South Africa’s Casandra Alexander emerged victorious at the rain‑soaked KPMG Irish Open, delivering a commanding performance throughout a soggy week in County Kildare. After finishing as a runner‑up on five occasions this season, the Ladies European Tour (LET) standout finally broke her streak of near‑misses with a wire‑to‑wire win, highlighted by a record‑low round of 63 on the opening day at The K Club’s Palmer South Course.
Alexander began her campaign with a flurry of birdies, taking three of the first four holes and never looking back. She closed the tournament at an astonishing 20‑under‑par, three strokes ahead of Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, while Finland’s Noora Komulainen trailed by an additional shot.
The South African’s flawless play was a testament to her consistency and mental toughness, especially given the challenging weather conditions that plagued the event. Irish hopeful Leona Maguire, playing on home soil, finished as the top Irish competitor, landing in fourth place five strokes behind the leader.
Her performance contributed to a historic week for Irish golf, as a record nine Irish professionals and seven Irish amateurs entered the field – the strongest national representation the tournament has ever seen. From the outset, the tournament was a battle against the elements. Saturday’s third round was suspended for 45 minutes as heavy rain hammered the Palmer South Course, and the final round’s closing par‑five was shortened on Sunday to accommodate the persistent downpour.
These disruptions added an extra layer of difficulty, testing the players’ adaptability and focus. On the final day, Alexander’s dominance was briefly threatened when she dropped shots on the first two holes, offering a fleeting glimpse of vulnerability.
However, she quickly rebounded with a trio of consecutive birdies starting on the fifth hole, re‑establishing her lead and cementing her path to a well‑deserved victory. "This one is really special," Alexander said after her win.
"It’s a prestigious event, and I feel like this victory is just as important as my first because it proves I’m not just a one‑time winner." She added, "I can’t wait to get home and celebrate with my family and friends. Winning the Order of Merit is my primary goal, and the best way to achieve that is by winning tournaments like this." Maguire’s final round began with a seven‑stroke deficit, but she carried momentum from her own impressive 63 in the earlier round, a score that featured nine birdies and no mistakes before the worst of Saturday’s rain arrived. On Sunday, she sparked the home crowd with four birdies in a five‑hole stretch around the turn, propelling her to 15‑under‑par.
Unfortunately, that surge was followed by six consecutive pars and a bogey on the shortened 17th before she finished with a birdie on the final hole, securing a respectable fourth‑place finish. This result ties Maguire’s best performance in the Irish Open, matching the fourth‑place finish she achieved at Dromoland Castle in 2022. Reflecting on the week, she said, "The support from the fans was incredible, rain or shine.
It’s been another successful Irish Open, and I’m proud to have given the home crowd something to cheer about. Scoring 15 under is a solid week, and those low rounds over the weekend were a real confidence boost." Maguire’s timing could not be better, as she was selected by captain Anna Nordqvist for next month’s Solheim Cup. The selection comes after a challenging season in which Maguire missed the cut in four of the five majors and had not claimed a win in two years. A top‑five finish at her national open suggests that her form is finally clicking at the right moment.
Her Solheim Cup record stands at 8‑3‑1 over three appearances, and she was the leading scorer during Europe’s victorious 2021 campaign, remaining unbeaten as a rookie. This experience made her the sole veteran among Nordqvist’s four captain’s picks, which also include debutants Julia Lopez Ramírez of Spain, Nastasia Nadaud of France, and Mimi Rhodes of England. Both the LPGA Tour and the LET will observe a brief hiatus before the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup, scheduled to be held at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. Team Europe will look to reclaim the trophy from Team USA.
The opening ceremony of the Solheim Cup will be broadcast live on Thursday, 10 September, at 4 pm on Sky Sports+, followed by comprehensive coverage across all three days on Sky Sports Golf. The competition kicks off at 6 am on Friday, 11 September, and continues with two sessions each day, culminating in the singles matches on Sunday, 13 September, starting at 9 am. Viewers can also access the latest Sky Sports offers or stream the event without a contract via NOW.