South Africa’s Casandra Alexander emerged as the champion of the rain‑soaked KPMG Irish Open, delivering a commanding performance throughout a soggy week at County Kildare. After finishing as a runner‑up on five occasions this season, the Ladies European Tour (LET) leader finally broke her streak of near‑misses with a wire‑to‑wire triumph that featured an astonishing course‑record 63 on the opening day at The K Club’s Palmer South Course.
Alexander opened her round with birdies on three of the first four holes, establishing a lead she never relinquished. She closed the tournament at 20‑under par, three strokes clear of Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, while Finland’s Noora Komulainen trailed by a further 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 finished as the highest‑placed local player, landing in fourth place five shots behind the winner. Her performance contributed to a historic showing for Irish golf, as a record nine Irish professionals and seven amateurs entered the field – the strongest home representation the tournament has ever seen. The week was dominated by inclement weather from the start.
Saturday’s third round was suspended for 45 minutes as heavy rain drenched the Palmer South Course, and the final round’s closing par‑five was shortened on Sunday to accommodate the persistent downpour. Despite these interruptions, Alexander remained unflappable. The only moment where she appeared vulnerable came on the first two holes of the final day, when she dropped a shot on each. However, she quickly rebounded with three straight birdies beginning at the fifth hole, re‑establishing a comfortable cushion and steering the tournament toward a victory that felt long overdue.
"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 isn’t a fluke!" She added that she was eager to return home and celebrate with family and friends, emphasizing that her primary goal for the season was to top the Order of Merit – a target best achieved by winning tournaments like this one. Maguire’s final round began seven shots behind the leader, but she carried momentum from her own 63‑shot round earlier in the week, which featured nine birdies and no bogeys before the worst of Saturday’s rain arrived. On Sunday she ignited the home crowd with four birdies in a five‑hole stretch around the turn, propelling herself to 15‑under par.
Unfortunately, the 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 fourth place. This result matches her best finish at the Irish Open, a position she also 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." The timing of Maguire’s performance could not be more advantageous.
She was recently named as one of Anna Nordqvist’s captain’s picks for next month’s Solheim Cup, a decision that arrives after a season in which she missed the cut in four of the five majors and endured a two‑year title drought. A top‑five finish on home soil suggests that her form is finally clicking at the right moment.
Maguire’s Solheim Cup record stands at 8‑3‑1 across three appearances, and she was the leading scorer as an unbeaten rookie when Europe reclaimed the trophy in 2021. This experience made her the sole veteran among Nordqvist’s four selections, which also include debutants Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez, France’s Nastasia Nadaud and England’s Mimi Rhodes. Both the LPGA Tour and the LET will observe a brief hiatus before the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup, set to be contested at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Team Europe will be looking to recapture the cup from the United States. The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Thursday, September 10, at 4 pm on Sky Sports+, followed by continuous coverage of all three days of the biennial competition on Sky Sports Golf. Coverage starts at 6 am on Friday, September 11, and Saturday, September 12, with two sessions each day, and resumes at 9 am for the singles on Sunday, September 13. Viewers can also access the latest Sky Sports deals or stream the action without a contract on NOW.