With the KPMG Women’s Irish Open set to get underway in a week’s time at Dromoland Castle, the field is set and there will be 10 among the hopefuls competing for the €400,000 prize fund.
Headliner Leona Maguire is joined by LET players Olivia Mehaffey and Victoria Craig and a seven-strong amateur contingent comprising Aine Donegan, Beth Coulter, Emma Fleming, Sara Byrne, Olivia Costello, Kate Lanigan and Aideen Walsh in the event which runs from August 31-September 03 at the Clare venue.
“I am very excited to play in this year’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle. It would obviously be very special,” Maguire said of the possibility of an Irish Open win. “I’ll try not to put too much pressure on myself. I think it’s nice this year, especially in Dromoland.
“There are a lot more Irish playing, so it won’t all be resting on my shoulders, which is nice this year. So hopefully, the crowds will be just as good if not better than last year.”
Lanigan missed the cut on her debut showing last year as the event made a return to the LET schedule for the first time since 2012 and she is itching to get another taste of it this year, hoping she can perhaps calm herself and focus more on her golf rather than the occasion.
“It’s hard not to get caught up in the week, looking back I wish maybe I calmed down a little more and tried to enjoy it,” explained the Irish international.
“It was mad walking into the players’ lounge with your badge and being on the course with Solheim Cup players like Caroline Hedwall, with women like Leona beside you on the range.
“It was an incredible experience and I’m delighted to get another invite. Dromoland and KPMG went to a lot of effort, and it was a fantastic event. It’s great to have Leona coming back. I’d say 99% of the supporters were watching her last year and you could hear the roars all over the course which was really cool.”
Douglas star Byrne punched her ticket to Dromoland courtesy of her Irish Close win in Connemara in June and after missing out on an appearance last year due to college commitments, she is delighted that the new date gives her the opportunity to make her Ladies European Tour debut after impressing on the recent LET Access Series.
“I’m so excited,” said the Miami student. “I actually only recently played Dromoland for the first time and I was really impressed. I’ll definitely be going over and back as much as I can over the next few weeks to get to know it as well as I can before the tournament.
“I got the invite for it last year too, but it was that bit later and with college commitments, I couldn’t play so I’m so excited to get the chance this year. It was very much a top goal for this summer so I can take a bit of a breather now that I have it and I can’t wait to experience it all for the first time in August.”
Tickets to see the stars of the Ladies European Tour at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open are now on sale HERE with under-16s gaining free entry.
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