At just 20 years old, Kilbeggan native, Ríona Egan has already achieved a lot in golf, both on and off the course.
She is a former Junior Captain at New Forest Golf Club and the U19 Flogas Irish Junior Open Summer Tour Nett Champion in 2023. Now while balancing her love for the sport with a demanding first year studying Law at Maynooth University, through the #GolfLikeMe initiative, Egan wants to show that golf truly is a sport for everyone.
Like many young people starting out in the game, her love for golf began at the age of ten when her father brought her and her sister to the driving range for the first time.
“My dad brought me down to the driving range with my sister and he had a junior set of clubs. Me and my sister were just hitting them away and it was just something about it that I loved,” said Egan.
“When I was about 12 or 13, I joined the club and just meeting other juniors there and as the junior club grew it became an addiction almost, it was just great craic.”
Though Egan took part in several sports growing up she sometimes found it difficult to fit in. “I have autism and I felt like a bit of an outsider in team sports and different things like that and then when I decided to go into golf it was a community that anyone could fit in to,” said Egan.
“When Deborah mentioned about #GolfLikeMe I thought it was a perfect opportunity because if there is someone else like me, who is struggling to fit in to a certain sport or community sports related, if there is someone who was hesitant because they think well I have autism or I have this or that, they have different abilities or disabilities whatever it may be, just for them to know there is something out there for them.”
#GolfLikeMe is just one of the platforms that Egan is hoping will help people to realise the benefits of golf no matter who or what their circumstances are, as she is also a member of the Youth Council of Ireland, a group of passionate young people who discuss how to make golf more inclusive and accessible to younger players.
“It’s just a group of us from all different parts of the country and we gather together perspectives of pros and cons of the golf system in Ireland for young people and breaking stereotypes, trying to make golf more inclusive for younger people rather than the stereotypical older people,” said Egan.
Golf is not the only passion in Egan’s life, having always been a fan of true crime documentaries and holding a keen interest in the Irish judicial system she took the step to follow that passion.
She began her studies in Law in Maynooth and while they take priority, Egan still finds time to stay connected to golf and as part of an eight-strong team of #GolfLikeMe advocates, she has been given the opportunity to share her message widely through Golf Ireland’s platforms.
“The lectures are only hour-long but my God they feel like two hours, three hours,” said Egan.
“I have ten hours a week which isn’t too bad but there’s a lot of assignments in between and different readings and stuff like that and having to learn cases and things.
“For GolfLikeMe I’m going to do a bit of driving range work and going out on the course a bit but I am going to primarily focus on my past and what I have done, and what I have been able to accomplish because obviously with college and stuff, a lot of weekends I do stay up here and I don’t really have access to my golf stuff.
“Just being able to show the achievements that I have been able to achieve essentially, it’s a good way of looking at them, it’s a good way of showing people it is possible.”
This campaign aims to enhance diversity in golf by providing a space for individuals to tell their inspiring stories about how the sport fits into their lives.
Golf Ireland is particularly committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals from minority or diverse ethnic backgrounds, women and girls, young people, people with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
As the #GolfLikeMe advocate, Egan’s journey can be followed on Golf Ireland’s media channels.
“I would struggle a lot with anxiety so especially when you are out in the fresh air and not being confined to an hour-long football training in the evenings or whatever, you do it on your own basis and your own terms, you can play with who you want and when you want” said Egan.
“I have met the most interesting people and when you actually get talking to the person when you are out there for four hours with them you really get a good understanding of who they are and it helps you build good relationships with people going out.
“It comes to a point when you see them on the timesheet and you book in with them because you enjoy the chat and there’s a good social aspect to golf as well.
“You can actually chat to people and you can bond over the love of golf.”
Leave a comment