Power Up Athlete: Diana McDonald

October 25, 2021

Have fun and enjoy every moment

Power Up athlete Diana McDonald

It was her regular trips to the driving range with her dad that got Diana McDonald hooked on golf. By high school she was playing competitively on Team Ontario and being scouted. She clearly had talent—but she also supported it with a strong work ethic.

“My mom and dad are very hard workers, and have always motivated me to do well in golf,” she says. “They continually inspire me to become a better player as well as a better person.”

She realized that getting a scholarship at a U.S. university would be the best way to make golf her career, so she landed one at Wingate University in North Carolina. There she made an impressive mark with wins such as a second-place finish in the South Atlantic Conference Championships in her junior year, and earning SAC Player of the Year as a sophomore.

She then decided to transfer to Eastern Kentucky University, where she simultaneously wowed her colleagues on the course while earning her master’s degree in sport and exercise science. “Transferring to another university and earning a master’s while playing golf for them was a really big opportunity,” she says. “I was OVC Newcomer of the Year and came third in the conference. It was a big accomplishment.”

She brings to the game an incredibly positive attitude. “Have fun and enjoy every moment of practice and tournaments,” she says. “Stay focused but also enjoy yourself. And walk with purpose. I like to walk with my back straight and looking forward. With this position you look like you could conquer the golf course!”

Her fitness program includes lots of stretching. “Stretch, stretch and stretch! Being stiff out on the course is never ideal, so stretching using a foam roll and a band is important.” She also focuses on leg work, preferably by biking. “It challenges me to go to a higher level, to push harder.”

For the 2021-2022 season, her goals include “learning and growing as a player from each tournament and practice. I want to get my scores lower, and being committed and consistent is the key.” Your commitment is clearly paying off, Diana, and we’re delighted to include you among our Power Up athletes.

Diana’s championship highlights:

2017 Newberry College Invitational – 1^st

2020-21

All-Ohio Valley Conference honors
Chosen to join OVC Newcomer and Tournament teams
Second on the EKU Team
Third in the OVC with the fourth-best single-season stroke average in program history

2019-20 – Three top-10 finishes, pushing Wingate University to a national 12^th place ranking

2018 – SAC Player of the Year

2017 – team-best 76.1 stroke average in 11 events 2017 – three 1^st place and two runner-up finishes

Follow Diana:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.mcdonald.5/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmedianaaaaa_/

About the Power Up Bursary

Driven by DCM’s commitment to women’s professional development, the Power Up Bursary significantly boosts the careers of female golfers on the brink of LPGA Tour status by providing them with financial assistance, increased player visibility, training and skill development, sponsorship coaching, and marketing.

We are proud to have the continued support of our Power Up partners: