Cork golfer Sarah Byrne hoping for home success

Sarah Byrne will tee it up for the first time as a professional in Ireland this week as she takes part in her second KPMG Irish woman's open the Douglas golfer is in her first year in the professional ranks having turned pro after the Curtis cup last September. 

Sara is one of nine professionals and seven amateurs playing in Carton House this week, a record number of Irish golfers to feature at the event.

The event attracted over 34,000 spectators last year in it’s first visit to Carton House and this year’s numbers are likely to be bigger, especially if any of the Irish are still in contention going into the weekend. 

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are just €25 and under 16’s are free with a paying adult. 

The KPMG Women’s Irish Open returned in 2022 after a ten year gap, with Dromoland Castle holding the first two stagings of the relaunched event.

This will be Byrne’s second time competing in the showpiece Irish event. She finished as the top amateur golfer in the 2023 staging which was held at Dromoland Castle. 

As an amateur she wasn’t able to claim any prize money but more importantly, it was another step to Sara moving to the professional ranks. Her performance that week also yielded a sponsor as she is now a touring professional for the five star golf and hotel resort in Co Clare.

Sara was in Carton House on Monday preparing for the event and hosting a clinic for younger golfers. 

Byrne did not feature in the 2024 event and she was representing GB&I at the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale. 

Byrne went undefeated over the three days as GB&I beat the US for the first time in 12 years. 

That was to be her final event as an amateur. She turned pro and finished out her season in a number of LET Access events as well a Q schools for the LET and LPGA.

The Douglas golfer, has had a good start to the season In four cuts in her seven starts. In those four cuts she has earned over €18,000 and currently sits inside the top 70 on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.

With two majors, and the Scottish Open taking place in July it’s unlikely that bar a good performance in Carton House that Sara will get a place in those events, but she should get a place in the PIF London Championship which has a prize fund of $2m. 

A good performance in the enhanced purse events would secure a tour card for 2026, as well as giving her a chance to get to the LPGA events.

While entry into the majors is not guaranteed, Byrne has entered two events in the US. She has entered Epsom Tour events in Ney York and Ohio which both take place in July. 

Sara is also playing on the Epsom tour in the US, the second tier behind the LPGA and record a top twenty finish in May when she played in Arizona.

Fota Island are among the four clubs to make it through in the AIG Senior Cup in Lee Valley over the weekend. Bolstered with the addition of Morgan Cain, they now have a strong panel and will be among those favoured to advance at the next stages in Macroom in three weeks time. Douglas were another team to impress, putting together two impressive wins over Mallow and Tramore over the weekend in Lee Valley.

2024 winners Cork Golf Club went out to Thurles in the second round on Saturday morning, and Thurles went on to beat Co Tipperary on Sunday morning. 

They will face Kinsale in the area semi-final after Kinsale had good wins over Macroom and West Waterford. 

Unfortunately, the hosts didn’t get to the second round, they were beaten by Kinsale in the opening round played at the start of June. 

Similar to last year, last weekend saw two rounds being held, with the Munster East semi-finals and final set to take place in Macroom before the end of July. 

The AIG Women’s Senior Cup also concludes in Macroom that weekend where Douglas will face Fota Island and Bandon play Cork.