Donegal Golf Club shines as visiting duo share the spoils at WPGA Stroke Play

20/05/2025

Glorious sunshine drenched Donegal Golf Club for the WPGA Stroke Play event and it was England’s Emma Allen (left) and Brandy Rook (right) who shot the lowest scores, sharing victory on -3 tallies as the firm and fast course on the Murvagh peninsula more than held its own.

WPGA representatives from England, Scotland and the host nation teed it up on day two of the event, following the Pro-Am on Monday, with former Ladies European Tour stars Cathy Pantan-Lewis and Lynn McCool and 2024 WPGA Cup player Marie Martindale joined by a band of young up-and-comers including reigning WPGA Professional champion Holly Morgan from Lindrick Golf Club and reigning WPGA Assistant’s champion, Holly Haslam of Crondon Park.

And when all was said and done, Allen of Boundary Lakes and Rook, representing Gailes Golf & Leisure in Scotland, were looking down on the rest.

“I actually got a few tips from the ladies I played with in yesterday’s Pro-Am,” Allen said after carding five birdies en-route to her three-under 73. “I actually stuck to that today and I was hitting it really nicely.

“The putter was on fire and I leaned heavily on that. Had a bit of an iffy bit in the middle, found a couple of fairway bunkers – they’re devils – but then just kept it going and played the last 4 holes really steady, really nice, so it was good.”

Allen has been a regular visitor to Ireland in recent years and she was already a big fan of the country before capturing the shared win in Donegal.

“I love it,” she said. “I came two years ago to Glasson. I love coming to Ireland. Everyone's so friendly, really nice. Lynn does a great job of organizing. It's nice that it's two days as well, so we get a Pro-Am to meet all the members, then we get to come out today and play.

“So yeah, I just think it's really well set up and it's just such a great way to start the year off.”

Allen set the clubhouse target, but she wasn’t alone for long and Rook quickly joined her.

Three birdies in succession from the third quickly set the stall for the day, but a bogey on nine saw her turn at -2. Two more birdies back-to-back on 11 and 12 saw her nose in front for the first time, but a bogey on 14 before parring her way in meant she’d share the spoils.

“The front nine was really calm when we teed off,” she explained, “then it started to pick up a bit but it was much calmer than yesterday though.

“This is the first time I’ve played in this event and it was really fun. I haven’t played that well in competition in a while so it’s definitely a nice feeling to shoot under par.”

Finishing behind them in runner-up position was none other than tournament organiser and Donegal Golf Club General Manager Lynn McCool herself.

She twice got it to two-under on the day, but couldn’t maintain it over the closing stretch but only Allen and Rook bettered her round of level-par.

“I was quite shocked, to be honest with you, because I don't get to play much golf,” McCool admitted. “I've taken up the role here as GM at Donegal Golf Club, but that was thoroughly enjoyable, playing with Cathy Panton-Lewis as well.

“Cathy's the lady that started the [Ladies] European Tour, so we would have played on the tour many years ago, so it was nice to be walking the fairways alongside her today and young Katie [Coleman] from Kilkeel as well.”

It was a successful week in more ways than one for McCool, who captained her Pro-Am team to victory on Monday, collected prize money on Tuesday, and received rapturous and gratuitous praise from her fellow compatriots for the event’s organisation.

And she promises a reprisal in 2026.

“It's been brilliant here and the club have really enjoyed hosting it,” she explained. “It's been really good for the club and the WPGA girls are brilliant. I mean they gave a lot yesterday in the golf clinic before the Pro-Am.

“It's something different, and then we do our Pro-Am as a shotgun start, so the buzz in the clubhouse was just fantastic.

“I've got to thank those girls a lot for traveling over from England and Scotland and giving up their time to come here and play golf.

“I think that everybody's enjoyed it that much that we'll have to put it in the diary for next year.”

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