South Africa’s Casandra Alexander is the 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open champion after completing a superb wire-to-wire victory at The K Club yesterday, bringing to a close a memorable four days of golf and one of the standout events of the Irish sporting summer.

Alexander, the Ladies European Tour’s leading player this season and a five-time runner-up before this week, had set the tone with a course-record 63 on Thursday and never surrendered the lead.

She finished on 20-under par, three shots clear of Czechia’s Sara Kouskova, with Finland’s Noora Komulainen a further shot back in third.

There was a brief suggestion of final-day drama when Alexander dropped shots at each of her opening two holes, but any hopes among the chasing pack were quickly dampened.

Three consecutive birdies from the fifth restored her position at the top and, from there, she displayed the composure that has characterised her season to close out the biggest victory of her year.

For a player who had finished runner-up five times before arriving in Ireland, there was an added satisfaction in finally converting her outstanding consistency into a victory.

Maguire Leads Record Irish Challenge

Leona Maguire led home a record Irish contingent with an excellent fourth-place finish, five shots behind Alexander.

It matched her best finish at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, first achieved at Dromoland Castle in 2022, and gave the large galleries plenty to celebrate on the final afternoon.

Maguire had started Sunday seven shots off the lead but produced another strong performance, including four birdies in five holes either side of the turn, before adding a closing birdie.

Her performance provided an appropriate conclusion to a week in which Irish women’s golf enjoyed unprecedented representation.

A record 16 Irish players competed at The K Club, comprising nine professionals and seven amateurs, the strongest home representation in the history of the tournament.

That depth of participation, combined with the crowds following Maguire and the other Irish players throughout the week, provided another indication of how firmly the KPMG Women’s Irish Open has established itself on the Irish sporting calendar.

Sport for Business at The K Club

 

 

For Sport for Business, it was a particular pleasure to be part of the week and of yesterday’s presentation to the 2026 champion.  Working closely with ForeFront Sports on the delivery of the event is a masterclass in attention to detail and in working with people in a friendly yet highly effective manner.

Throughout the tournament, our KPMG Clubhouse Conversations gave us the opportunity to explore the stories around the golf and the people and organisations helping to drive the continued growth of the event and of women’s sport.

On the final day we were joined by MJ Fetherstone of The K Club and Ryan McCarthy of KPMG Ireland, as well as KPMG ambassador Rachael Blackmore, one of Ireland’s great sporting stars.

We also caught up with Clare golfer Áine Donegan before bringing the conversations to a fitting conclusion with a toast to the champion, Casandra Alexander, following her victory.

Those conversations rounded out four days in which we spoke with players, partners, sporting leaders and personalities about the tournament, the growth of women’s golf and the wider opportunity surrounding women’s sport in Ireland.

It has been a privilege to play a small part in telling those stories.

Next Stop Dún Laoghaire

The KPMG Women’s Irish Open will move to Dún Laoghaire Golf Club in 2027, beginning another chapter in the development of a tournament that has grown significantly in stature, profile and importance.  It will take place from Thursday, August 5th to Sunday, August 8th, the week after the AIG Open Championship taking place at Royal St George’s in England.

The combination of elite international competition, an increasingly strong Irish presence, committed commercial backing and enthusiastic galleries has created something that now extends well beyond four rounds of golf.

It has become a showcase for women’s sport and for the opportunity that exists when sporting ambition, commercial partnership and strong event presentation come together.

From Casandra Alexander’s opening-day 63 to her lifting of the trophy on Sunday afternoon, The K Club provided a wonderful stage in 2026.

We very much look forward to being part of it all again at Dún Laoghaire Golf Club in 2027.

 

 

 

Golf Ireland, KPMG and ForeFront Sports are full members of Sport for Business. 

If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.

Image Credit: KPMG Women’s Irish Open and Mel MacLaine

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