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RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh make solid starts at Women's Open
Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh both began their AIG Women's Open with level-par 72s at Royal Porthcawl. Japan's Eri Okayama, who only qualified last month, leads the way on four-under par after 13 holes with the second wave, including Ireland's Anna Foster, starting their rounds. The clubhouse lead in Wales is shared by Japanese trio of Shiho Kuwaki, Mao Saigo and Chisato Iwai on three-under par. Maguire started the final major of the season with a bogey at the first with another following at the fourth, but the Cavan woman rolled in a good birdie putt at the fifth before adding another at the par-five ninth to turn in level par. Her back nine would mirror her front with a pair of bogeys – at the 11th and 14th – being blotted out by birdies at the 15th and 18th. Walsh, showing fine form in 2025 on the Ladies European Tour, also turned in level-par after a bogey at two and a birdie at a very generous ninth hole that had coughed up a couple of eagles on Thursday. She briefly moved under par at the 11th before instantly giving that shot back, parring out from there. Okayama turned in a blistering 32, her card containing four birdies and no dropped shots before a run of pars to start her back nine.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leona Maguire leads three-strong Irish contingent at AIG Women's Open
Leona Maguire brings some very strong form into the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl, as the 30-year-old Cavan golfer heads a three-strong Irish contingent in the season's final Major, with Kildare's Lauren Walsh and Dubliner Anna Foster also seeking one of the sport's top prizes. The R&A has increased the prize money for the event to a record €8.46 million ($9.75 million), more than doubling the purse since 2019 when the R&A and title sponsors AIG began their partnership of the championship. This is the 49th year of the championship which has yet to produce an Irish winner, although Maguire – competing in the event for a ninth time – was leading amateur in 2016 and contended strongly at Muirfield in 2022 before ultimately finishing fourth behind South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai. Maguire's form has seen an upturn of late, with top-10s in both the KPMG Women's PGA and the Amundi Evian Championship, and she again has veteran caddie Phil 'Wobbly' Morbey on her bag after a strong start to their new partnership at last week's Scottish Open. READ MORE Walsh, currently 15th on the LET order of merit, missed the cut at St Andrews last year but has five top-10s so far this season, while LET rookie Foster, who has veteran caddie Brian Byrne on her bag, earned her place in the field with an impressive performance in final qualifying at the nearby Pyle & Kenfig earlier this week. The spotlight, though, is very much on emerging star Lottie Woad , who won the KPMG Irish Open as an amateur earlier this month and won the ISPS Handa Scottish Open on her professional debut last week. Lottie Woad after winning the 2025 Women's Scottish Open at the Dundonald Links, Irvine. Photograph: Steve Welsh/PA Nelly Korda , the world number one, isn't used to being overshadowed. Neither is Lydia Ko , the Olympic gold medallist. Yet, they are on this occasion, with Woad's name on everyone's lips. Even Korda's, it would seem: 'Absolutely amazing,' said the American of Woad's impact. 'I was very impressed with her composure, her process. I think, when it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment. 'Sometimes people seem to fidget and kind of doubt themselves, but she stuck to it, she stuck to her process every single time, and I think one of the main things that I noticed is how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment.' For her part, Ko remarked of Woad: 'I don't know a lot about her game personally, but the little that I've seen, she seems super impressive and has that kind of cool, calm, collected demeanour, and that's, I think, pretty important as a player. She's kind of come out with a bang, and I'm sure she's going to keep continuing to play well.' Woad had Dermot Byrne on her bag in Scotland but will have her coach Luke Bone on duty this week on the Welsh coast. Of being installed as championship favourite in just her second appearance as a professional, Woad said: 'I don't know how they do it, but I feel like I'm playing well, so I guess I was going to be one of the favourites. Obviously, everyone's so good, so I feel like anyone can win really.' Ireland's Lauren Walsh and Anna Foster during a practice round ahead of the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. Photograph:Lowdown Purse: €8.46 million (€1.26 million to the winner) Where: Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The course: Royal Porthcawl – par 72, 6,748 yards – is a classic links originally designed by Ramsay Hunter which opened for play in 1898 and was then modified by legendary course architect Harry Colt. In more recent years, Martin Ebert – the R&A's go-to man for upgrades – made changes so it will provide a tough championship examination. The par-4 16th – played from an elevated tee to a heavily bunkered fairway – effectively starts a difficult run for home. The field: For what is the fifth and final Major of the LPGA Tour season, the AIG Women's Open has attracted a stellar entry headed by world number one Nelly Korda, with Lydia Ko defending the title. So far this season three of the four Majors have been won by first-time champions: Mao Saigo (The Chevron), Mai Stark (the US Women's Open) and Grace Kim (the Evian), with only Minjee Lee's success in the KPMG Women's