South Africa’s Casandra Alexander emerged as the champion of the rain‑soaked KPMG Irish Open, delivering a commanding performance throughout a wet and windy week in County Kildare. After finishing as runner‑up on five occasions this season, the Ladies European Tour (LET) standout finally broke her string of near‑misses with a wire‑to‑wire triumph that was highlighted by an opening‑round course record 63 on the Palmer South Course at The K Club. Alexander launched her attack by birdieing three of the first four holes, establishing an early lead that she never relinquished. She closed the tournament at an astonishing 20‑under‑par, finishing three strokes ahead of Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, with Finland’s Noora Komulainen a further shot back in third.
The South African’s dominance was evident in every round, as she consistently posted low scores despite the challenging conditions that saw the course become increasingly soggy and the final day’s closing par‑five shortened due to persistent rain. In the midst of Alexander’s victory, Ireland’s own Leona Maguire posted a strong performance of her own, finishing as the top Irish player and securing fourth place overall, five strokes behind the winner. Her result contributed to a historic showing for Irish golf at the event – a record nine professionals and seven amateurs represented the host nation, the strongest home contingent ever fielded at the Irish Open.
The tournament was a battle against the elements from the start. Saturday’s third round was interrupted for 45 minutes when heavy rain drenched the Palmer South Course, and the weather forced officials to shorten the final round’s closing hole on Sunday. Despite these disruptions, Alexander remained composed.
She stumbled briefly on the opening two holes of the final day, dropping a shot on each and providing a fleeting glimpse of vulnerability. However, she quickly regained her footing by birdieing the fifth, sixth and seventh holes in succession, re‑establishing a comfortable cushion and steering the tournament back onto her intended path. “This win is incredibly special,” Alexander said after her victory.
“The event itself is prestigious, and I feel this triumph is just as meaningful as any other because it proves I can win consistently, not just get lucky.” She added that she looked forward to celebrating with friends and family back home, noting that her primary goal for the season is to finish atop the Order of Merit – a target that is best achieved by winning tournaments like this one. Maguire’s final round began with her seven shots behind the leader, but she entered the day with confidence after posting a 63 of her own earlier in the tournament, a round that featured nine birdies and no bogeys. On Sunday, she sparked the home crowd with a burst of four birdies in five holes around the turn, propelling her score to 15‑under‑par.
Unfortunately, the momentum waned as she recorded six consecutive pars and a bogey on the shortened 17th hole before finishing with a birdie on the final hole. Her steady play earned her fourth place, matching her best finish at the Irish Open – a result she also achieved at Dromoland Castle in 2022. “It’s been a fantastic week,” Maguire reflected. “The spectators have been amazing, rain or shine.
I think this Irish Open will be remembered as another successful edition, and the fans really lifted us throughout the tournament. Getting a couple of low rounds over the weekend was great, and a total of 15‑under‑par is a solid effort. I’m pleased we could give the home crowd something to cheer about.” Maguire’s performance comes at a crucial juncture, as she has been selected by captain Anna Nordqvist as one of Europe’s captain’s picks for the upcoming Solheim Cup.
This selection arrives after a season in which Maguire missed the cut in four of the five major championships and had not won a tournament in two years. A top‑five finish at her national open suggests her form is finally clicking at the right moment. Her Solheim Cup record stands at 8‑3‑1 across three appearances, and she was the leading scorer for Europe during their 2021 victory, where she remained 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 in a highly anticipated biennial showdown. The opening ceremony for the Solheim Cup will be broadcast live on Thursday, 10 September, at 4 pm on Sky Sports+, followed by comprehensive coverage of all three competition days on Sky Sports Golf.
Coverage begins at 6 am on Friday, 11 September, and continues with two sessions each day, culminating with 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.