IT’S THE OPENING day of the Women’s Irish Open, as the Ladies European Tour comes to these shores.
The tournament returned two years ago in Dromoland Castle after a 10-year break but will be staged in Carton House for the 2024 edition. Ireland will be well represented in the field, with five professional and four amateur players teeing off, including Anna Foster and Anabel Wilson making their debuts as pros.
Before the first round gets underway tomorrow, let’s take a look at some of the players who will be the main contenders for the title.
1. Leona Maguire
Arguably the poster girl for the event, Leona Maguire will be leading the Irish challenge in Carton House. The Cavan woman finished in a tie for 14th at last year’s event and comes into the tournament on the back of some disappointing performances at the Paris Olympics (23-over) and the Women’s Open (four-over) in recent weeks.
Maguire revealed that she was feeling ill during the women’s individual competition at Le Golf National in Paris where she struggled in the first three rounds before finishing with a more encouraging one-under 71 in the final round.
The two-time winner on the LPGA Tour was nine shots off the lead after two rounds of the Women’s Open in Scotland but eventually faded with a final round of 76.
2. Georgia Hall
Ranked number 41 in the world, England’s Georgia Hall is an experienced player on the LPGA Tour. The 2018 Women’s British Open champion is chasing her fifth career title this week at Carton House and is a Soheim Cup teammate of Leona Maguire. The pair helped Team Europe complete back-to-back success against the USA last year.
Along with her British Open title, Hall also captured the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic in 2022 and will be heavily backed to add the Irish Open to her collection.
3. Lauren Walsh
A rising star in women’s professional golf, Lauren Walsh has enjoyed an impressive season so far as a rookie on the Ladies European Tour. She turned professional last year after helping to deliver a first NCAA Women’s Golf Championship for Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Walsh has picked up four top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Swiss Ladies Open in June where she was just one stroke off picking up her maiden tour win.
In May, Walsh came fourth in the Jabra Ladies Open in France and jumped up to fourth in the LET Rookie of the Year rankings. She has since climbed up to third on 780.38 points.
The Kildare golfer is also the touring professional for Carton House.
4. Olivia Mehaffey
Another player on the European Tour, Mehaffey was just four shots off the lead after the opening day of last year’s Irish Open. The Down native recorded a three-under 69 to put herself in a strong position early doors. She was still in contention at the midway point after a second round of 71 to sit six shots off the lead alongside Leona Maguire, and eventually finished in a tie for 50th.
Mehaffey took a break from golf in 2022, explaining at the time that she needed to prioritise her mental health following the death of her father Philip in 2021.
She resumed her career last year, soaring to an early lead at the German Masters in June with a blistering eight-under 64 in Round 1. She finished in a tie for 12th on six-under. Mehaffey also impressed at the Finnish Open last year, clinching a tie for third which was a career-best finish
