Aine Donegan's unlikely route to Pebble Beach for the US Open capped off a successful year Stateside.
After returning to Ireland and teeing it up in Connemara at the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship in June, she’s excited to make her professional debut.
The Clare golfer’s accent is still intact after two years in the US, one in Indiana and one in Louisiana. The lilt is clear as she speaks to RTÉ Sport from Lahinch Golf Club, sporting her LSU Tigers attire.
She booked her ticket to California after an emphatic 36-hole run at The Peninsula Golf Club a month ago.
It was a spontaneous decision for the 21-year-old to play in the US Open qualifier; she was persuaded by fellow Irish golfer and 2021 Irish Women’s Amateur Close champion Anna Foster.
In fairness, it didn’t take much convincing for Donegan who embraced the challenge, and a golf trip to the West Coast.
"She said it to me about a month before the event. She rang me. She was like 'Oh do you want to play in the US Open qualifiers?’ I said ‘Grand’.
"What I liked most is that I never expected it, I never expected to get through. I didn’t even know about the qualifier. I think there’s like ten qualifiers and I didn’t really know about them until my friend had said it to me. I owe it all to her really."
Staying with Foster’s uncle, the pair paid their $200 entrance fees but didn’t expect to qualify in a field of 70 golfers. Having flown from Alabama, they were tired and not too concerned about making it into the oldest Major championship in women's professional golf.
"We just said we'd go out and play for a bit of fun. And we were in San Francisco. We got to go around and see the usual, see the Golden Gate Bridge and all that, downtown. We actually played TPC Harding two days before the event started with her uncle and another guy from Ireland - there's loads of Irish in San Francisco."
The first signs of success that day for Donegan appeared early. If growing up playing links courses in the West of Ireland doesn’t prepare you for wind, nothing will.
"We get there, we're the first people at the golf course. We got there at 5.30am. The American flag was waving, you could see it was really windy. Automatically over in America if it's windy, Irish people like it because we're used to playing in the wind here."
After 18 holes in the hilly terrain of The Peninsula designed by Donald Ross, (Oak Hill Country Club designer) Donegan was tied in fifth position.
"I was making very good pars, it was extremely windy, probably the windiest conditions I’ve ever played in, windier than any links golf course I’ve played in Ireland."
Donegan finished the round in third position having shot a one-over 72 and two-over 73 and headed for food at a nearby sports bar recommended by the club pro. Miranda Wang of China was in second position and in line to qualify, taking Donegan out of the running. Upon returning to the 18th green, Donegan learned she had a chance to qualify.
"Then we came back and it was very tight. She had three holes left to play and I think she was one ahead of me or something. The pro is kind of friends with us now. We're talking to the girl who won - she goes to Stanford (Kelly Xu)… The pro comes out and he’s like ‘she just made a bogey', so now it’s even."
@united my golf clubs are in Newark and we're supposed to arrive in San Fransisco airport yesterday. Still no sign of them and need them to play in @uswomensopen this week in Pebble Beach #wheresmyclubs
— aine donegan (@DoneganAine) July 3, 2023
With Wang on the 18th hole, the Clare golfer started warming up on the range in case of a play-off, as the club pro kept an eye on the 18th green.
"It's about 8pm, I’m freezing and we've been there since about 5:30 am. In San Francisco, it was not warm all day. I'm on the range shivering hitting golf balls. The pro comes over to me on the range and says, 'I have somebody watching - she has a six-foot putt for par on the last hole. Make it and we're in a play-off'."
Wang missed the putt, allowing Donegan to join Leona Maguire as the only Irish golfer in the 78th US Women’s Open.
"It's so funny. We drove home that night. We were the last to leave the golf course, we had a beer with the pro. I was exhausted. I was heading home to Ireland the next day."
This week, after the interview took place, her clubs went missing in transit. But she is at the course preparing and hopeful her airline will deliver them before Thursday's first round.
As for the practice round on 5 July, the LSU student is thrilled to have the opportunity to play with the LPGA’s biggest names. She’s signed up to play with Annika Sorenstam, Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie on the number one ranked public golf course in America.
"It’s very iconic, I’ve been there before, I’ve never played it but it’s kind of like links golf in a way. Even just the fact that Lahinch is my home course and my preferred course of golf would be links. I like the wind, I seem to play better on links when it’s windy."
Women's Amateur Close Championship
When it comes to expectations, she does better without any. Making the cut is the goal but enjoying this experience is the priority for the business analytics major. She’s preparing for her first professional event by playing some of the best links that Ireland and the UK have to offer, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Prince’s in England, Connemara and Royal Dornoch in Scotland.
"It’ll be easy to just go and enjoy it, and get to know the course early on in the week and just enjoy it. Hopefully I get paired with someone cool, just have a good time really. Embrace it all."
Growing up beside Woodstock Golf Club in Ennis, Donegan played golf, soccer and GAA. She was coached by Gary Madden of Glenlo Abbey from the age of nine and decided to give it her all at 16. After school, she committed to Indiana University, but transferring to LSU has changed Donegan’s life and elevated her game immensely.
She’s been able to thrive in the competitive nine-player roster, which has six European players and just three Americans. Daily practice with her team including amateur world number one, Ingrid Lindblad, has normalised shooting low scores for Donegan.
"People don’t really care. It’s a good thing because it kind of normalises playing good, it’s not a big deal. At the end of the day it’s not. You shoot -10 or +2, it’s not a big deal, it’s just golf."
LSU has also provided every opportunity of success for Donegan.
"They organised to have new wedges in my locker the second I get to Pebble for the US Open. Anything you need, or anything you want, the coaches will get them for you."
The pro game may beckon, but for now, this rising amateur is focusing on one shot at a time. It's an easygoing mindset that’s served her so well from Lahinch to Pebble Beach.
