The KPMG Women’s Irish Open heads into its final day at The K Club with Casandra Alexander still the player to catch, Leona Maguire having produced the round of the day to ignite hopes of a dramatic Irish challenge, and another memorable day of KPMG Clubhouse Conversations adding to the story away from the fairways.
Saturday was Moving Day in every sense.
Heavy rain eventually forced a 45-minute suspension of play on the Palmer South Course, but before the worst of the weather arrived Maguire produced the performance the home galleries had been waiting for.
Nine birdies and not a single dropped shot gave her a magnificent nine-under-par 63 and moved her from the middle of the field into a share of sixth place on 11 under par.
It was a reminder of just how quickly tournament golf can change.
After successive opening rounds of 71, Maguire had spoken on Friday evening about creating chances without converting enough of them. Twenty-four hours later the putter was working and she came within a fraction of going lower again, with birdie opportunities narrowly missed over the closing holes.
She will start Sunday seven shots behind Alexander, so a first Irish victory in the Championship would require something exceptional, but another charge from Maguire would certainly give the home galleries plenty to follow.
Alexander remains firmly in control.
The South African followed her opening rounds of 63 and 66 with a 69 to reach 18 under par. Her advantage, though, has been reduced from five shots to three.
Sara Kouskova is her closest challenger on 15 under after a bogey-free 67, while Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall matched Maguire’s 63 to move to 13 under.
Corinne Viden and Louise Rydqvist are a further shot back on 12 under, with Maguire and Noora Komulainen sharing sixth on 11 under.
That leaves enough players within striking distance to make the closing 18 holes compelling.
Strong Irish Moving Day
Maguire’s was the standout Irish performance, but she was far from alone in making progress.
Anna Foster produced an excellent bogey-free 66 to climb to seven under and a share of 15th place.
Lauren Walsh carded eight birdies in a five-under 67. A triple bogey on the fourth prevented the round from being even more spectacular, but she recovered superbly and will start Sunday on five under.
Áine Donegan is alongside her after a 69, while Canice Screene endured the most difficult finish of the Irish contingent.
Screene had started Saturday as the leading Irish player at five under and at one stage reached eight under. A quintuple-bogey ten at the 18th, however, saw her fall back to one under.
Annabel Wilson completes the six-strong Irish contingent who made it through to the weekend. She battled to a 73 on Saturday and will begin the final round at level par.
For Irish golf, having six players competing on Sunday of the national Open is another important measure of the growing depth of the women’s game.
Clubhouse Conversations with Amgen and Annabel Wilson
The story of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open throughout the week has extended well beyond the leaderboard.
Our KPMG Clubhouse Conversations have given us the opportunity each day to explore the people, partnerships and wider stories around one of the biggest weeks in Irish women’s sport.
On Saturday we were joined by Nicola Donnelly of Amgen.
Amgen has become increasingly visible within Irish golf through its title partnership with the Amgen Irish Open, and our conversation provided an opportunity to explore what the company sees in golf as a platform through which to engage with customers, colleagues and the wider public.
With the Amgen Irish Open itself now less than two weeks away at Doonbeg, it was also an opportunity to look at how major sporting partnerships can create connections which extend well beyond the tournament itself.
Our second conversation brought us directly back to the action on the course.
Annabel Wilson joined us having made the weekend in her home Open.
For any Irish golfer, playing in a national championship carries additional meaning. There are familiar faces following from outside the ropes, family and friends watching and an opportunity for younger golfers to see Irish professionals competing alongside established international players.
Wilson has been part of the generation of Irish golfers that has come through a strengthening pathway from amateur golf towards the professional game, and hearing directly from a player competing in the Championship added another dimension to our coverage of the week.
It has been one of the strengths of the KPMG Clubhouse Conversations that we have been able to move between elite sport and the wider business and social impact surrounding it.
Saturday continued that theme.
One More Day at The K Club
Sunday promises a fitting conclusion.
Alexander has led since Thursday morning and has an opportunity to complete a wire-to-wire victory.
Kouskova is close enough to make her work for it, Arwefjall has demonstrated with Saturday’s 63 how quickly ground can be made up, and there remains a strong chasing group behind them.
And then there is Maguire.
Seven shots is a substantial gap over 18 holes, but after nine birdies on Saturday there will be plenty of people arriving at The K Club hoping she can produce another fast start and give Alexander something to think about.
The six Irish players beginning the final round are:
[FINAL ROUND TEE TIMES TO INSERT WHEN OFFICIAL SUNDAY DRAW IS PUBLISHED]
Leona Maguire – 11 under
Anna Foster – 7 under
Lauren Walsh – 5 under
Áine Donegan – 5 under
Canice Screene – 1 under
Annabel Wilson – level par
The final round gets under way at 8.10am, with the leading group scheduled to tee off at 11.58am.
Live television coverage begins at 2pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with the tournament also available through Sky Sports.
From the Clubhouse to the 18th Green
For Sport for Business, Sunday will also provide a special conclusion to what has been a hugely enjoyable week at The K Club.
We are delighted to have been invited to be involved in the presentation to the 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open champion at the end of play.
Before then, there will be one final day of KPMG Clubhouse Conversations.
We will be joined by MJ Feetherson from The K Club to reflect on hosting a major international women’s sporting event and what the week has meant for the resort.
We will also speak with KPMG Ireland Managing Partner Ryan McCarthy about KPMG’s title partnership, its long-term commitment to women’s golf and women’s sport, and how the Championship has developed into an increasingly significant event on the Irish sporting calendar.
Orla O’Donovan will also join us during the day, alongside a few other special guests as the final round unfolds.
And then, when the last putt has dropped and the trophy has been presented, we hope to welcome the newly crowned 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open champion to the KPMG Clubhouse Conversations.
That will provide an appropriate final chapter to four days in which we have talked about far more than golf.
We have spoken about high performance, business, sponsorship, participation, entrepreneurship, health, leadership and the growing visibility of women’s sport.
Most importantly, we have been able to have those conversations while one of Ireland’s biggest women’s sporting events has been taking place only a few metres away.
There are still 18 holes to play.
And after what we saw on Moving Day, there could yet be plenty more drama before we discover who will lift the trophy at The K Club on Sunday afternoon.
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Image Credit: KPMG Women’s Irish Open and Mel MacLaine
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