By Oliver Lees
It took a two year hiatus from the sport for Ted Donoghue to realise he wanted to make a career out of playing golf.
From the age of 10 he had always been clear-eyed about his ambitions on the green, but felt that certainty waver as he entered his twenties.
“I’ve always wanted to be a pro, but then I stopped playing a couple years ago,” he said.
“I just wasn’t sure. I thought I’d try footy, not as anything serious, but just for a bit of fun.”
Donoghue swapped the clubs for cleats and joined his mates at the Riddell Bombers in the Essendon District Football League. He decided he’d give study a try too, and enrolled in a sports science course at university.
But the experiment didn’t last long.
“I was at uni, and I wasn’t enjoying it,” he said.
“I started playing golf again a few times, and I thought to myself — this is good.
“Then I played a tournament and generally started to play more frequently. I guess I decided I actually want to give this more of a crack, I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Now 24-years-old, Donoghue officially turned pro in April last year after finishing fifth at the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School.
The qualifying included two tournament stages, where the top eight players were chosen to progress.
He earned his pro tag on the back of some impressive tournaments, including a win at the Dunes Medal in 2019.
Held in Rye at the Dunes Golf Links Lodge, the prestigious tournament has been a springboard for other prodigious talents the likes of international major champions Jason Day and Hannah Green.
Donoghue finished the open amateur event -4 over 72 holes.
Originally from Essendon, Donoghue moved to Mt Macedon as a 10-year-old and lived in the shire for four years.
While there he held a membership at Gisborne Golf Club, and also played regularly at Trentham Golf Club.
Ten months into his career as a professional player, Donoghue said he was still getting used to the demanding schedule.
In the next few weeks alone his calendar is packed with tournaments in Rosebud, Cobram, before going to New South Wales.
He was also scheduled to travel for the New Zealand Open, but that was cancelled due to COVID-19 complications.
“It’s taken a bit, that transition from amateur to pro. But it’s been really enjoyable so far,” he said.
“When you’re an amateur, you don’t really have tournaments in back-to-back weeks.
“I’m learning about everything, from booking hotels and thinking about how to conserve my energy so I’m right to play.”
Now Donoghue is squarely focused on his golfing future, and is hopeful to take his talents abroad, either to Japan or the United States.
“I think I just needed those couple years to take a step back. Looking back, it’s definitely helped,” he said.
“But now I know, this is what I want to do.”
