Lauren Walsh from the Castlewarden club in County Kildare will next year join Leona Maguire as a full member of the lucrative LPGA Tour in the United States.

She earned her ticket by delivering a composed and clinical finish at the final stage of the Q-Series in Alabama.

With 25 places available based on performance in a reduced-format tournament, Walsh produced her best golf when the pressure was at its fiercest, shooting a superb five-under-par 67 in the final round to climb into a tie for 17th and seal her status for next year.

The 25-year-old’s four-round total of six-under 280 came after earlier scores of 74, 70 and 69, navigating a tense qualifying week that had been shortened due to adverse weather conditions.

Her achievement means Walsh will now join fellow Irish star Leona Maguire on the LPGA Tour in 2026, a season that features 33 events and a staggering combined prize fund of more than $132 million (€113.5m).

For Walsh, who has been a top performer on the Ladies European Tour and a popular player at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, this is a huge win, with prize money in the US still significantly ahead of that in Europe.

She finished 22nd on the 2025 LET Money list, earning €234,000 in prizemoney. The same position in the US was held by Pajaree Anannarukam, who earned $1.54 million.

Lauren is managed off the course by Cian Branagan and the team at ForeFront Sports. She is a brand ambassador for AIB here.

 

Image Credit: AIB

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