No Place Like Home: Welsh Star Darcey Harry Takes Her Shot on Familiar Fairways at AIG

This week is a dream come true for Darcey Harry. It's lore so good that even Hollywood's best couldn't write the script. At just 22 years old, in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour (LET), Harry will tee it up in her first AIG Women's Open at the very course she calls home.

She makes her return to Royal Porthcawl, a place where she's well versed in every break on the greens, every grain of sand in the pot bunkers, there isn't a blade of grass she's unfamiliar with—and yet, it's a homecoming that's nuanced with nerves, excitement, and riddled with possibilities.

"I've played it for a long time now, [I] can't really know how many years I've been a member, but it's been a long time," Harry told me ahead of the AIG Women's Open. "[I've] played the course, a lot, and I've played it in all different conditions, all different weathers. But the course will definitely be different, they'll play it off different teas that I'm used to. Everything's very different to your week in, week out LET or LPGA event."

After earning her LET card through Q-School with a runner-up finish late last year—Harry's had to adjust to pro golf life rather quickly. Bouncing around the world, getting used to the schedule, understanding the routine of what being an athlete at a high-level really feels like—it's quite the adjustment. But for Harry, she's been able to build on the small moments, the little details that can make a huge difference.

And it wasn't long until that precious first win came in June, where she claimed the title at the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium, securing her spot in the Women’s Open.

Harry said that she had a great feeling about Belgium. Between being in a country she adores, with her boyfriend Jacob Skov Olesen (who is a pro golfer on the DP World Tour) on the bag, and celebrating her birthday—it was a perfect winning formula. "I was really looking forward to that event anyway, it was the first event my boyfriend was going to be on the bag, everything was just super exciting—it was my birthday that week so yeah, I was feeling kind of refreshed."

And despite her positive feelings she still didn't see the win coming. "I never really expected to win on that last day. I just really thought someone was going to go shoot a six under. I've not won a tour event before and it is my rookie year—and I just thought, no, there's no way I could do this," she explained. And it was Jacob who helped her settle those feelings and doubts.

"[He] actually told me on the first tee, fourth is better than tenth. So, you know, play smart and just try and go for the lowest score you can do. That kind of changed my mindset because sometimes once you're in contention going into the last day, you want to chase it. But then sometimes chasing it, you can make mistakes. And I was like, okay, we'll just play for as many birdies as I can get—don't do anything stupid."

And the mindset hasn't changed since. She's growing in confidence. Her win not only meant a spot in the AIG field but also in the Evian Championship—allowing her to add major championship experience under her belt. After Evian, she didn't return to Wales, instead she'd play more and more events. She had a T-38 finish at the Women's Scottish Open and heads into this week grateful for the opportunity.

Harry is playing for something a bit more meaningful. This week is bigger than the others and she's embracing that.

Growing up in the quaint little town of Dinas Powys, a mere 40-minute drive from Porthcawl, Harry's days consisted of riding her horses and and learning the game. But Wales isn't really known for its golf, and this is momentous not only for her, but for the entire country. "When you think of Wales, you think of rugby, that's kind of the only thing or you think of the women's football (soccer) team," explained Harry.

"I've gone to a few countries growing up in amateur golf and people go, Wales, what's that? Is it a country? Like whales in the ocean? Or people think it's England. So, it's going to be a really nice educating time for people to get to come here and see what it's all about and not just about the rugby. Hopefully it'll put golf in Wales on the map and maybe people will think about it a little bit more."

"We're a very small nation. Growing up, there weren't as many juniors as there are in England and Ireland playing. [It] was a struggle to find people to practice and play with, and it's hard to keep wanting to go out there on your own and do it."

Harry shared with me, that even now, Welsh golf at the national level really struggles to try and push girls forward. The issue isn't bringing new girls into the fold, but no carries the effort forward.

According to Harry, junior girls aren't pushing through to higher levels of competition, and there aren't enough people to help them. As she tees it up this week, she hopes to inspire some of them, and showcase to the young local fans that golf to stick with and see how far you can go.

"It'll be really, really special to just have some Welsh people to come out, watch, and support because I never really get anyone come out to watch me. [Laughs.] So it'll be lovely to hopefully put on a show for them and make them happy for coming to watch a fellow Welsh player."

But more than anything, Harry feels like this week will give people an opportunity to fall in love with the golf in Wales. It's a course that deserves a championship, and now is its chance.

"Royal Porthcawl is a hidden gem. It is really beautiful and not many people get to play because it's quite a private golf course so you can't just turn go out any day.

A lot of people don't really know about it. So people are going to hopefully be really impressed and want to play. But it's really nice for the club to have such a big event on."

Darcey Harry of Wales speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the AIG Women's Open 2025 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Bridgend, Wales. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

This is the biggest women's sporting event Wales has ever hosted, the previous record being a women's rugby match that saw 21,186 attendees. Over the last three years, the AIG Women's Open has seen patron numbers increase by the thousands. St Andrews last year drew in crowds of around 52,000 people, in 2023 Walton Health saw 51,000, and three years ago at Muirfield attracted 33,000 folks. Wales is primed for its massive debut.

"I feel like a little girl going, getting more excited and seeing it. Because I mean, I don't think many people can ever say they have: played a major at their home course and say it's in their rookie year as well. So it's nice," she shared. And she's right—what a flex.

The hometown hero begins her AIG journey tomorrow afternoon alongside two major winners in Jennifer Kupcho and former AIG Women's Open champ, Georgia Hall.

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