Each week throughout the year we will spotlight one Epson Tour player and provide an in depth look into her life - both on and off the course. Up next in "This week is all about..." series is Catherine O'Donnell.
O'Donnell Hoping for a Healthy Road to Get Back on Track
When Catherine O’Donnell tees it up this week at the Eagle Classic in Richmond, Va., she might want to be aware of the location for the nearest hospital. Or hopefully the yearlong cycle of health issues is in the past for the second-year Epson Tour player.
“This has definitely been the worst year of health I’ve ever had,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell, 24, began her rookie season in 2013 by shaping up – losing nearly 60 pounds as she went on a low-carb, no-alcohol diet. Things were progressing nicely until one year ago this week when she went to Richmond. Her father, Michael, the CEO of Ruth’s Hospitality Group (Ruth’s Chris) – also her main sponsor – was in town to catch up and serve as her caddie. However, before the tournament, Catherine didn’t feel well. An urgent care visit determined an appendectomy was necessary, sidelining O’Donnell for two weeks. When she came back toward the end of the season, a kidney infection set her back. Still, she recorded three top-10 finishes and placed 38th on the money list.
That run of bad luck continued into the start of the 2014 season when she had a cyst removed from her wrist, an injury that began to bother her in late 2013 and may have stemmed from an hand injury sustained while in college at North Carolina. Therefore, the 2014 season got off to a slow start.
O’Donnell’s injuries seem more suited to her other sports passion, soccer. At Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – the same high school as football icon Tim Tebow, who is three years older – she was an all-state soccer player and a two-time state champion. Soccer began at age 4. She took up golf at her father’s urging as a 15-year-old high school sophomore after breaking her collarbone in soccer as a freshman.
Her soccer goal was to attend powerhouse North Carolina, following her hero Mia Hamm. But golf at the Chapel Hill, N.C., school was determined to be a better career path. Plus, as a part of the prestigious Leadership Academy during her time as a four-time all-ACC performer, she met Hamm and worked beside men’s basketball coach Roy Williams, who is a huge golf fan.
“I started golf so late that I’m still learning a lot of things,” O’Donnell said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot more room to grow in the game.”
Things began to turn around this summer, not far from her college alma mater, when she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Even though she missed the cut, her pairing in the first two rounds with 11-year-old Lucy Li – the darling of the event – earned O’Donnell some attention.
When the Epson Tour returned from its one-month summer break, O’Donnell was feeling more confident.
“I was finally feeling comfortable off the course and with my game,” O’Donnell said. “It’s more free flowing instead of worrying about what’s wrong.”
Five of her last six rounds have been at par or better since early August, culminating with a final-round 66 and a tie for eighth at last week’s New England Charity Classic. She stands 92nd on the money list and eyeballs a win over the last four tournaments to get nearer the coveted top 10 and a spot on the 2015 LPGA.
“I know I basically need a win to get there,” O’Donnell said. “But it was really nice to have a good finish last week and move up. Just keep playing better and things will take care of themselves.”
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