2026 promises to be a very exciting year for Irish amateur golf with the Walker Cup in Lahinch certainly the competition that everybody is looking forward to while the Arnold Palmer Cup fittingly comes to Tralee with Slieve Russell hosting the European Ladies Teams Championship.
On the domestic calendar it’s all change for this year. The North of Ireland Men’s Championship moves from September back to a May date which packs in a very busy month which includes the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship and the East of Ireland Championship. Will this date change benefit the North? Will it hamper it? Will it weaken the fields of the tournaments around it? You can’t play em all…
Speaking of May, the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship has also been changed to May in what is set to be a superb year for women’s amateur golf with the introduction of provincial championships.
Golf Ireland has added the West, North and East of Ireland Women’s Championships to the calendar. Woodbrook will celebrate its centenary year as the host venue for the R&A Men’s & Women’s Home Internationals and the inaugural East of Ireland Women’s Amateur Open Championship.
Ahead of a blockbuster season, below are a handful of Irish amateurs worth keeping an eye on this year or better still why don’t you attend an event (free of charge) and see some top class golf.
Stuart Grehan
It’s no surprise that Stuart Grehan is top of the list. 2025 saw Grehan return to amateur golf after seven years in the professional ranks and what a glorious year it was.
The County Louth man scratched an eight year old itch when he qualified for the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team in Cypress Point, after agonisingly missing out in 2017 after a freak football tennis injury… Grehan has been bullish and open about his Walker Cup prospects and he is gunning to make it to Lahinch this September.
Grehan became just the third golfer to win the Irish Amateur and Close titles in the same year, emulating Pádraig Harrington and Peter O’Keeffe.
Caolan Rafferty
Ireland’s provincial slam winner will be looking to put that to the back of his mind and tunnel vision his focus on Lahinch as well.
A 2019 Walker Cup player, Rafferty has remained in the amateur ranks since and has had a glittering career. A reserve for last year’s Walker Cup, the Dundalk man will be hoping to go one better this year and make the team.
Gavin Tiernan
Gavin Tiernan became the most famous 1038th ranked amateur in the world when he embarked on a fairytale run to the Amateur Championship final where he lost on the 36th hole to American Ethan Fang.
There were lucrative rewards for the County Louth man despite missing out on major starts, he was called up to the Irish panels for the European Team Championships and was a member of the GB&I Walker Cup side, winning a point in the day two singles.
Tiernan came close to winning his home championship at the East of Ireland Championship and had some impressive finishes for East Tennessee State University. He will be hoping to kick on this year again.
Seán Keeling
Ireland’s forgotten amateur? Roganstown star Seán Keeling had limited action Stateside in his first year with Texas Tech but when he played he made the most of it.
The teenager won at the Spring Indy for his maiden collegiate victory while he registered a top-4 finish at The Prestige Invitational as part of his five starts.
Keeling has targeted winning in a men’s championship before and he came close at the 2023 Brabazon Trophy and 2024 AIG Irish Amateur Close – his last appearance in an Irish championship.
Keeling missed cuts at the Amateur, European Amateur, US Junior Amateur and Wester Amateur last year.
The teenager was long tipped for the 2026 Walker Cup so this could be the year that he clicks back into gear. It’s not that long ago since the made the cut at the Irish Open in Royal County Down on debut and was talking about winning it!
John Doyle
A teenager who knows what it’s like to win at Men’s level is Fota Island’s John Doyle. The 18-year-old has committed to Louisiana State University for 2026 upon the completion of his leaving certificate.
Doyle burst onto the scene with wins at the Irish Boys and Munster Strokeplay and he was rewarded with call ups to the Ireland senior panel where he impressed at the European Team Championships in Killarney and World Amateur Team Championships in Singapore.
He also appeared in the Amgen Irish Open and played in the Junior Ryder Cup in September. He should certainly be eyeing up a Walker Cup place, he might have even snook on to the team last year had he turned his runner up finish at the St Andrews Links Trophy into a victory.
Olivia Costello
Now an honorary member of Roscommon Golf Club, Olivia Costello will surely be eyeing up a trophy laden season.
2025 was a bright season for Costello who showed a particular talent for performing well abroad. Costello won the Triple A World final in Spain as well as finishing second in the Spanish Ladies Amateur and the Copa Andalucia. She added the Woodbrook Scratch Cup to her CV as well.
The teenager came up shy in her bid to clinch a Junior Ryder Cup spot in America last year but could be the star of Ireland’s High Performance Panel and will be licking her lips at the prospect of a packed domestic calendar.
Beth Coulter
Beth Coulter is approaching the second semester of her senior year and will most likely turn professional this summer as she looks to join former Irish teammates Lauren Walsh, Sara Byrne, Anna Foster and Áine Donegan in the paid ranks.
Coulter broke into the top-50 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings last season and helped GB&I to a first Vagliano Trophy success since 2005 alongside Donegan.
The Kirkistown Castle star will hope to qualify for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur for a second time before taking professional golf by storm.
Emma Fleming
Emma Fleming has talent on and off the course. The Economics and Finance scholar in UCD had a breakthrough 2025 season.
Fleming won the prestigious Victorian Amateur and made the cut at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open while she impressed with a 16th place finish at the Women’s Irish Challenge before going on to represent Ireland at the World Amateur Team Championships.
Róisín Scanlon
Róisín Scanlon is a new addition to the High Performance Panel this year. The 17-year-old Woburn star won the prestigious Helen Hot Scottish Women’s Open Championship just a week after a runner up spot at the Scottish Girls Open.
Scanlon has made two KPMG Women’s Irish Open appearances and has two victories in her last two seasons.
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