LSU Golfer Donegan Helps GB&I Capture First Curtis Cup Since 2016
Aine Donegan and teammate Sara Byrne with the Irish flag and the Curtis Cup won by GB&I
BATON ROUGE – You never know when a half or full point might be the difference in a competition like the Curtis Cup, which was competed for among the top women’s amateurs of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland at the famed Sunningdale Course in England.
For LSU’s Aine Donegan, soon to start her senior season at LSU, the 2.5 points she contributed to the GB&I side was part of the story in a compelling three-day 10.5-9.5 victory over the U.S.A. which concluded Sunday afternoon with the final eight singles matches.
Donegan made a very important 17-foot birdie putt on the last hole of a foursome’s match teamed with Hannah Darling against Anna Davis and Megan Schofill that gave GB&I their only outright match win on the first day. Earlier, she had team with fellow Irish countrywoman Sara Byrne to get a crucial tie on 18 to give her team a crucial half-point in alternate shot.
On Saturday, Donegan and Darling were making magic at 18 again to win over Davis and Schofill again in alternate shot. Donegan made a crucial bunker shot to set up Darling’s par putt for the 1UP win.
In the Sunday singles, it was a little nervy at times for both sides, but GB&I won the 3.5 points they needed to get to 10.5 points to win the 20-point match, 10.5-9.5, and get the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016.
For Curtis Cup captain Catriona Matthew, the magic was still there after previously taking two European Solheim Cup professionals to victory in the past.
“This is just as special as any of the others,” said Matthew. “Anytime you captain a team when you’re representing your country, there is no bigger honor. I had a fantastic team, the eight of them. They all played well. They all contributed. We had a great week all week. We were kind of relaxed. We enjoyed it. But they went out and played some amazing golf.
“My hat’s off to the Americans, as well. They gave us a battle. We knew they were going to come out strong today, and they did. But this team, they dug in deep as they have in every session, and I couldn’t be happier for them,” she said.
The attention now returns to the start of the 2024-25 college golf season and Donegan will rejoin Head Coach Garrett Runion and Assistant Coach Alexis Rather (who was on site for the Curtis Cup) and her LSU teammates as they begin the season Sept. 9-10 at the Cougar Classic outside Charleston, South Carolina.