Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.
BATON ROUGE – LSU rising junior Aine Donegan battled through a sunny, but windy day at Pebble Beach in the third round of the US Women’s Open and came home with a 3-over 75 to remain in low amateur position heading to Sunday’s final round.
Donegan through 54 holes is at 4-over par 220 and is T19 in the overall standings. She is three-shots clear in the race for the silver medal for low amateur. If she is able to hold the spot after Sunday’s round it would mark two straight years that an LSU golfer would have captured the silver medal as Ingrid Lindblad was the low amateur in the 2022 event.
Donegan had a strong start to the round with three birdies in the first seven holes before issues on the eighth hole dropped her back in the standings. But she didn’t let the problems on the eighth derail her round as she fought back on the final 10 holes to shoot one over on the more difficult back nine.
“Out of all the rounds here at the US Open, that’s probably the best I’ve hit it,” Donegan said in an NBC Sports interview. “I hit two bad shots out of the whole round and they were the two that came on eight.”
Caddy Gary Madden gave Donegan some good advice heading to the final nine holes of the round.
“He said just act like you had seven pars and two bogeys which wouldn’t be the worst score.”
Donegan improved in greens in regulation on Saturday, hitting 12-of-18 and after three rounds has made 11 birdies which ties her for fourth in the field in birdies made. She is sixth in the field in putting at 1.66 putts per hole.
Donegan closed her round with a 21-foot par putt on the par 5 18th which drew a loud response from the crowd around the final hole.
“I heard the crowd today,” she said. “They were particularly loud the first seven holes and then got a bit quiet but they came back for the final few holes. There are so many Irish out here and I’m very proud of myself. I’m very pleased to be where I am right now.”
The other amateurs are Benedetta Moresco and Monet Chun at +7 and Amari Avery at +9.
The final round is Sunday and will be televised on NBC Sports, beginning at 2 pm CT.
Story originally appeared on LSU Tigers Wire