As the KPMG Women’s Irish Open tees off at Carton House, coach Shane O’Grady juggles guiding Leona Maguire, Lauren Walsh, and rising star Olivia Costello, with high hopes for a breakthrough Irish performance.
The KPMG Women’s Irish Open is fast approaching, and for Black Bush-based coach Shane O’Grady, it will be one of his busiest weeks of the year.
O’Grady, best known for coaching Leona Maguire, will also be keeping a close eye on Lauren Walsh and Olivia Costello at Carton House.
The preparation began in May when O’Grady took a scouting trip to the O’Meara course with Maguire, who was home from her commitments on the LPGA Tour. But when tournament week arrives, it will be all hands on deck from Monday.
“The main part of the week is being hands-on with Leona and Lauren, and of course, Olivia will be playing as well. It’s hard to be in three places at once! It starts on Monday when they arrive,” explains O’Grady ahead of the tournament.
“I went up there a month ago with Leona one morning, but she won’t get another look until the event because she’s playing so much. It’ll be like any other tour event: play nine holes in the morning, do range work, and hone a few things. Then the same again the next day.”
This will be the fourth edition of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open since its return to the Ladies European Tour schedule at Dromoland Castle in 2022, with Maguire continuing to be the event’s poster girl.
Pre-tournament hype may be boosted by the presence of Charley Hull, while home star Walsh has been featured on posters around Maynooth. However, as much as she’d like to treat it like any other tournament, these weeks are always a significant commitment for Maguire, whose main sponsor is KPMG.
“She’ll play the Pro-Am on Wednesday, which is a big commitment because she’ll likely play all 18 holes, whereas in normal weeks she might play nine. But KPMG are her main sponsors, so she’ll do the full 18,” explains O’Grady, who hopes Maguire and Walsh either play together or are on opposite sides of the draw so he can observe both during their rounds.
“I’ll be with Leona as much as I can and see Lauren as much as possible. Hopefully, they get opposite tee times or play together!
“There are a few more players this year who can share the load and carry the hopes. It will take some pressure off Leona.
“She’s very good at handling that, but it can be draining. The commitments for sponsors and media take their toll, but she’s excellent at managing it, as is Lauren. They’re used to being in the limelight.”
This year’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open has a new summer date, attracting a stellar field. Scheduled a week before the Evian Championship—one of the five women’s majors—it will feature world-class talent, including Hull, European Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist, and recent LPGA Match Play winner Madelene Sagström from Sweden.
O’Grady believes the new date benefits not only top professionals but also Ireland’s young players, who previously missed the event due to college commitments or had to board flights almost immediately and then found themselves playing catchup when they arrived on campus.
“It’s brilliant that they’ve changed the date. In previous years, it was difficult for Irish players in college because playing in an Irish Open is massive,” O’Grady declared. “Lauren missed it one year due to college, and it clashed with tour school in America, so it’s great that the date has changed to attract more players. Hopefully, it will grow.”
O’Grady feels Carton House is the perfect venue for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, with record crowds of nearly 40,000 expected over the four days.
“The crowds were fantastic last year. It’s a lovely place to watch golf, with different holes visible without walking far, and it has a great stadium effect.
“Feedback from regular club golfers is that they can relate more to the distances the women hit and understand the golf being played compared to watching Rory McIlroy. They have a great appreciation for it because we don’t see enough women’s golf.”
Castlewarden native Walsh represents Carton House on tour, and she enjoyed a promising rookie campaign on the Ladies European Tour last year, including a debut at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in front of family and friends.
She has continued her strong form in the early part of the 2025 season, ranking eighth in the order of merit with three top-10 finishes so far.
A maiden LET victory seems within reach, and O’Grady firmly believes Walsh will soon break through, while he also anticipates success for Anna Foster, Sara Byrne, and Annabel Wilson this year.
“She’s very close. It’ll happen. She’s been great, climbing the leaderboard every week. It’s just onwards and upwards; if you keep finishing in the top 10 and staying near the top, it will happen,” he declares.
“They all feed off each other. They’re starting on the LET, and Lauren wants to reach the LPGA. It will happen when it’s meant to, as long as she keeps knocking on the door.”
Roscommon teenager Costello is making strides in women’s events, having won the Woodbrook Scratch Cup and a tournament in Spain as she pursues her goal of making the Junior Ryder Cup team.
“She’s lying sixth in the Junior Ryder Cup standings, so that’s her focus and where she’s aiming. That’s the pinnacle of underage golf,” explains O’Grady.
“She’s very talented and has a big future ahead of her.”
O’Grady has also coached male players, guiding Gavin Moynihan to a DP World Tour card, and he believes Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy is another gem.
Kennedy narrowly missed a DP World Tour card at Q-School but has enjoyed a solid debut on the HotelPlanner Tour. O’Grady sees limitless potential for the 23-year-old.
“Max is fantastic,” he said. “I’ve coached him since he was ten, and it’s been a great journey. He’s so positive and in control of what he’s doing, which is brilliant. He takes great ownership of his game, is very mature, and knows exactly what he’s doing.
“I’m very optimistic about where Max is going. He thinks big and always has. His work ethic is phenomenal—you can’t teach that. My coaching is only as good as the person applying it, so I’ve been fortunate with the players I’ve coached who want it as much as I want to help them.”
The above feature appeared in the 2025-5 edition or Irish Golfer. To view the fill edition click below
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