PGA – her third Major win – going to a multiple champion. Quote-Unquote: 'We've kind of spoken of the game plan and learned from what he was challenged with [at Royal Portrush]. It's kind of stay out of those pot fairway bunkers and just play as safe as possible, really try to hit as many fairways, that's kind of the goal for this week.' – Royal Porthcawl home hope Darcey Harry on having her boyfriend, DP World Tour player Jacob Skov Olesen, on her bag this week having featured at The Open at Royal Portrush. Irish in the field: It's a further indication of the ongoing evolution of Irish women professionals that there are three players competing in the Major. Lauren Walsh is in a group with Dongeun Lee and Anna Huang (teeing off at 6.41am); Leona Maguire is grouped with Andrea Lee and Amy Yang (7.58am), and Anna Foster is in a three-ball with Amelia Garvey and Emma Spitz (3.11pm). Weather eye: There is a chance of heavy rain Thursday morning with wind gusts of up to 25mph, meaning tricky conditions for the early starters. Strong winds are likely to continue on Friday with gusts of 25-30mph, although conditions should be dry. Sunshine expected throughout the weekend, with some scattered showers possible on Sunday. Betting: Lottie Woad's blitzkrieg start to her professional career in winning the Scottish Open, having already won the KPMG Women's Irish Open as an amateur earlier this month, has seen the English golfer installed as 6-1 favourite ahead of world number one Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul who are both rated 9-1 shots. Better value, though, can be found further down the market with Lydia Ko at 33-1. Leona Maguire has shown good form of late and is also an each-way look at 55-1. In terms of long shots, Amelia Garvey is available at 200-1 plus and is worth a look. On TV: Live on Sky Sports Golf from 12pm.
RTÉ News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Lauren Walsh within four of lead at Czech Ladies Open
Lauren Walsh is within four shots of the lead after the second round at the Czech Ladies Open. The Kildare native followed up Friday's 69 with an even better six-under 66 to surge up to nine under and into a tie for sixth at the Beroun Golf Resort course. She is the leading contender among the Irish quartet in action. Olivia Mehaffey and Sara Byrne are five shots further back in a tie for 50th. Mehaffey impressed on Saturday with a score of 65, while Byrne carded a 70, Canice Screene is on two under following a 69 but missed the cut by just one shot. Switzerland's Kim Metraux leads the way after producing a masterclass on day two with a career-best round of 63 (nine under) to storm into the outright lead on 13 under par. Chasing a maiden win on the Ladies European Tour, she is one shot clear of England's Esme Hamilton who shot a 66 in only her sixth LET event. "This is the lowest round I've ever had," Metraux said. "It was just one of those days where everything went really well. I didn't really miss any shots or putts, to be honest. It was so nice. I gave myself a lot of opportunities and made the most of them. "I'm really happy with how it went. I kind of lost track of what my score was, I just knew I went really low. I really loved it and hopefully I can have a day like that again."
RTÉ News
20-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Solid starts for Lauren Walsh and Sara Byrne in Czech Ladies Open
Lauren Walsh and Sara Byrne both made solid starts to Tipsport Czech Ladies Open where Amandeep Drall leads the way after an opening round 64. Walsh was best of the Irish with three birdies on her way to a three-under par 69 and five shots off the clubhouse lead. She is a shot better off than compatriot Byrne, who shared her four bogeys evenly across the front and back nine as well as half a dozen birdies, including at the last. Canice Screene sits on one-over after a 73, while Olivia Mehaffey is on three-over par after a double-bogey start to her round that also included three bogeys. Drall sits top of the pile at Royal Beroun Golf Club for her best ever round on the Ladies European Tour. On a Friday full of birdies, Drall, playing in only her second LET event of the season, read the low-scoring script carding nine birdies and dropping just one shot in the Czech Republic. "I'm very happy," the Indian said. "Especially after last week [missing the cut in Belgium]. "Line reading was definitely the difference. I hit the ball well last week but I couldn't read the lines at all. I was so confused on the green. But coming into this week, I focused a lot on my putting. I concentrated on my stroke and my line." The scorecard included four birdies in a row at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th to give the 32-year-old a one-shot lead.
RTÉ News
15-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Walsh cracks top five but Harry prevails in Belgium
Lauren Walsh secured a top-five finish but it was Darcey Harry of Wales who won her first Ladies European Tour title at the Hulencourt Women's Open in Belgium. Walsh, from Kill, Co Kildare, shot a final-round 71 to secure a seven-under-par total, six behind eventual winner Harry. Douglas, Co Cork player Sara Byrne managed a final round of 72 to leave her in a tie for 15th place on four-under-par overall. The 21-year-old Harry, from Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan, fired five birdies and an eagle in a final-round 68 to finish 13 under par and three strokes ahead of France's Nastasia Nadaud. New Zealand's Amelia Garvey was a shot further back in third, with England's Cara Gainer in a share of seventh. Harry only turned professional in December ahead of the final LET qualifier, where she finished in second place to earn her playing rights for the 2025 season.
