Declan O’Donovan may have turned pro just three months ago, but the 22-year-old has already started defeating seasoned pros.

O’Donovan won his first professional title on February 7, 2026, bagging the Webex Players Series in Sydney. He claimed victory by five shots at Castle Hill Country Club and made 29 birdies. It locked up his tour card for the next two years.

What makes his victory even more impressive is how quickly he is rising in the ranks in the sport. O’Donovan only turned professional in November 2025 and didn’t even start playing golf until he was 15.

He began the final round with a two-shot lead, but ran into trouble at the fifth hole, finding water twice and making a double bogey. That dropped him behind Brady Watt.

"It actually feels so, so cool," he said after the win. "I was just going through all the players that have even won on the Australasian Tour or played well, and the guys on this trophy, it means a lot to be able to compare myself to them."

Instead of falling apart, O’Donovan responded. He birdied the ninth to get back into contention, then pulled away when Watt dropped shots on 13 and 15. By the final hole, O’Donovan held a four-shot lead and closed with his seventh birdie of the day.

Declan O'Donovan Credits His Mental Game After Double-Bogey Scare

The fifth-hole mistake could have ruined O’Donovan's round. Instead, the 22-year-old used it as a reset.

"Funnily enough, on the events that I have won, I've actually had something weird happen in the final round every time, and then I've played like a gun on the back," he explained.

O’Donovan made five birdies in his last seven holes and won in just his seventh pro start.

The win came one week after he finished third at the Webex Players Series Murray River. That near miss taught him the importance of sticking to his process.

O’Donovan is now 18th on the Order of Merit and has playing rights until 2027, putting him firmly on the radar in Australian golf.
Steph Kyriacou finished third, Jake McLeod fourth, and Dimi Papadatos completed the top five.

Since he only took up golf in his mid-teens, O’Donovan’s rise has been very impressive.

Declan O'Donovan went from beginner at 15 to pro winner at 22. How do you think that compares to other late starters in golf?

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy