Aine Donegan Leads Amateur Race At US Women's Open Despite A Nine At Pebble Beach

Conditions at the US Women's Open were harsh to say the least, with just six players under-par as the final round gets underway on Sunday. Currently, Nasa Hataoka leads by one, with Aine Donegan leading the race for the top amateur.

That lead, which currently stands at three, over Italian amateur, Benedetta Moresco, could have been so much more though, had it not been for a quintuple bogey nine at the par 4 eighth hole, with Donegan finding the hazard not once, but twice.

"I hit a good tee shot and I had about 190 to the flag. The wind was really, really left to right there, and that wind often doesn't suit a right-handed golfer who plays a draw," explained Donegan following her third round.

"Not that it makes a huge difference, or it's an excuse, but I just didn't hit two -- I hit two very bad shots in a row, which obviously concluded in me having a 9 on the hole. I had to keep moving on. I had still 10 holes left to play. It was very disappointing, but I'm pleased with how I finished after that."

After a nine, it's understandable that players' heads could be a tad scrambled but, in the case of the Irish golfer, she battled back with two bogeys and a birdie over her remaining 10 holes meaning she signed for a three-over-par round of 75.

"My coach said to me, so I was 3-under through 7, and then obviously I was 2-over through 9. My coach said to me, Aine, just act like you've just had seven pars and two bogeys. Forget about the fact that it's a 9. At the end of the day you've had the exact same number of shots as seven pars and two bogeys. That's what I did."

She added: "I'm really happy with how I played the back nine, especially as the back nine today is playing really tough. It's really windy. It feels like home, to be honest, the back nine today. The back nine is just the back nine at Pebble. It's very, very difficult with the added wind and then the pressure, it's tough. It's tough to play in. Yeah, I'm really happy with how I finished the back nine."

The US Women's Open week for Donegan has already thrown up a few bits of drama! Before the tournament had even begun, her clubs didn’t show up in California until Tuesday and, when they did, her driver was broken. Despite this, the 21-year-old still went out and shot 69 in her first round to then sit just one behind joint-leaders Xiyu Lin and Hyo Joo Kim. Following her first round, Donegan fired a 76 and 75 to sit 11 shots back of leader, Hataoka.

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