BATON ROUGE – For the second straight year, LSU golfer Aine Donegan will take part in the United State Women’s Open.
Donegan won an Open qualifier event at the Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club in Rockwall, Texas to earn a spot in the 79th U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, May 30-June 2.
The native of the Republic of Ireland posted rounds of 68 and 67 to finish at 9-under par 135. The 36-hole qualifier was rain delayed on Monday morning but Donegan was able to get both her rounds in top post before darkness fell on Monday.
Several players from the field of 77 had to come back on Tuesday morning to finish their round looking for the two qualifying spots but no one was able to get even with Donegan. Huai-Chien Hsu, an amateur from Chinese Taipei, shot back-to-back rounds of 68 to earn the second qualifying spot at 8-under 136.
Donegan, who will rejoin her Tiger teammates for the NCAA regional in Bryan, Texas which starts on Monday, had two good cards with five birdies and just one bogey in her opening round 68. In the second round, it was six birdies and one bogey as she played the last 10 holes in 5-under to shoot her 67.
Donegan qualified last year for the Women’s Open at famed Pebble Beach and delighted a large group of family, friends and Irish fans with a 69 in the opening round after her golf clubs were delayed in travel and once they arrived, her driver was broken and had to be replaced. She was one of four amateurs to make the cut.
Three current members of the LSU Women’s Golf team will now take part in the Open as Donegan will join graduates Ingrid Lindblad and Latanna Stone in the competition.
Lindblad earned an exemption into the field as the recipient of the 2023 Mark H. McCormack Medal for No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. This is expected to be her final start as amateur before the SEC’s all-time winningest collegiate golfer turns pro.
Lindblad qualified for the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and won the medal for the low amateur, opening with a round of 65 and finishing 72 holes at 1-under par.
Stone also receives an exemption into the tournament after her stellar performance last August in the United States Women’s Amateur at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, California. Stone plowed through the field taking out top-ranked golfers including 2022 U.S. Girls Junior champ Yana Wilson, rallying from five down to win in extra holes.
The Riverview, Florida native would beat three Curtis Cup members and two former USGA champions on the way to finishing runner-up in the prestigious competition.
Also on the list for entry into the 2024 event, is former LSU All-American Madelene Sagstrom. The Swedish star had her 19th career top 10 finish on the LPGA Tour this past Sunday in Los Angeles and is just under $125,000 short of becoming the second former LSU women’s golfer to hit the $4 million mark in career earnings.