STARKVILLE — Golf was just something Ally McDonald did in high school.
She was better than most with a golf club in her hand, but as a teenager she didn’t think much about a
future in golf. It wasn’t until she was a junior at Itawamba Agricultural High School that she started to think she might be able to play golf professionally. A third-place finish in the 2010 U.S. Girls Junior Championship in North Carolina was a revelation for McDonald.
“I walked away feeling more confident in the fact I felt like I could play with some of the best junior golfers, so why couldn’t I turn that into college? And I played well there,” McDonald said. “(Professional golf’s) been a dream, and now I’m moving a little bit closer to that.”
McDonald turned professional this summer after she finished her final season at Mississippi State. She played in some small tournaments, but she knew she would have a chance to play on the most prestigious women’s tour, the LPGA, with a good finish at qualifying school. Last weekend, McDonald made it to the final stage of qualifying and finished the 90-hole tournament with a 357, which was good enough for 22nd place. The finish earned her Category 17 status, or conditional status.
“Ally has attained, through an emotional and physically draining week, an elite status of an LPGA member,” MSU coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said in a school statement. “Our volunteer coach continues to represent our core values of discipline, attitude, will, gratitude, and (selflessness) with all she’s got. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”
McDonald’s performance will enable her to play in LPGA and Symetra Tour events this season. In addition to having a high priority in Symetra Tour events, McDonald said she will enter every LPGA Tour event she can. She will be an alternate for many LPGA events, which means she will have to wait for somebody to drop out to get a chance to play.
After finishing qualifying school Sunday, McDonald said she hasn’t had time to understand what she accomplished.
“It feels pretty good,” McDonald said. “It really hasn’t set in. Hopefully if I play well, I can better my status a little bit. I’m really excited and looking forward to next year.”
McDonald, who is a volunteer assistant coach for the MSU women’s golf team, had a prestigious college career. The All-American won five tournaments as an individual and owns the school’s top three single-season stroke average records and its career stroke average record. She also had a school-record 379 birdies in her four-year career.
As a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High in Fulton, she became the first female to win the boys Mississippi State championship. She could have turned professional after high school and traveled all over the country playing golf, but she decided to go to MSU, a decision she is glad she made.
“There are some people who aren’t fit for college golf, but I was able to grow and I learned a lot more about myself,” McDonald said. “I challenged myself and learned some new shots thanks to coach (Ginger Brown-Lemm). I just pushed myself a little bit harder.”
McDonald said she had all sorts of support from Brown-Lemm, her teammates, the MSU community, and her family while she played for the Bulldogs. She is getting that same support playing on the big stage. Thanks to a 2-under-par 70 on the final day, she earned her first professional tournament victory in July at the Michigan PGA Women’s Open. She has competed in the last two U.S. Opens, and finished 41st at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in August.
Those tournaments helped her prepare for the final stage of qualifying school. She didn’t play a competitive round for about a month prior to the final stage and was rusty on day one as she shot a 2-over 70.
“The first day was probably the most nerve racking, just the anxiousness building up for a whole month, and knowing this is the tournament I’ve been waiting for for a month, now it’s here,” McDonald said. “I think I played with more pressure on that first day, but after that, I kind of relaxed. I knew the only way I was going to preform my best is to stay calm, relax, stay in the moment, and not let the thought of what’s in the future take over my play. I think I did a pretty good job.”
Ally and her father, Jamie, who was her caddy, had a good game plan for the final four days. She shot a pair of 2-under 70s in the second and third rounds before shooting a 1-over 73 in the fourth round. She finished the tournament with a 2-under 70 to give her a chance of finishing in the top 20 and getting top priority for LPGA Tour events. She was one stroke away from entering the top 20 and having a chance to compete in a playoff to earn full status.
One hundred fifty-seven players competed for LPGA Tour membership in category 12 and 17 on the 2016 LPGA priority list.
The top 20 finishers (no ties) following the final round earned Category 12 membership, while players who finished 21-45 plus ties earned membership through Category 17.
McDonald will have another chance to secure full membership to the LPGA Tour, but for now, she is content.
“If one more putt would have fallen, I might have had an opportunity for that top 20,” McDonald said. “I trust I’m right where I need to be, and I’m right where God wants me to be.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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