Sara Byrne admits that being sidelined for the first eight events of the LET season after breaking her elbow in January has given her a fresh perspective on golf and life. Having seen light at the end of the tunnel she is now dreaming of a fairytale victory at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
Twelve months ago Byrne missed the cut at this event and it was clear that the challenge of playing on tour in America and Europe was taking its toll in her rookie year as a professional. She then prioritised her LET card over the Epson Tour and retained her full rights in Europe for this season. Bursting with excitement to attack the 2026 campaign, the Cork woman broke her arm in a freak accident after a gym session and she felt her future was plunged into uncertainty once again.
If there’s anything the 25-year-old has learned in her two seasons as a pro, it’s patience. Although she was dying to get back out on tour she didn’t rush her recovery and returned in May. She hit the ground running too, finishing second at the Jabra Ladies Open de France in just her third start. At 56th in the rankings she looks set to retain her card once again with one good finish needed to make it a comfortable autumn period. All is good in the world of the Dromoland Castle star.
“Oh, a hundred per cent. I’m just in a total better life place,” said the Douglas native. “Last year was tough on the golf course but it was tough for personal reasons as well so when it got to January 1st I was thinking that, oh my god, 2025 is finally over and then five days in to 2026 I break my elbow and I was thinking I just can’t catch a break. I was thinking ‘will I play professional golf again?’ It was a whirlwind of a few weeks. It felt like my life was ending thinking would I ever play an Irish Open again or ever play again in front of a crowd, it was a lot, a hard mental battle until it started healing nicely.
“But that’s when things started to look up for me a little bit, but the game is in such a better place. I have such clear goals and intentions on the golf course and that is making life a lot easier. I feel like my game is in a much better spot.
“I am enjoying it so much more. I feel like the two tours really took it out of me, trying to cross the Atlantic every couple of weeks was just too hard. Everything is in a way better head space, my game is great and I am just playing with a lot more confidence and fun and letting golf be the game it is and make it happen.”
Byrne is one of a record sixteen home hopefuls in the field at The K Club as she makes her third KPMG Women’s Irish Open appearance. Appearance records and attendance records have been broken since the tournament came back to life in 2022 at Dromoland Castle and the next step in the women’s golfing boom in Ireland would be to crown a home hero at The K Club on Sunday afternoon.
Byrne, the low amateur of 2023, arrived down in the dumps to last year’s edition, but now she is smiling from ear to ear and has that quiet confidence that yes, the winner of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open could be her.
“We all want an Irish winner, it would be a dream to get any LET win and then at home… Irish people love coming out and watching us but managing those expectations is important as well,” said Byrne who has experience of competing on the Palmer South Course, having finished second alongside her father Derek in the Irish Mixed Foursomes as a teenager. She wants to go one better flying solo.
“Golf is going to be golf. You never know how that ball will go. We all have that quiet confidence that we can win out here and to do it this week would be special. You can’t force it because that is the worst thing you can do. Less is more. The weeks you do well you might not expect it and you’re just letting it flow. Just have fun with it out there.
“As much as it is nerve-racking we would all be distraught if it wasn’t on the calendar so you have to just go out there and I’m just so happy to be here in front of a home crowd.”
Leave a comment