Irish Amateur In Second At 'Surreal' US Women's Open Despite A Broken Driver

Irish amateur Aine Donegan had her driver broken on the way to Pebble Beach but still managed to get into second after the opening round

Irish amateur Aine Donegan at the 2023 US Women's Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

"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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Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.