Sara Byrne clocked up so many air miles this year that at one stage she really was wondering if she was in Rotterdam, anywhere, Liverpool or Rome as she attempted to combine playing on the Ladies European Tour and America’s Epson Tour in her rookie season as a professional.
From the outside looking in playing on both sides of the Atlantic and literally touring the world sounds glamorous. However, Byrne will tell you it was anything but as her LPGA dream faded while her LET status was also in doubt. Fortunately for her she focused solely on Europe from July on and was able to retain her full playing privileges for the LET to end the year on a positive note.
“I’m coming away from this season having learned so much from so many different experiences that was just piled into one year, unfortunately it was the first one!” says Byrne who can afford to laugh at it now. “To come away with a full LET card I get all of that learning and kept the card so all in all it will be a good thing for the long run.
“It was hard to see that perspective when I was going through a lot of missed cuts by one shot and I felt like my swing was all over the place and I wasn’t playing well while trying to make cuts and get some order of merit points and that mentality was tough but we got there in the end.”
The Dromoland Castle star turned professional for the 2025 season and made the brave decision to combine the LET and Epson Tour as she saw the latter as a more straightforward route to the LPGA Tour.
It seemed like a good idea at the time and certainly isn’t one she regrets but it proved to be much tougher than she ever anticipated. Hectic travel schedules on both sides of the Atlantic, different time zones, swing issues and the mental toil of doing it mostly on her own eventually took its toll.
The Douglas native was struggling on both tours and after a run of ten missed cuts in thirteen events she decided to pull the plug on her LPGA Tour dream for now and focus on keeping her LET card. After missing the cut by one at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open she cut a dejected figure and she knew that something had to give, her travel schedule was not allowing her to play her best golf.
It was a tough decision but also another brave one, and it proved to be correct as she finished fifth in Switzerland to retain her status for next year.
“If I was to do it again, would I play LET and Epson in the same year? No,” Byrne admits. “But we were only ever going to find that out by doing it. I don’t regret anything but definitely I found out what tour I like and where I want to be and that’s the LET. I want to play that fully and I made that decision in July. I was like I am done travelling and playing two tours. Once I did that, things began to look up a little bit and the tide turned. Definitely a lot learned.
“I was going from Florida to South Africa back to California and back to Amsterdam with no break. Fly on a Sunday arrive Monday for a Thursday and different continents and different time zones. Looking back I actually don’t know how I managed. It was physically and mentally draining. It was burnout incoming so I called it off at the right time in July. If I kept going it would have taken a huge toll on me.
“Switzerland was a mental shift. We were seeing the hard work I was putting in. I had a local caddie that week so I stood up and made all of my own decisions and came fifth so that was an awakening for myself to know I can do it on my own. It was the week that made me keep my card in the end really.”
Byrne enjoyed an electric 2024. Winning twice on the US college scene while helping GB&I to Curtis Cup success over Team USA in Sunningdale. She earned her LET card at Q-School at a canter that December.
Riding a wave of momentum she thought that she could remain on that vein of form in the pro ranks but the harsh reality of the professional game hit her hard. She is mature enough to admit that she was naive in perhaps trying to rush her progression to the LPGA Tour but spinning all these plates has given her a maturity to take into next season.
“As much as I need a break I want to keep going and going but I need a bit of rest for now before I look at my goals for next year. I’m really excited to keep playing on the LET and getting down to the nitty gritty of it,” says Byrne who found consistency at the end of the season with four of five cuts made.
“I was living on the naive side of it but I sort of knew I was and thought let’s see how long this lasts and how far we can go. I was just riding the wave of momentum and seeing how far it could get me.
“I’ve been talking to a few of the girls who got their LPGA Tour cards through Q-School or Epson and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You have to get there at your own pace and whatever is right for each person. I was maybe rushing it but you want to get to the LPGA Tour as quickly as possible.
“I knew in the back of my mind I was living in a naive world and I kept playing to see how far I could get with it knowing that it would hit me eventually and the way it did in my first year I went through it all now. I already know that the air in 2026 will be a lot nicer to me.”
“On the back of everything I endured on the golf course I went through every emotion possible and every scenario possible. Having that in the first year made me mature as a golfer and as a person. Travelling on your own will do that as well.
“It’s hard to grasp with professional life in your first year, handling caddies, travelling, playing for points, playing for money and putting that all together.”
As for the 2026 season, February will roll around quickly and Byrne is chomping at the bit to get going and give the Ladies European Tour a proper crack where she feels stability will bring the best out of her.
“I feel like my game is in a way better spot now. I had a lot of unwanted swing changes in the middle of the year and it took a while to get out of that but I feel a lot better about my game so I am taking a lot of positivity into next year which I am really excited for.”
The 24-year-old is a thrilling golfer to watch when in full flight and she gave the Irish fans a glimpse of her box office standard when she made four successive birdies on day two of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
Playing alongside her idol Charley Hull for the first 36 holes in Carton House felt like a dream for Byrne and it was one of her highlights for the season.
“Playing with Charley and Georgia (Hall) at your home open, I still don’t think that was real to be honest! They were so lovely and really talking to me and asking how I was doing with the two tours so that was a highlight.
“Switzerland was a highlight getting T5, me and my local caddie still talk away he’s great! He’s been a big support.”
For Byrne, if the season started next week she would be the first one on site on Monday morning such is her eagerness to really give the LET her full attention. But for now, the clubs will go away for a week or so before she knuckles down for a couple of months.
After not knowing where to turn during a baptism of fire season, the possibilities are endless for Byrne in 2026.
Leave a comment