Irish golf fans are quickly getting used to seeing a couple of their own hovering around the top of leaderboards in the women's majors, but this time around having two up there is a very pleasant surprise.
Leona Maguire bounced back from the disappointment of her final round finish at the PGA Championship of only a fortnight ago by carding a 3-under par 69 at Pebble Beach yesterday.
That leaves the Cavan woman one shot off the lead held by Xiyu Lin and Hyo Joo Kim - the two players just above Maguire, the world's number 10, in the rankings.
READ MORE: Clare rookie Áine Donegan makes superb US Women's Open debut
But with Stephanie Meadow - joint third in the PGA Championship - not competing this week, up stepped Lahinch amateur Áine Donegan to match Maguire's efforts.
The 21-year-old Louisiana State scholarship student is playing in her first major tournament after a last minute decision to take a shot at qualifying worked out.
And she is loving every minute of it at the iconic venue, shaking off the loss of her clubs in transit early in the week and an opening brace of bogeys to play the round of her life.
"Yeah, the whole thing has been a bit surreal to be honest," said Donegan. "Nearly every five minutes it's like a pinch me moment - even just walking to the putting green and young girls asking for autographs and stuff.
"It's like, that was me. And to do it at a place like Pebble Beach is something I'll never forget.
"On Tuesday I played 18 holes with Annika (Sorenstam), and honestly, one of the best days of my life. You learn a lot from her, and at the end of the day she's the icon of the game, the GOAT.
"Like, even just to play 18 holes with her - and in a practice round for the US Women's Open at Pebble Beach - the whole thing has been a pinch me moment.
"I can't thank my coach, Gary, enough, my college coaches, my parents. I wouldn't be here without a lot of them. Teammates at LSU. I hope they're watching. Yeah, all the people who helped me get here. I wouldn't be here without them.
"(This rates) definitely the top. No doubt about it. Let's just say it wouldn't be the first time I started bogey-bogey. For me to come back then and finish how I finish, I'm really proud of myself for that."
Donegan was around 30 hours in transit to Pebble Beach, flying from Scotland - where she played in a team event for GB&I last week - to Dublin and then on to Newark.
When she arrived in San Francisco she was told that her clubs would arrive the next day. Instead, they arrived on the eve of the tournament.
"I send a tweet out and made a few headlines," the Clare woman said. "Eventually they have arrived, but I played my first practice round with Ping clubs.
So, full Ping set. I play Ping irons, and so that helped anyway. That particular practice round I started to hit the driver really well and I said it to my caddie, who's also my coach, Gary, I might change to this driver for the week.
"He said, you know, we're going to have a bit of a dilemma when your clubs do arrive. Anyway, the clubs arrive the next day, I think on Tuesday, and my driver is smashed. Completely smashed.
"At least it stopped us thinking, 'oh, which driver will we use'. We had only one choice then.
"So I put that in. Honestly I am delighted I did. It's like everything happens for a reason, that the clubs were late and then the driver came and it was broken and all of a sudden I have no choice but to put this Ping driver in.
"I added the new 3-wood and hybrid as well, and fortunately for me, they were the perfect fit."
After a nervy start, her round sparked to life on the 15th - her sixth hole - when she holed her approach from 96 yards for eagle
"I hit the shot and knew it was going to be good," said Donegan. "Then it bounced, bounced, and kind of spins back and it just drops in. I have my family here and a few other Irish over here who live in the United States, and big scream from all the Irish people.
"I was kind of just one of those things that I'm back to even and we just start again really. That kind of made me a bit more comfortable and I was really, really pleased with it."
Donegan is revelling in the support from Irish fans and is just determined to keep it going now.
"Just enjoy it," she said. "You know, look at the view. Look at all the people out here watching, supporting women's golf.
"For such a big tournament to be played at such a big place, it's difficult not to enjoy it out here. It's important to not take things too seriously around here, and luckily I didn't today.
"Kind of goes the right way when you're making sure you enjoy it and having fun at the same time.
"I love playing in the wind. I would like it if the wind picks up a little bit. Like the qualifier I played to get into this was extremely windy.
"I kind of tend to play better in the wind. Yeah, it's a little bit like it in terms of as well it's just for example on the seventh hole today, about 110 and kind of against the wind and you kind of had to flight it down, which I think is a great thing for me, that I'm able to do that in the wind.
"I've heard the wind is going to pick up again throughout the week. So in that sense, growing up in Ireland and playing courses in Ireland has really helped."
Maguire's round started in similar fashion, with a dropped shot, but otherwise was also impressive as she shot five birdies to go with two bogeys in total and a strong finish to her round added to her sense of confidence after the opening day.
"Yeah, played really solid all day," she said. "Hit a lot of fairways, which was key out there I feel like. Missed a few greens, but made some really nice up-and-downs when I needed to to keep the momentum going.
"Always nice to finish with two birdies in the last four.
"It's an incredible venue. I know pretty much all of us have been looking forward to this for a long time. It's one that's been circled on the calendar. Yeah, it's one of those bucket list courses for a lot of people.
"I suppose today felt a little bit like home with the weather and all of that, but no, very grateful to be here. It's a special place, and to play well is just a bonus."
The plan of attack will remain the same today. "Staying really patient, trying to hit a lot of fairways, and a lot of greens is going to be the key all week," Maguire remarked.
She insisted she quickly got over losing her 54-hole lead in the PGA Championship.
"Yeah, I think a day," she revealed. "It's golf. These things happen. I think you have to get on with things pretty quickly, dust yourself off. Still a fantastic week even if Sunday didn't go my way.
"I think when you've got another major coming up as quick as this and somewhere like Pebble, I think your focus shifts pretty quickly. Looking forward to another opportunity this week hopefully."
