Building on a vision

Heather Daly-Donofrio (center) speaks with Beth Major (left) and Rachel Heck during the USGA Annual Meeting in February 2023. Jason E. Miczek, USGA
A homeroom PA announcement in high school brought Heather Daly-Donofrio to golf.
“I never thought golf would be my life’s work, but literally a voice comes over the intercom and it was a call-out for girls to play on the golf team,” said Daly-Donofrio, the USGA’s managing director of player relations and development. “I thought, Instant varsity letter; looks good for colleges; I’m in.”
Three days after that moment in her freshman year at Roger Ludlowe High School in Fairfield, Connecticut, according to Daly-Donofrio, she played in her first match. The former swimmer began her career sojourn in the game that would include four years as a college player at Yale and two more years as an amateur before the Futures Tour (today’s Epson Tour, with three wins in 1995-97), 11 years on the LPGA Tour (with two wins in 1998-2008), four years as the head women’s golf coach at Yale (1997-2001, while com...