If you want to talk about eventful debuts on the LPGA Tour then talk to Irish amateur Aine Donegan, who made her very first appearance on Tour at the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach – and ended the first round just a shot off the lead despite playing with a replacement driver.
You could have forgiven the 21-year-old for getting caught up in the situation – just the fact that her LPGA debut came in a Major, and the historic first time visit to the iconic Pebble Beach for the women’s game.
Then on top of all that, her clubs didn’t show up in California until Tuesday and when they did her driver was broken!
With a replacement Ping driver in her bag, though, Donegan went out and shot 69 in her first round at Pebble Beach to sit just one behind joint-leaders Xiyu Lin and Hyo Joo Kim.
It capped a week that’s already been “surreal” for Donegan which also included a practice round with golfing legend Annika Sorenstam around the iconic Pebble Beach.
“It’s like everything happens for a reason, the clubs were late and then the driver came and it was broken,” she said. “All of a sudden I have no choice but to put this Ping driver in.
“The whole thing has been a bit surreal to be honest. Nearly ever five minutes it’s like a pinch-me movement. Even just walking to the putting green and young girls asking for autographs and stuff.
“It’s like, that was me. And to do it at a place like Pebble Beach is something I’ll never forget.
@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/hF0kwMK7ozJuly 4, 2023
“On Tuesday I played 18 holes with Annika, and honestly, one of the best days of my life. You learn a lot from her, and at the end of the day she’s the icon of the game, the GOAT.
“That was really – like even just to play 18 holes with her and then at the U.S. Open in a practice round for the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, the whole thing has been a pinch-me moment.”
There could still be more pinch-me moments to come for Donegan if she can continue to match the best players in the world around one of the world’s best golf courses.
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