How Aine Donegan Shattered Expectations at the US Women’s Open
Aine Donegan is not a household name in the golf world, but she might be soon.
The 21-year-old Irish amateur stunned everyone with her performance at the US Women’s Open, where she shot a three-under-par 69 in the first round and was one shot off the lead at Pebble Beach12.
Who is Aine Donegan?
Donegan is a rising junior at Louisiana State University, where she plays for the women’s golf team.
hails from Lahinch, a seaside town in County Clare, Ireland, known for its links courses.
started playing golf at age six and won several national and international titles as a junior,
including the Irish Girls’ Close Championship in 2018 and 2019.
Donegan qualified for her first major championship through sectional qualifying in Texas,
where she survived a playoff to secure one of the two spots available.
She also represented Ireland at the Vagliano Trophy, a biennial match-play event between Great Britain and Ireland and the Continent of Europe, held in Scotland just before the US Women’s Open.
How did she overcome adversity?
Donegan’s journey to Pebble Beach was not smooth. She endured 30 hours of travel from Dublin to San Francisco via Newark, only to find out that her clubs did not arrive with her.
had to play her first practice round with a courtesy set of Ping clubs, which were different from her usual ones.
When her clubs finally arrived, she discovered that her driver’s head was completely smashed, presumably during transit.
tweeted a picture of the damage and expressed her frustration with United Airlines.
@united I am not happy with you.
My clubs finally arrived to Pebble Beach for the @uswomensopen and my driver is destroyed pic.twitter.com/hF0kwMK7oz — aine donegan (@DoneganAine) July 4, 2023
However, she did not let that ruin her mood or her game.
decided to use the new Ping driver that she had tried during practice and found that it suited her well.
She said that everything happens for a reason and that she was delighted with her choice3.
What did she do on the course?
Donegan showed remarkable composure and skill on the challenging Pebble Beach layout.
She started from the 10th tee and made two bogeys on her first two holes, but bounced back with an eagle on the 15th, where she holed out from 96 yards with a wedge.
She also birdied the 17th to make the turn at one under 12.
dropped another shot on the first hole but then caught fire with four birdies in five holes from the third to the seventh.
reached four under and shared the lead with China’s Lin Xiyu at one point, before making a bogey on her final hole, the ninth 12.
finished with a 69, one stroke behind Lin, and tied with South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu for second place.
She was also the best-placed amateur among the 24 in the field, ahead of Italy’s Bernadetta Moresco and USA’s Amari Avery, who both shot 7012.
What did she say after the round?
Donegan was ecstatic and proud of her performance.
She said that it was an amazing feeling to play at Pebble Beach and to see her name on the leaderboard.
credited her coach and caddie, Gary Madden, for helping her stay calm and focused throughout round 12.
thanked her family and friends who came to support her,
as well as the Irish fans who cheered for her on the course.
said that she felt their energy and that it motivated her to play well 12.
acknowledged that it was only the first round and that there was still a long way to go in the tournament.
She said that she would try to enjoy every moment and keep playing her best golf 12.
Why should you care about Aine Donegan?
Aine Donegan is a rising star in women’s golf who has shown incredible talent and resilience.
She has overcome obstacles and challenges to achieve her dream of playing in a major championship.
has also impressed everyone with her performance at Pebble Beach, where she outplayed many of the world’s best players.
is an inspiration for young golfers everywhere who aspire to follow in her footsteps.
She is also a proud representative of Ireland, a country with a rich golfing tradition and history. She is a player to watch and root for in the US Women’s Open and beyond.
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