After dominating the Connecticut Women’s Amateur last month, Yvette O’Brien paused to reflect and then praised Bryson DeChambeau for contributing to her victory.
“You see it with him, especially on YouTube,” O’Brien said. “He’s basically saying, ‘You can’t change your personality for anyone else. You must be yourself, to be the best version of yourself.’ That’s what I tried to do in the Am.”
O’Brien, 19, displayed that in many aspects of her game in her 14-shot runaway victory at Redding Country Club, which earned her an exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which starts today at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
Her path to golf is unique, and she’s proud because it is hers. She says her inspiration in everything she does is her older sister, Alina, who has autism. “She’s the happiest person I know,” O’Brien said. “She teaches me so many life lessons. To be selfless and to meet life head on.” She says she thanks God every day for the opportunity to play golf.
Her path into the game, however, was not immediate. She didn’t take golf seriously until she was 13. Her early focus was on a pirouette and not par.
O’Brien studied at Joffrey Ballet School and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in New York and performed recitals for 10 years. Living in Greenwich, Connecticut, she began ballet when she was 4 and continued until she was 13. Train rides to Grand Central Station in New York City and hours of training were required before recitals in the winter and spring.
“When I was younger, ballet was a way to express myself creatively, and I enjoyed creating my own dances and bringing my imagination to life,” she said.
Ballet taught her about body movements and the value of practice. Hours of demanding work were required. “Let’s just say my Russian teachers believe ballet is not for the weak,” she said.
Her natural athleticism led her to play lacrosse and squash at Greenwich Academy. When she was in the seventh grade, her squash team won the U.S. middle school championship.
“Squash was about high intensity and focus,” she said. “I was competitive and could be loud out there. Lacrosse taught me about communication and working with other players.”
At age 13, she decided to focus on golf.
“I didn’t see ballet as a career,” she said.
Golf, however, presented future options.
O’Brien’s new stage to perform was the golf course. She was medalist as a freshman and led Greenwich Academy to the 2022 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council team championship.
She aspired to be better. To maximize time to practice and play, she went to Grandview Preparatory School in Boca Raton, Florida, after her freshman year at Greenwich Academy. After school, she’d go to the Don Law Golf Academy in Boca Raton.
“I saw progress,” she said. “And yes, my ballet training helped me, especially the body coordination. So, if I needed to change or tweak something in my swing, I was able to do it quicker than others because of the ballet.”
Some of her achievements included the Jim McLean Junior Championship, medalist in the First Tee Miami Doral Junior Classic and the 2022 and 2024 Connecticut Girls’ Junior titles. She’s the first player to win both the Connecticut Girls’ and Women’s amateurs.
Driving is the strength of O’Brien’s game thanks to length generated by her 5-foot-11 frame. Combined with a skillful short game, she dominated in the Women’s Am at Redding.
O’Brien – who works with swing coach Tony Ruggiero and short-game coach Bill Smittle – also credited the help of her caddie Gianni Fugazy. “He has worked a bunch of U.S. Amateur events and was experienced and so positive,” she said of the veteran caddie who kept her sometimes “fiery” personality controlled and focused.
“I was really proud of how, in particular, I played the final holes,” she said of the 17th and 18th holes at Redding, on which she tallied four birdies and an eagle over three rounds.
O’Brien displayed resilience in the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship two weeks ago at Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, New Brunswick. A second-round 84 put her four shots inside the cut line – a position that could have demoralized other players.
Not O’Brien. She rebounded with rounds of 74 and 72, climbing 15 spots in the final round to finish tied for 25th overall and tied for sixth among the American players.
After the U.S. Women’s Amateur, O’Brien will pack up again and go to Fort Worth, Texas, to begin her freshman year at Texas Christian University, where she will play golf. She said the “support and encouragement” of her parents, Dan and Izabela, and sisters, Ireland and Alina, aided her development, not only in her college choice but throughout her life.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said of her family.
O’Brien plans to major in strategic communication at TCU with a minor in film television and digital media. One career goal is to be an ESPN broadcaster.
“I was born just outside Chicago,” she said. “I’m a Cubs, Bears and Notre Dame football fan. I love sports.”
She also hopes to play professional golf. The road for that is undefined and challenging.
“Alina taught me never to give up on what life may present you,” O’Brien said. “I know how lucky I am, and so I’ll strive not to give up and always, to try.”
Being the best version of herself is a good start.
E-MAIL TOM
Top: Yvette O'Brien, 19, will head to play in college at TCU after U.S. Women's Amateur at Bandon Dunes.
courtesy connecticut state golf association