Clare's Aine Donegan remains in touch at the Women's US Open, despite a tough second round of four over par, leaving her in a tie for 11th and eight shots off leader Bailey Tardy.
The 21-year-old amateur has shown unbelievable maturity at the prestigious event, which is being held at the world renowned Pebble Beach in California.
Broadcasters were eager to take advantage of her story, and had her take part in the new trend of mid-round interviews, where she told the story how how she came to qualify for the event:
Anna, who goes to Auburn in Alabama, she called me up about a month before the qualifier and she said 'Aine there's a US Open qualifier about twenty minutes from my uncle's house, do you want to come and play?'
I said 'fine', make a little trip out of it and we can go and play a few other courses up here and luckily on the day I made top two.
And next thing you know I'm here in Pebble Beach.
Aine Donegan Shows Great Composure On US Open Debut
Walking and talking down the ninth.
📺 @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/XBoJbJqlHb
— LSU Women's Golf (@LSUWomensGolf) July 7, 2023
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“The whole thing has been surreal," said Donegan after her first round.
"Every five minutes is a pinch-me moment. Even young girls coming up looking for autographs, to do it at a place like Pebble Beach is really special.
“I played 18 holes with Annika on Tuesday, and honestly one of the best days of my life. You learn a lot from her, she is the icon of the game, the GOAT of the game. Annika is so down-to-earth. She was just as nice to me as my parents and everyone else on the tour.”
Donegan's compatriot Leona Maguire is picking up where she left off at the Women's PGA Championship, and finds herself in a tie for fifth, six shots off the lead.
SEE ALSO: Clare's Aine Donegan Surges Into US Open Contention Despite Club Getting Destroyed On Plane
