Áine Donegan to hold off on pro career to enjoy a little more college living in Louisiana

Áine Donegan left quite a mark with her performance – and charisma – at the US Women’s Open but the 21-year-old Clare woman doesn’t intend to fast-track her way to a professional career any time soon.

“No, I’m going to finish college,” said Donegan, a business student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where she is on a golf scholarship. “No doubt about it. I love LSU, and it wouldn’t even cross my mind.”

Donegan, however, is hoping to get an invitation to play as an amateur in the KPMG Irish Women’s Open at Dromoland Castle in September, which would necessitate her delaying her return to university by a week, and she is also in the final qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open.

[ Who is Áine Donegan, the Irish amateur taking on the world’s best at Pebble Beach? ]

Although she missed out on the silver medal for leading amateur at Pebble Beach, which went to Italy’s Benedetta Moresco, Donegan – who was fighting illness in her final round – claimed the experience would stand to her.

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“I played with a lot of different pros and my ball-striking would probably be on a par with them and my putting is more just decision making, [cutting out] silly mistakes. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that these tournaments are tiring, definitely. I kind of admire the pros more after this week for how much they travel and how exhausting it actually is.”

Oh, and as an amateur, Donegan wasn’t entitled to any prizemoney. Celine Boutier, the world number 14, and Solheim Cup player Bronte Law who finished alongside her in tied-45 each pocketed $35,208.

Such pay-days hopefully await her in the future.

[ Áine Donegan misses out on US Women’s Open silver medal after battling illness in final round ]

Word of Mouth

“I’m quite an aggressive person when it comes to life ... if I want something, I’ll go and get it. That’s kind of mentality” – Charley Hull, runner-up to Allisen Corpuz in the US Women’s Open, on her approach to life and golf.

By the Numbers: 5-2-2

There are five Irish players in this week’s Genesis Scottish Open: Pádraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tom McKibbin and Séamus Power.

There are two Irish players in the field at the LET’s Aramco tournament in London: Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey.

There are two Irish women in the field for the Dana Open in Ohio on the LPGA Tour: Lauren Walsh and Stephanie Meadow.

On this day: July 11th, 1999

As victories went, and there were many of them for Colin Montgomerie in an honour-laden career, the one in the Standard Life tournament at Loch Lomond was one of the sweetest.

Montgomerie shot a final round 64 for a total of 16-under-par 268 to claim a three-strokes winning margin over Sergio Garcia (who’d achieved his breakthrough win on the European Tour at the previous week’s Murphy’s Irish Open at Druids Glen) and Swedish duo Mats Lanner and Michael Jonzon.

In what was his 20th career win on the European circuit, its significance was that it was his first on home turf in Scotland: “How could I possibly feel any better than I do right now?” asked Monty after his emotional win.

Having started the round playing catch-up on Garcia, Montgomerie turned a four-strokes deficit into a comfortable winning margin with a final round that included a run of nine birdies in 12 holes to claim his first individual win in Scotland. (He had previously won the Alfred Dunhill Cup, a team event, in 1995.)

“I just feel very proud right now to have won on the western coast of Scotland where I’m from. Of all the victories, and I think that’s 20 right now, this has to be the most special,” said Monty.

Twitter Twaddle

– Justin Rose having the craic in posting a photo of Europe’s captain Luke Donald meeting David Beckham at Wimbledon.

– Pádraig Harrington on taking a second Bernese mountain gog into the family.

– Greg Chalmers unimpressed with his own stats at the John Deere Classic (won by Sepp Straka) which had him ranked 126th in putting and 130th tee-to-green among other grim numbers.

Know the Rules

Q: In a match, Player B has completed the hole in five strokes. Player A, who has a putt for a five, asks B what score they had for the hole. Player B mistakenly states that they holed out in four strokes. Player A picks up their ball without marking its position. Player B then corrects their mistake. What is the ruling?

A: Player B loses the hole for telling the opponent the wrong number of strokes and not correcting it before the ball was lifted (Rule 3.d (1)). Player B needed to correct the mistake before Player A picked up the ball.

In the Bag: Allisen Corpuz (US Women’s Open)

Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)

3-wood: Ping G4330 MAX (15 degrees)

5-wood: Ping G430 MAX (18 degrees)

Hybrid: Ping G410 (4h)

Irons: Ping i230 (5-PW)

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (50, 54 and 58 degrees)

Putter: Ping 2021 DS72-H

Ball: Titleist ProV1