The groundbreaking Irish woman golfer you've never heard of before

Analysis: the many challenges Eitnne Pentony faced in the 1930s did not stop her becoming a successful golfer at home and abroad

Leona Maguire is considered one of our most successful female golfers. She was number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings for 135 weeks and made history in February 2022 by becoming the first Irish woman to win an event at the LPGA Tour.

But she is not the first Irish woman to be a successful golfer. Here is the story of one such lady, Eithne Pentony.

Both women share many similarities. Both began playing the sport young, both won the Irish women’s amateur tournament twice and both went onto successful international careers. The one big difference between them though is that Pentony was discriminated against in some Irish golfing circles because she was a women. Irish lady golfers in the 1930s were banned from being members in the most prominent Irish golf clubs, but this barrier did not however stop Pentony from dominating Irish women’s golf for the decade and gaining international acclaim.

Born in 1909, Pentony started playing golf at the age of 8. Her golfing instructor was her father, Patrick. She began as a juvenile member of Sutton Golf Club (9-holes), where she played with her mother, Eleanor and became a full associate member at 16 years old.

To improve her game, Pentony needed to play on 18-hole courses, but this was not possible for her locally, as the clubs were men-only, especially her father's own club, Royal Dublin. She could only play there three days a week, accompanied by her father. These barriers did not stop her as she joined the Hermitage Golf Club in 1930 and cycled from Clontarf to Lucan to play.

Her Irish golfing career took off in 1930 when she entered the Irish Close