-hole play-off with his good friend, Matthew Baldwin.
The two Englishman were locked on 11-under-par and headed back up the 18th for the first time when both made par.
The pair returned to the tee and this time, Senior got the better of Baldwin as he made a great birdie while his opponent carded a bogey.
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