Lauren Walsh clinched a morale boosting third place finish at the Shoprite LPGA for the best finish of her rookie season to date on the LPGA Tour.
Walsh carded a final round of 67 to finish with a seven-under total, just two shots shy of eventual winner Celine Boutier of France who birdied the last to win by the minimum.
The Castlewarden woman who hadn’t broke 70 yet Stateside completed a hat trick in breaking her duck and she will now earn 230 Race to CME Globe points which could be crucial in retaining her playing privileges for next season.
Walsh made a superb start to her Sunday round with two birdies in the first three holes before carding her only bogey of the day on the par-3 7th. She bounced back with a birdie at the next and completed a very solid closing stretch with birdies on the 12th and 18th.
Walsh looked to feel more at home in the blustery conditions as did Leona Maguire who will be bouncing into next week’s US Women’s Open after a top-10 finish of her own.
Maguire ended her week on a high note with a bogey-free 68 to finish in a share of ninth place on four-under-par, her second top-10 of the season.
The two-time LPGA Tour winner who is now working with US coach Sean Foley will be hoping this week can be the one where she started to enjoy the fruits of her labour as she closed with birdies on the 7th, 9th and 18th.
It was a good day all round for the Irish contingent as Stephanie Meadow came home with a three-under 68 to move into a share of 21st place on two-under-par.
Meadow carded five birdies and two bogeys on the day as she recorded her highest finish since coming 8th at the 2024 KPMG PGA Championship.
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