The 22-year-old will play at the AIG Women’s Open this weekend in Porthcawl with her golfer boyfriend on the bag
Darcey Harry has been a member of the famous golf club for six years(Image: R&A via Getty Images)
This weekend, tens of thousands of people will arrive in Porthcawl and stand together in almost complete silence, in what is forecast to be glorious weather, to see a Wales first.
The exclusive Royal Porthcawl Golf Club course is perched right on the edge of Wales’ jaw-dropping coastline, and will this weekend host the AIG Women’s Open. The tournament is not only a pinnacle of the golfing calendar but a first for Wales – the largest ever women’s only sporting event to be held here – but one competitor knows every ridge, bunker and fairway better than most.
Having been a member for six years, Darcey Harry is more used to playing a round at Porthcawl with her Dad, but will, when she tees off at lunchtime on Thursday, July 31, compete against the world’s best at her home course.
While her competition will come from around the world – including last year’s winner Lydia Ko – Harry, from Dinas Powys, has a much shorter commute when she arrives at the clubhouse to tee off on Thursday.
The 22-year-old will begin her tournament tomorrow, in a group with former-winner Georgia Hall and Jennifer Kupcho, for what is only her second ever major.
As she takes to the green, she’ll have some familiar support, not just in the crowd, but her caddy will be her boyfriend and fellow professional golfer Jacob Skov Olesen. Given she expects to be nervous, that call is, she said “the best decision”.
Harry said: “This week is definitely going to be one of the most nerve-wracking weeks for me, so I need someone on the bag who is going to make me laugh and take my mind off all the distractions,” she said.
Although always supportive of one another, the sporty pair can’t help their competitive nature enter their relationship. At a press conference, she grinned as she explained she took home the bragging rights over who could win the first competition when she won her first title on the Ladies European Tour in Belgium, securing her place for Porthcawl.
“We both drive each other on. If we’ve both got competitions at the same time, whoever does the best pays for dinner so that’s the little competition we have going on,” she said.
Harry spoke to the press ahead of the prestigious tournament(Image: R&A via Getty Images)
For Harry, having a sea of Welsh support is not something she’s always used to. “I think it’s definitely a first for me having so many people coming out to watch which will be really nice,” she said.
Asked what it would be like to play in front of a home crowd she said: “I’m looking forward to support that I’ve never really had, crowd-wise, before, so just embrace it and take learning from it all and to be grateful that people are out here to support the game.
“I want to come out here and really enjoy it and make sure there’s a smile on my face 24/7 because I don’t think a major will ever get to be played on my home course again, so really appreciate the moment I’m getting here.”
The girl from Dinas Powys was adamant she wants her fellow players to fall in love with the breath-taking views and unique Welsh culture.
Asked the best bit about the course, she said: “I definitely think it’s the views, you can see the ocean from nearly all 18 holes on the site and a lot of people have given lots of feedback about how friendly the Welsh people are, so it’s been really nice for everyone to get an insight into Welsh culture, which is really huge for us in Wales.”
The golfer said she’d already had great feedback from the other golfers about the course and was pleased they’d found it challenging, conceding that you don’t want someone to come to your course and find it easy.
She made her major debut at the Evian Championship earlier this month(Image: Getty Images)
The scale of the tournament is hard to fathom until you see it, with media and spectators from around the world, a sea of stalls, activities and sponsor tents, but it’s something a little more basic that has impressed her. Her home club’s catering in the players’ enclosure.
“The food is absolutely phenomenal and the Bolognese in there (which is my favourite meal), is amazing so I’m very happy this week.”
Away from golf, she studied equine science and business at the Royal Agricultural University and her love of horses continues today. She has her own competition horse who is based in the Cotswolds and hopes to get another in the future. “He competes every season, he’s an eventer so he’s an athlete like me and competing throughout the summer,” she said.
“I really enjoy, once I’ve finished golf, to have something else to do and take my mind off bad play, good play, it’s just a nice turning-off point for me,” she added.
Harry won’t be the only Welsh representation at the tournament this week as Lydia Hall qualified at nearby Pyle and Kenfig during the final qualifying. The former ISPS Handa Ladies British Masters winner is from Bridgend and before she turned professional the Royal Porthcawl was her home course.
Harry tees off Thursday, July 31, at 12.21pm and the entire major is available to watch on Sky Sports.
