International players bring piece of home to Texas women’s golf

For seven of the nine players on the Texas women’s golf roster, home is a long flight away. For them, “home” might mean a quiet town in the English countryside or a bustling city in southern Taiwan. But in Austin, their different versions of home unite through familiar meals, homesickness and the occasional conversation about a grocery store thousands of miles away. Junior Isla McDonald-O’Brien grew up in Shrewsbury, England, a town about 40 miles west of Birmingham that looks straight out of “Downton Abbey.” Moving from Shrewsbury to the U.S. came with plenty of adjustments, and one thing Americans quickly noticed was her accent. Advertisement “I still get (comments about) it every day,” McDonald-O’Brien said. “Like if I go to the supermarket, everyone’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love your accent.’” After three years in the U.S., she has picked up some American expressions as well. When she returns to England, those new words stand out just like her accent does in Texas.

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