South Africa’s Casandra Alexander emerged victorious at the rain‑soaked KPMG Irish Open, delivering a commanding performance throughout a challenging week in County Kildare. After five runner‑up finishes earlier in the season, the Ladies European Tour standout finally broke her streak with a wire‑to‑wire win that featured a record‑low round of 63 on the opening day at The K Club’s Palmer South Course.
Alexander launched her campaign with an aggressive start, birdieing three of her first four holes and never looking back. She closed the tournament at an astonishing 20‑under par, finishing three strokes ahead of Czechia’s Sara Kouskova, while Finland’s Noora Komulainen trailed by a further shot. Her flawless play set a new benchmark for the event and underscored her status as the LET’s leading player. Irish hopeful Leona Maguire, playing on home soil, delivered a commendable performance as the tournament’s top Irish finisher, ending in fourth place, five shots shy of the leader.
Her finish contributed to a historic showing for Irish golf, with a record nine Irish professionals and seven amateurs entering the field – the strongest home representation ever recorded at the Irish Open. The week was dominated by inclement weather from the outset. Heavy rain forced a 45‑minute suspension of play during the third round on Saturday, and the final round’s closing par‑five was shortened on Sunday to accommodate the conditions. Despite the disruptions, Alexander remained unfazed.
She stumbled briefly on the opening two holes of the final day, dropping shots for the first time all week, but quickly regained her composure with three consecutive birdies beginning on the fifth hole. Those birdies rebuilt her cushion and allowed her to steer the tournament to a well‑deserved triumph.
"This one is really special," Alexander said after her win. "It’s a special event, and I feel the second win is just as important as the first because it’s not a fluke! I can’t wait to get home and celebrate with friends and family.
The Order of Merit is goal number one, and the best way to win the Order of Merit is to win tournaments like this." Maguire’s final round began seven strokes behind the leader, but she carried momentum from her own 63‑stroke round earlier in the week, which featured nine birdies and no dropped shots before the heaviest rain arrived on Saturday. On Sunday she ignited the home crowd with four birdies in a five‑hole stretch around the turn, propelling her to 15‑under par. However, the surge was followed by six consecutive pars and a bogey on the shortened 17th before she finished with a birdie on the final par‑five, securing fourth place. The Irishwoman’s result ties her best finish at her national open, a feat she previously achieved at Dromoland Castle in 2022.
"It’s been a great week," Maguire reflected. "The crowds have been fantastic, rain, hail or shine. I think it’s another very successful Irish Open in the books and the fans really made it this week. Nice to get a couple of low ones over the weekend.
Friday was the one that got away but overall, 15 under par is a very solid week’s effort and nice to be able to give the home fans something to cheer about." Maguire’s timing could not be better as she has been selected by captain Anna Nordqvist for next month’s Solheim Cup, despite a season that saw her miss the cut in four of the five majors and endure a two‑year winless stretch. Her top‑five finish at the Irish Open suggests her form is finally clicking at the crucial moment. With a Solheim Cup record of 8‑3‑1 over three appearances and a flawless rookie performance that helped Europe claim victory in 2021, Maguire brings valuable experience to a European team that also includes three debutants: Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez, France’s Nastasia Nadaud and England’s Mimi Rhodes. The upcoming 20th edition of the Solheim Cup will be contested at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, where Team Europe hopes to reclaim the trophy from the United States.
The competition’s opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Thursday, 10 September, at 4 pm on Sky Sports+, followed by comprehensive coverage of all three days on Sky Sports Golf. Sessions begin at 6 am on Friday, 11 September, and Saturday, 12 September, with two daily windows, and the singles matches start at 9 am on Sunday, 13 September.
Fans can also stream the action without a contract via NOW, taking advantage of the latest Sky Sports deals. Overall, Alexander’s dominant victory and Maguire’s strong home‑soil showing set the stage for an exciting Solheim Cup season, highlighting the depth of talent on the Ladies European Tour and the growing enthusiasm for women’s golf across Europe.