Royal Portrush’s Judithe Allen was diagnosed with breast cancer at 25 and later discovered she carried the rare BRCA2 gene. Now she’s the opening story in Golf Ireland’s new four-part series, Our Game.

Ten months after major surgery, Royal Portrush golfer Judithe Allen walked out for the AIG Women’s Senior Cup — and played some of the best golf of her career.

Her story is the first of four episodes in Our Game, a new participation series from Golf Ireland exploring the different ways people connect with the sport. Judithe’s episode traces a path from a breast cancer diagnosis at 25, through the discovery of a rare BRCA2 gene, to a comeback that surprised even her.

A Diagnosis at 25

Judithe was 25 when she was told she had breast cancer. “When I first got diagnosed with breast cancer I thought, not me, I’m 25. How is this possible?” she said. Testing later showed she carried the BRCA2 gene, which raises lifetime breast cancer risk sharply above the general population.

There was family history behind the diagnosis, too. Her mother was 42 when she was first diagnosed and went on to face the disease for 15 years. “She always said to me, there was a reason why you were diagnosed so young, because she was there to get me through it,” Judithe said.

It’s a reminder that family history and genetic testing are worth raising with a GP, particularly where a close relative has had breast cancer at a young age.

Golf as the Pull Forward

Judithe chose to have a double mastectomy, given how significantly the gene raised her risk. What followed was a long recovery — and golf became the thing pulling her toward it. She’d played competitively for years, and getting back on the course gave her something concrete to aim for.

For anyone facing a long recovery from illness or surgery, her experience points to something useful: a specific, meaningful goal — a fixture, a comeback round, a familiar course — can do real work in keeping motivation steady when the process feels slow.

Back to the Best Golf of Her Life

Just ten months after surgery, Judithe was named in the Royal Portrush side for the AIG Women’s Senior Cup. “When I realised I could start getting back on course it was definitely a turning point in my recovery,” she said. “I was thinking, I still have that competitive edge in me, and I was just really thankful to be back out playing. It wasn’t about winning, it was about being out there.”

Her captain checked in ahead of the tournament and asked how she was feeling. “I said, I am ready,” Judithe recalled — and then delivered. “Women’s Senior Cup, I was probably playing the best golf I had ever played.” Royal Portrush won the AIG Women’s Senior Cup seven months after her surgery.

More Stories to Come

Judithe’s episode is the opening chapter in Our Game, which will go on to feature family connections within golf, the experiences of golfers with disabilities, and stories from the high-performance pathway. Together, the four episodes aim to show how differently golf shows up in people’s lives — and why that variety is worth celebrating.

Watch Judithe Allen’s episode of Our Game to hear the full story, and keep an eye out for the next instalment in the series over the coming weeks.

Suggested Read – Sun Protection For Golfers

For information on Breast Cancer – Breast Cancer Now – Play in Pink