Mississippi State alum wins first-ever LPGA event
STARKVILLE, Miss. (BVM) — Ally McDonald became the first-ever Mississippi State alum to win an LPGA event on Oct. 25.
McDonald, who began her professional career four years ago, opened up play shooting 6-under par in the opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee. She followed up her opening round with a score of 68 to move to the top of the leaderboard. McDonald finished off her third round of action, shooting 3-under par.
With Danielle Kang trailing behind, McDonald finished the final round with her second consecutive 3-under-par performance.
When it was all said and done, McDonald had an overall score of 16-under par, and Kang, ranked No. 4 in the LPGA world rankings, had an overall score of 15-under par.
“I knew from the start that Danielle was going to hang in there,” McDonald said in an interview with the Golf Channel following her victory. “You kind of go to match-play mode, and you think absolutely she’s going to put the pedal down. So I was just happy to hang in there and pull it out. … “I had to gather myself and get my heart rate under control after I made bogey on 13 and Danielle went back to back on birdies on 13 and 14. I just told myself to calm down and do what I’ve been doing every single round, and that is just trying to execute my game plan, control what I can.”
As if winning her first LPGA event wasn’t special enough, she happened to capture the championship on her 28th birthday.
When asked if this was the best birthday present ever, McDonald said, “It’s definitely towards the top, that’s for sure.”
Not only was McDonald the first-ever Mississippi State alum to win an LPGA event, but before she reached the professional level, she was already winning and setting records as a Bulldog.
At Mississippi State, she racked up five top-10 finishes. Along with those finishes, she has two wins in a row at the Schooner Fall Classic and the Old Waverly Invite. She also set course and program records by shooting a 63 in the final round at the Schooner Classic. Also, in 2014, she led the program to the first NCAA championship competition of any university in the state of Mississippi.
With her professional career well underway and her first professional win under her belt, McDonald has a bright future ahead of her.
“It was her turn,” Mississippi State women’s golf head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said in a press release. “She works so hard and has always been the epitome of a leader, competitor, and spots women. All of Mississippi State is celebrating her and her victory. Thousands of cowbells are ringing right now. Hail State!”
