County Clare amateur Áine Donegan fired an opening round 69 to move into a tie for third alongside Leona Maguire at the 78th US Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The 21-year-old's stunning round included five birdies and an eagle which, despite a difficult start which began with a pair of bogeys, saw her post an excellent three-under-par total, just a shot behind leaders Xiyu Lin of China and Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea.
Speaking after her round, Donegan said: "The whole thing has been a bit surreal to be honest. Nearly every five minutes it's like a pinch-me moment.
"It wouldn't be the first time I started bogey-bogey. For me to come back then and finish how I finished and play the rest of round, I'm really proud of myself for that."
Remarkably, the Lahinch GC member was playing with a new driver after hers was apparently damaged in transit from Ireland to California.
@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
Playing the course the wrong way around, the Louisiana State University student dropped shots at the 10th and 11th holes before an eagle two on the 15th sparked her into life. She made a deuce on the par-three 17th to get into the red before dropping another shot on the first, her 10th.
From there, however, Donegan's putter heated up and she birdied four of her next five holes to get to four-under-par. A dropped shot on the ninth, her final hole, put a small dampener on her day but she'll head into round two in fantastic shape at the famous old links.
China's Lin went one better than Donegan to open with a 68 and take the early clubhouse lead on four-under-par, later being joined by Kim.
Cavan's Maguire was among the late starters and didn't get her opening round underway until almost 10.30pm Irish time.
But she also fared well, firing a 69 of her own, with five birdies including two in succession on four and five, whilst dropping just two shots on the first and 11th.
Maguire, who held the lead after the third round at last month's Women's PGA Championship before falling away, said it did not take her long to get over that disappointment ahead.
She said: "It's golf. These things happen. I think you have to get on with things pretty quickly, dust yourself off."
She added that the third major of the season had "been circled on the calendar".
