{{ubiquityData.prevArticle.description}}
{{ubiquityData.nextArticle.description}}
GREENSBORO, GEORGIA | Sissy Gallagher, a 13-time Mississippi Women’s Amateur champion who also happens to be the wife of former PGA Tour pro Jim Gallagher Jr. put it well when she said, “Men have to win to be happy. Women have to be happy to win.”
It seemed appropriate that Jim was on site at Great Waters to see another Mississippian and a good friend, Ally McDonald – who is recently married and happier than she has ever been – win her first LPGA Tour title at the Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee.
“How amazing that I was able to be here,” said Gallagher, who was a late addition to the Golf Channel broadcast team for this event and drove 14 hours through wrecks and slowdowns from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to make it for the opening round. He was thrilled that he made it.
“I was taking as many deep breaths as (Ally) was trying to keep my voice level,” Gallagher said.
McDonald’s parents, Jamie and Angie, also were in attendance, the first time they have seen their daughter play on her birthday (Ally turned 28 on Sunday and was presented with a cake before the trophy). This week normally is part of the LPGA’s Asia swing, when McDonald has a birthday dinner on the other side of the world.
The only family member missing was Ally’s husband, Charlie Ewing, who is the assistant golf coach at Mississippi State University and was with his team in Nashville, Tennessee. He almost certainly stopped everything to watch.
Sissy Gallagher did, which was a big deal. The Senior Southern Women’s Amateur is being held at Old Waverly in Mississippi this week. Sunday was the official practice round. But everything came to a halt a little after 1 p.m. as McDonald made the turn with the lead.
“I was texting (Sissy) with updates,” Jim said. “But she texted back and said, ‘I’m watching.’ ”
“It means the world to me, obviously, that (my parents are) here,” McDonald said. “This is the closest golf tournament that we have (to home), and ‘Commish’ (Mike Whan) just added it to our schedule with COVID happening and canceling some events. Having them here was just amazing.
“To be able to share with them and them being such huge supporters of me since I was young and taking me to golf tournaments, reminding me to do my drills, telling me that I need to act better on the golf course, all those things just all coming around (in my mind). Them being here to savor this moment just means so much.”
Steve Eubanks