Lahinch’s Aine Donegan credited a new putting coach and caddie for her fast start in the PIF London Championship as she bids to retain her Ladies European Tour card.
A late arrival at Centurion Club due to a friend’s wedding, the Ennis woman (24) lies 86th in the Order of Merit with only the top 70 keeping full playing privileges.
But she was thrilled to add a four-under 69 to her opening 70 to go into the weekend tied for fourth on seven-under, just four shots behind Canada’s Anna Huang at Centurion Club.
“I got in Tuesday,” Donegan revealed. “I had one of my best friends get married on Monday, so I couldn’t miss that.
“I flew in early Tuesday and played 18 and nine on Wednesday and then the last two days have been good.”
She had just 24 putts for the second day running after making seven birdies, including five in six holes on the front nine.
“I finally have the putter rolling, which has been nice,” she said. “It’s been a while since it’s been hot, so I’ve worked really hard the last month and a half.
“I had a pretty quiet July, so it’s nice to see some hard work being rewarded.
“I’ve worked with my coaches a lot on my putting; it’s let me down the last couple of months.
“I went and saw a new putting coach as well, which was nice. It’s been great, and I’m looking forward to the next few days.
“I also have to give Harry [Ewing] a shoutout on the bag. It’s our first week together, and it’s working pretty well so far.”
At the head of affairs, three-time LET winner Huang (17) shot 68 to lead by a shot on 11-under from Charley Hull, who signed for a blistering course record 62.
Anna Foster shot 74 and Sara Byrne a 72 to leave them tied for 39th on one-over.
But there was no luck for Seamus Power, who missed the cut in the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina.
Needing a solo second finish to make the top 70 in the standings who contest next week’s first Play-Off event.
Ranked 115th, Power triple-bogeyed the 18th when hovering just outside the cut line and shot a four-over 74 to finish on two-over as Ben James shot 67 to lead by two shots on 11-under
Power still has an opportunity in the Fall Series to make the top 100 in the FedEx Cup who will be fully exempt next year.
At the HotelPlanner Tour’s Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A, Max Kennedy leads the Irish challenge on five-under at Schloss Roxburghe near Kelso, ten strokes behind Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrad.
He shot a two-under 69 to share 29th with Liam Nolan (74) and Mark Power (70), squeaking in on the four-under par cut mark.
Ireland wins Men’s & Women’s Home Internationals
In amateur golf, Ireland’s men clinched their first victory in the final match against England, 8-4, to help the hosts win the overall R&A Men’s and Women’s Home Internationals title at a pristine Woodbrook.
While the women’s team lost 5.5-3.5 to their English counterparts, Damien Coyne’s charges won four of the last five singles to help the mixed team claim the R&A Trophy for the combined event for the first time since 2024.
England won the women’s Hugh Kelly Cup with three wins and the men’s Raymond Trophy from Wales, who beat Scotland 14-7 overall — 7-2 in the women’s match and 7-5 in the men’s.
Keith Egan finished things off with 3&2 win over Jamie Van Wyk, for a 11.5-9.5 result.
It completes a brilliant month for the men with Damien Coyne’s side claiming European glory for the first time since 2008, while the women had an outstanding week here with victories over Wales and Scotland.
“Delighted, the lads put in some great performances all week. We had an awful lot of matches that went down 18. It was nice to finish a few matches a little bit earlier today,” said Coyne.
“Some great performances from David Howard, some of the new lads during the week were brilliant, Fionn Dobbin brilliant again today. Keith Egan, class shot into 16 there to finish his match.
“Some really really good performance. Delighted for Thomas Higgins again, it’s just been a great afternoon.”
It was a powerful morning session from the Irish and they took a 4-3 lead into the afternoon singles.
Katie Poots and Kate Dillon held Patience Rhodes and Sophia Fullbrook to a halved match, while Rebekah Gardner and Olivia Costello came up short, Emma Fleming and Anna Abom grabbed a crucial 1up win.
Howard and Dylan Keating were comprehensive 4&2 winners, before Gavin O’Neill’s brilliant putt from off the green sealed a 1up result. John Doyle and David Kitt finished tied in their match and Egan and Dobbin lost the bottom match.
Rhodes and Naughton were first across the line in the afternoon, with Poots securing a 3&1 win. Fullbrook and Lily Hirst also landed points for England but Fleming was also on target with a 1up win.
Daniel Hayes got England off to a winning start in the men’s singles while Doyle was held to a halved match. But there were wins for Higgins, Dobbin, Egan and Keating.
England claimed the Men’s and Women’s titles separately but it was Ireland who won the overall crown for the first time since 2024.
“They did a brilliant job. There was a bit of banter earlier in the week, so the lads promised that they were going to deliver today,” said Ireland Women’s Captain Gillian O’Leary.
“In fairness, the team spirit across the week, the whole team have been brilliant all week. Our girls battled away this afternoon, just didn’t get over the line against England but great performance there so we couldn’t ask any more of them.
“We did have a little chat, we were a bit disappointed afterwards but we said the best thing we could do is get out and support the lads and hope that they could deliver there this afternoon.
“They did brilliant, it was class.”
View the final standings
Article Link: Donegan finds putting touch; Power cut; Ireland win at Woodbrook - News - Irish Golf Desk