McKibbin, Maguire, Byrne, Maguire & O' Sullivan claim top honours at Irish Golf Writers' Association Awards

Leona Maguire has been rewarded for another outstanding year by being named as the recipient of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association’s 2023 Women’s Professional of the Year award.

The K Club touring professional, 29, received the McGuirk’s-sponsored award after a season that saw her capture her second LPGA Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic.

She was also the driving force for Europe at the Solheim Cup in Spain, winning three points as the team made history in a drawn match by retaining the crystal trophy and lifting it for the third time in a row.

Tom McKibbin, 20, is the recipient of the Men’s Professional Award sponsored by McGuirks Golf after he became Irish golf’s youngest tour winner since Rory McIlroy in 2009 when capturing the Porsche European Open in his 26th start on the DP World Tour.

The Galgorm touring professional also recorded another nine top-25 finishes in an outstanding rookie season and qualified for the DP World Tour Championship, finishing 44th in the Race to Dubai.

Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire and Douglas’ Sara Byrne won the Men’s and Women’s Amateur of the Year Awards.

Maguire, 22, became the first player since Raymie Burns in 1993 to retain the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at County Louth Golf Club and went on to win the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf the following week.

He reached the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Hillside and topped the first R&A Open Amateur Series, earning him a place in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool and, ultimately, a spot on the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team at St Andrews last September.

Sara Byrne captured the Women’s Amateur of the Year award for the second time since 2018.

The 22-year-old from Douglas Golf Club won her second AIG Irish Women’s Close title with a 1UP win over Beth Coulter at Connemara Golf Links before finishing as the leading amateur in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle.

She also made back-to-back cuts on the LET Access Tour and completed a stellar year by winning back-to-back individual titles with the University of Miami on the US collegiate golf circuit in October.

Cork’s Denis O’Sullivan was named the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Services to Golf Award sponsored by Galvin Green.

A former Irish international and selector, he was Irish Amateur Close champion in 1985 and East of Ireland winner in 1990 before he turned professional at 49 and qualified for the European Seniors Tour, where he won six times.

Former Skerries professional Jimmy Kinsella, the first Irishman to win on the European Tour when he captured the Madrid Open in 1972, was also presented with his 2022 Distinguished Services to Golf Award at a luncheon held at The K Club on Tuesday.

BBC NI Sport’s Stephen Watson, Chairman of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association said: “We are thrilled to be able to return to present the Irish Golf Writers’ awards in person this year at The K Club.

“The incredible quality of Irish golf, both amateur and professional, north and south, is reflected in our winners. Congratulations to all our award recipients.”

Irish Golf Writers’ Association Award winners 2023: