Nelly Korda horseshoed in a par putt from just under three feet to claim the 81st US Women's Open at storied Riviera Country Club and claim her second Major win in a row.

"A nice ice cream swirl to cap off the day," Korda said after a dramatic final day in Los Angeles. "Why did I leave myself such a long putt?"

She closed with a two-under 69 to win on eight-under 276 — the same total that gave Ben Hogan the US Open at the same venue in 1948 in his comeback from a near-fatal car crash — to edge out England's Charley Hull and Mexico's Gaby Lopez by one stroke.

A year after tying for second at Erin Hills, 27-year-old Hull took the outright lead for the first time when she knocked in a nine-foot birdie on the par-five 17th before going on to hole out from two feet 10 inches for her 19th LPGA win, the first two majors of 2026 and her fourth Major victory.

It was a thrilling end to a dramatic final day that saw Hull follow a Saturday 65 with a 67 to set the target before Lopez birdied the last from 15 feet to shoot 68 and join the English star at seven under.

In the end, Hull had to settle for her fifth Major Championship runner-up finish.

In Gee Chun, the 2015 champion, got to nine under through 11 holes before back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th derailed her bid for a fourth major, and she finished solo fourth on six under. 

"When I entered the back nine, all [caddie Jason McDede] and I were talking about was one shot at a time," said Korda, who was tied for 56th after a first-round 73. 

"Not getting too ahead of myself. Not looking at the leaderboard, seeing what other people were doing. It was just a shot at a time."

Korda's driving improved dramatically over the weekend thanks to a grip change suggested by her sister Jessica. But it was her short game that won her the title.

"My most stressful part of the golf course [was] on Thursday," Korda said. "I just kept hitting these drives out right, out right, and out right, and I kept telling J, I can't compete on this golf course if I'm not in the fairway. 

"Like you cannot stop it on these greens. Am I just going to continuously just depend on my short game? Which I did throughout the whole week"? I did depend on my short game."

Her birdie at the 17th, where he fist pumped after making her nine-footer for birdie, left her needing par at the 18th to win.

She hit a brilliant drive and found the green, but left her 35-footer far shorter than she wanted.

"I wish that putt was closer," Korda joked. "It makes it really cool to walk up to see the iconic golf, the clubhouse and everyone sitting around cheering me on. 

"I had to, honestly, a couple of times, tell myself, okay, stay in the moment, stay in the moment, because I was dreaming, I was dreaming of hoisting the trophy a little too early. And I kept reverting back, I'm like the job's not done, the job's not done, yeah."

Rory McIlroy saw positive signs but headed back to London last night, insisting he still has work to do to be ready for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The Masters champion closed with a four-under 68 to tie for 12th on four under in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, eight shots behind JT Poston (72) who beat Ryan Gerard (68) with a par at the second play-off hole..

While he didn’t quite achieve his goal of contending for Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, he will spend the next six days working at his Wentworth base to get ready for the third Major of the season at a venue where diabolical green complexes will be a challenge.

“It was sort of like two steps forward, one step back,” the world number two said after a round that began with five birdies in his first six holes before petering out.

“I actually felt like I played some of my best golf on Friday afternoon, and we just got tough conditions, and it was just hard coming in.

“Then yesterday, I felt like I left a few out there, and then today as well, after the fast start, it would have been nice to keep that going, but I wasn't quite able to keep the momentum that I had on that front nine.

“But overall, not a bad week, got some good stuff out of it, and you know, I've got a week to prep and get ready for Shinnecock.”

The world number two started with three birdies in a row, parred the fourth, then birdied the fifth and sixth before dropping a shot at the par five seventh when his attempted recovery from greenside rough went straight under the ball and barely moved.

Another shot went at the short 12th before he followed a birdie at the 14th with four pars to finish.

Picking out the positives, he said: “I’d say my iron play was better, wedge play was good. Off the tee still wasn't where I want it to be.

“Thankfully, the fairways at Shinnecock are a little wider than they are here, so I still need to work on how I'm hitting it off the tee, but everything else, putting, felt pretty good for the most part.

“As I said, iron play and wedges were pretty nice, so I’ll just try to keep getting a little bit better each and every day, heading into Shinnecock.”

As for his driving, he said: “I get a little bit underneath it, and then I'll release it, and then it'll overturn a little bit. I have to have to try to get the club back out in front of me, but then when it gets out in front of me, if I do get it there, then it's about having the right release pattern on the way through.”

It was a case of what might have been in Ohio for Shane Lowry, who closed with a one-over 73 to finish on one under par.

The Clara man birdied the fifth and sixth before making an eagle three at the seventh following a sensational 250-yard approach to just 11 feet.

A top 10 finish was on the cards but he lost momentum around the turn, dropping four shots in a row from the eighth and another with a three-putt at the par-three 16th to finish tied foe 22nd on one under.

Athenry golfer David Kitt secured his first championship win in the Murray Timber Group Connacht Men’s Stroke Play Championship at Galway Golf Club.

The 26-year-old, who finished tied for third in this event when it was played in Portumna in 2024, is the first Galwegian to claim the Connacht Stroke Play since Sam Murphy three years ago.

Kitt had a near miss at this venue in 2017 when he lost out to Jamie Fletcher (Warrenpoint) in the final of the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship.

But a couple of weeks after a Barton Shield success in Galway, and despite a double-bogey opening hole, he followed up a brace of 68s with a 70 for a one-under par total and a one-shot victory.

“Nothing changed (after the first), it was just one hole,” said Kitt.

“I knew I had time and the conditions were tough, I’d been striking the ball well all week. I knew if I just stuck to doing that, I’d been in the shake up.

“And it means everything, that’s why we’re practising. It’s a first championship win at any level. I’m delighted.

“There was great support from Athenry and the locals around here too.”

Bangor golfer Lewis Gowdy looked to have played himself out of contention with a disappointing 76 in the second round on Friday, but he bounced back this morning.

He began his round with a birdie at the first and had four more on his front nine, before two on his back nine for a stunning round of 63 and the clubhouse lead on level par.

Kitt was one shot behind at that stage, he began with that double-bogey and despite a bogey at the fifth, he was able to steady things on the front nine.

He had five straight pars until birdies at 12 and 13 and that separated him at the summit, with two putts enough to secure the win on the 18^thgreen.

“We won the Barton Shield here two weeks ago, so to do the double is great,” said Kitt.

“Over the years between Inter-Club and other championships, Galway is such a great venue and they’re always willing to host championships, which is brilliant.

“The course was in such great condition, it’s a pleasure to play.”

View the final scores here

Thirteen golfers will benefit from grants worth more than €375,000 via the 2026 Golf Ireland Professional Scheme, funded by Sport Ireland.

Each of the 13 players will receive €30,000 to support them in becoming established players on the main international tours, such as the European Tour, Ladies European Tour, US PGA Tour, and LPGA Tour.

This year’s beneficiaries include Lauren Walsh, Sara Byrne, Conor Purcell, Max Kennedy, Mark Power, Annabel Wilson, James Sugrue, Anna Foster, Áine Donegan, Ronan Mullarney, David Carey, John Ross Galbraith and Liam Nolan.

Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue said: “I would like to congratulate and wish all thirteen players selected for the scheme the very best of luck for this year and beyond.

“May you all go on to great success in your careers in professional golf. I believe it vitally important that we continue to invest in sport at all levels, and that we support projects such as the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme to enable our elite, high performance golfers to excel in their chosen field.”

 Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly said: “This funding is vital for enabling our players to perform at the highest level around the world. We are excited to see where their seasons lead and the role they will play in inspiring future generations of golfers in Ireland. The support from Sport Ireland helps them to reach their goals.”

Golf Ireland High Performance Director Neil Manchip said: “We are delighted to receive the funding from Sport Ireland to support our professional programme. It goes a long to help the development of our professionals making their way in the various tours.”

Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “Sport Ireland's investment in the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme reflects our commitment to ensuring Irish athletes have the resources they need to compete at the highest level. Over 25 years, we have seen this scheme deliver real results on the world stage, and the 13 golfers benefiting in 2026 represent the continuing strength of Irish golf at international level.”

Golf Ireland Professional Mark Power said: “The Golf Ireland Pro Scheme provides me with great support throughout the season. The funding and access to invites is a massive help toward giving myself the best opportunity to compete throughout the year.”

Golf Ireland Professional Sara Byrne said: “The Golf Ireland Pro Scheme has been a massive help with the transition from amateur to pro. The financial aid has been a massive part, as that is the number one thing to have to take care of with travelling expenses. The availability to coaching is also a great for whatever sort of help we need.”

With the Ryder Cup returning to Ireland next year, the Government has committed €8.5m in financial support for key professional golf tournaments, including the Amgen Irish Open, KPMG Women’s Irish Open, HotelPlanner Tour, and OFX Irish Legends Tour events, enhancing Ireland’s profile on the international stage.

Sport Ireland has provided funding to the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme since 1999. The scheme also gives players direct funding, assistance with tournament invitations, access to support staff, and access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Golf Ireland Academy.

Golf Ireland Pro Scheme members can also avail of warm weather training facilities, mentoring from current or former tour professionals and sports medical support through Sport Ireland.

In the time since the Scheme was established more than €5m in grants has been allocated to almost 120 aspiring young golfers.

For more information on the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme visit the Golf Ireland website here.

Full criteria for the scheme can also be found here.

Esker Hills golfer Ella Cantwell said it was the culmination of a lot of hard work as she became the inaugural winner of the West of Ireland Women’s Amateur Open Championship.

The 17-year-old Offaly native equalled the course record with her opening round 65 yesterday morning and she closed out her third round with eight birdies in a brilliant 67.

Scores

Cantwell finished eight shots clear of Hannah Lee-McNamara (Royal Portrush) and Aideen Walsh (Lahinch) on 18-under-par to make history in Castle Dargan.

She now follows in the footsteps of Shane Lowry who claimed the men’s equivalent in Co Sligo in 2008.

“Definitely a nice one to have with Shane, great for the club,” said Cantwell.

“Everyone looks up to Shane in Esker Hills. I’ve got honorary life membership with him this year. It’s just really nice to have him from the club.”

Cantwell began her weekend with a phenomenal 65, which included five birdies and two eagles. She followed that up with a solid second round of 72 and that gave her a one-shot lead ahead of Walsh.

Cantwell did not look fazed during her final round and she pushed on with three birdies around the turn, to move to 15-under-par. It was a sensational surge and Lee-McNamara mounted the biggest challenge with birdies on eight, nine and 12. Lee-McNamara had double-bogeyed the seventh straight after an eagle, which halted her momentum.

But it was Cantwell who took up a four-shot advantage down the closing stretch, that lead became seven when she reeled off three birdies in a row between 12th and 14th holes.

Cantwell birdied 17 too and despite an errant tee shot on the last she recovered to sink the bogey putt and put the seal on an emphatic win.

“I was seeing my coach on Friday and we just fixed something and I started swinging the club pretty well,” said Cantwell.

“My ball was going left and it was because my left hand was too strong, so I weakened it a little bit and just started hitting the ball straight.

“I was coming here to compete, I wanted to play steady golf and try my best to compete at the level that’s here and I did.

“I was delighted with my first round but I knew I still had to go out and play as well as I could and today I fought as hard as I could and I was absolutely delighted.

“It’s nice to see hard work and all that paying off. I’ll definitely enjoy this.”

Pádraig Harrington does not rule out a future Ryder Cup captaincy for LIV Golf rebels like Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, or Ian Poulter as Luke Donald prepares to face a USA squad out for revenge at Adare Manor next year.

Donald will be looking to become the first man to captain three consecutive winning teams in Co Limerick, where McDowell had hoped to captain Europe before he joined LIV and golf entered a bitter civil war.

Until the rules are changed, McDowell and fellow Ryder Cup stars like Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia remain ineligible for the captaincy, having failed to retain continuous membership of the DP World Tour.

But Harrington is not ruling them out in the future, given the changing landscape in professional golf and LIV's uncertain future following the decision by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to end its funding of the tour at the end of this season.

"Lee Westwood was lined up to take the captaincy after me," he said at his home club, Stackstown, where he shot a career-best, bogey-free six-under 66 to win the €15,000 TileStyle PGA Pro-Am by two strokes from Simon Thornton and Nicky Grant as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations.

"You've got Poulter, and you've got Graeme. There would have been a lot of competition there. Time heals a lot, so you know, maybe we'll see those guys and captains down the road."

As for the PGA of America's decision to reappoint losing 2018 captain Furyk for Adare Manor, Harrington believes Europe will do well not to underestimate the American as he tries to lead the USA to its first away win in 34 years.

The former US Open winner (56) was a surprise choice to succeed Keegan Bradley as captain and take the reins again.

"Jim's a great guy, for sure," Harrington said. "I think he's very competitive. He's quite hard. The whole US team wants revenge, and they're definitely going to leave no stone unturned, I would think. 

"Obviously, they can't do much with Adare, so it's all about themselves, how they'll manage themselves. 

"There are some ebbs and flows when it comes to teams. They didn't seem to have their best team last time, which usually means they'll be stronger next time around. 

"Obviously, the separation in the game of golf hasn't helped the US Ryder Cup team figure out who their best players are.

"But in another year's time, they'll have a lot of that figured out, so you certainly wouldn't be underestimating Jim and his team, that's for sure.

"He's a tough, tough, tough character."

Harrington was pleased to escape the practice ground and play competitive golf before heading to the US in a week to see Shinnecock Hills before the US Open, then warm up for the season's third Major at the RBC Canadian Open.

"I was trying hard today," he said at the course where he grew up. "I certainly wanted to break the 69, which I think is the lowest score I've ever shot here. 

"Maybe I need to take a few more risks and beat Michael McDermott's course record of 63, but there was also one side of me making sure that I didn't shoot a high number as well."

In Austria, Kota Kaneko held his nerve to secure his first DP World Tour title at the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel Tirol.

The 23-year-old, who topped last season's Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit to earn his DP World Tour card, chipped in at the 16th for birdie after a weather delay and carded a three under 67 to win by two shots from Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia and American Davis Bryant on 18 under.

As Bryant bogeyed the 18th to shoot 65 and finish alongside Gouveia on 16 under, Kaneko hit the stands behind the 18th green, but his ball stopped in the thick rough by the water hazard.

"I just can't believe it, I didn't think I would win, and I'm still very surprised," Kaneko said.

"On the 16th, I was just trying to make par. I knew I hit it hard, but it went in, so I was lucky. Sometimes you need things to go your way out there.

'I tried not to think too much about the weather delay after the restart. I managed to calm down and get into a good rhythm, so the stoppage worked out well for me.

"On the 18th, I knew I hit the board, but I knew it didn't go in the water, so I was just happy it didn't find the water."

On the HotelPlanner Tour,  Liam Nolan moved up to 26th in the Road to Mallorca race for 20 DP World Tour cards when he tied for seventh in the Challenge de España at Isla Canela Links.

The Galway man recovered from bogeys at the second and third and shot a four-under 68 to finish five strokes behind South Africa's Ryan van Velzen on 12 under.

James Sugrue shot 70 and Mark Power a 74 to share 44th on four under while Max Kennedy's 76 left him 59th on one-over, a shot better than John-Ross Galbraith, who shot 73.

Kildare’s Lauren Walsh took a massive step towards retaining her LPGA card when she finished a career-best solo third in the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern in New Jersey.

The Castlewarden rookie (25) was languishing at 158th in the Race to CME Globe standings after making just three of her first seven cuts.

But the touring professional for The Island potentially turned her season around at Seaview Hotel & Golf Club near Atlantic City, carding rounds of 70, 69 and 67 to finish just two shots behind France’s Celine Boutier on seven under.

The former Wake Forest University star (25) pocketed $133,34, the biggest cheque of her career, and jumped to 53rd in the Race to CME Globe standings, all but securing top 100 status and her card for 2027.

It was also a positive week for Leona Maguire ahead of this week’s US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club and also for Stephanie Meadow.

Maguire (31) closed with a bogey-free, three under 68 to finish joint ninth on four under, albeit in one of the weakest events on tour given that Charley Hull, who missed the cut, was the only member of the world's top 10 in action.

It was just her second top 10 of an erratic LPGA season marked by her battle to bed in swing changes she's making with her new coach, Sean Foley.

The Co Cavan star won $38,302 and moved up two spots to 26th in the season-long standings.

Meadow (34) shot 68 to finish 21st on two under to make her first cheque of the season and claim 137th in the standings.

As for Boutier, she came from four shots behind South Korea’s Soo Bin Joo, carding a five under 66 to win by a shot from Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol on nine under.

“To have a chance to win today is definitely something very special," said the 32-year-old French player who won the ShopRite LPGA five years ago.

"I think it's a great tournament, very special for me, so really excited to be able to have another win here."

“I feel like my game has turned around the last few weeks. I could see it coming together, and I definitely did not expect it to come together this week and today.

"But I'm super excited to be back in the winner's circle."

Stuart Grehan enjoyed one of the greatest days of his golfing life when he aced the 17th and closed with a sensational 65 en route to a record aggregate and a six-shot win in the East of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open at Baltray.

The 33-year-old Offaly man became the first County Louth member to win the title since Finbarr Ronan 41 years ago, triumphing on 17-under 271 from Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty, who set the previous championship low of 273 two years ago.

“It’s class, really cool,” said Grehan, who went into the final day a shot behind Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill before carding a five under 67 in the morning to lead by two strokes from the Ballymena man at lunch.

“I’m really, really happy. Chuffed having great crowds out there today and being a member here and having the support with family and friends, it feels really cool.

“I did feel a lot of pressure coming in this week. I was playing nicely but you always have that extra pressure playing at home.

“To go out and perform, I’m really proud of myself… To get it done and cap it off the way I did was pretty special.”

While he bogeyed the first in the final round and Rafferty closed with a 65 to finish on 11 under, Grehan produced a ball-striking masterclass to claim the title for the second time since he won as a Tullamore member in 2015.

Stuart Grehan with an Ace on 17 in @CountyLouthGC he’s now 17 under and takes a seven shot lead to the last in the east of Ireland amateur championship @StewyGrehanGolf pic.twitter.com/YsOyLYxTrd

— Irish Amateur golf info (@amateur_info) May 31, 2026

Birdies at the second, third, sixth, 10th, 13th and 16th left him four clear of Rafferty before he sensationally holed out with a four-iron from 216 yards at the 17th for a spectacular ace.

“I won’t forget that for a while,”  Grehan said. “Just a perfect little cut dead weight into the hole.

“To be fair, I flushed it. I think Patrick [Keeling] said, Oh, it has a chance, or something like that, and I just saw everyone's hands go up on the left, so that was pretty special.

“To have obviously family and friends and members there watching, it was really cool.”

As for the long wait for a home winner, he said: “I didn't really think about that sort of stuff before I played.

REPRO FREE ***PRESS RELEASE NO REPRODUCTION FEE*** EDITORIAL USE ONLYEast of Ireland Men's Amateur Open, County Louth Golf Club, Louth 31/5/2026Stuart Grehan with his wife Carla and their son Kai celebrate with the East of Ireland Men's Amateur Open Championship trophyMandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

REPRO FREE ***PRESS RELEASE NO REPRODUCTION FEE*** EDITORIAL USE ONLYEast of Ireland Men's Amateur Open, County Louth Golf Club, Louth 31/5/2026Stuart Grehan is presented with the East of Ireland Men's Amateur Open Championship trophy by Golf Ireland President Elect Joe McNamaraMandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

REPRO FREE ***PRESS RELEASE NO REPRODUCTION FEE*** EDITORIAL USE ONLYEast of Ireland Men's Amateur Open, County Louth Golf Club, Louth 31/5/2026Stuart Grehan shares a hug with his son Kai after winningMandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

REPRO FREE ***PRESS RELEASE NO REPRODUCTION FEE*** EDITORIAL USE ONLYEast of Ireland Men's Amateur Open, County Louth Golf Club, Louth 31/5/2026Stuart Grehan celebrates on the tee box with Patrick Keeling and Joshua Hill after making a hole-in-one on the 17thMandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

“I got off to a ropey start in the afternoon there, bogeyed the first, and I was hitting all over the place.

“But I kind of knuckled down and just leaned on my experience, and played really, really good golf.

“I think it was eight under for the last 17 holes, pretty good when you're when you're leading, so I’m absolutely chuffed. I'm really, really happy”

Three County Louth players finished in the top five as Gerard Dunne closed with rounds of 69 and 66 to finish joint third with Hill on nine under.

Grehan’s 2025 Walker Cup teammate Gavin Tiernan claimed fifth on five under.

East of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open, sponsored by Arnotts, County Louth (Par 72)

Final

Detailed scores

271 Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth) 70 69 67 65;

277 Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 72 71 69 65;

279 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) 77 67 69 66, Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) 67 71 70 71;

283 Gavin Tiernan (Co. Louth) 71 72 71 69;

284 TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 75 69 72 68, Patrick Keeling (Roganstown) 74 68 73 69;

286 Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay) 76 70 70 70, Keith Egan (Carton House) 74 69 70 73, Ciaran Murphy (Grange) 73 73 72 68, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) 72 70 72 72, Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 71 72 71 72;

287 James Hewitt (Tandragee) 76 69 70 72, Jordan Boles (Carton House) 75 68 71 73;

288 Matthew McClean (Malone) 75 69 74 70, Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 74 70 73 71;

289 Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 78 68 71 72, Adam Fahey (Portmarnock) 75 70 72 72, David Howard (Fota Island) 74 71 74 70, Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) 73 71 69 76, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 73 70 71 75;

290 William O’Riordan (Greystones) 75 72 73 70, David Reddan (Castleknock) 73 74 74 69, Evan Farrell (Co. Louth) 73 71 75 71, Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park) 72 70 76 72, Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 70 74 70 76;

291 Patrick Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon) 76 70 72 73, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 74 72 69 76, Quentin Carew (The Heritage) 73 73 74 71;

292 Fionn Dobbin (Malone) 75 72 74 71, David Kitt (Athenry) 72 73 74 73;

293 Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) 77 69 71 76, Kyle McCarron (North West) 75 71 76 71, Robert Walsh (Kinsale) 73 72 75 73;

294 Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 73 71 76 74;

295 Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan) 76 71 73 75, Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 73 73 73 76;

296 Sean Sweeney (Gweedore) 73 72 74 77;

297 Simon Ward (Belvoir Park) 75 71 73 78, Conor Hickey (Dooks) 73 73 73 78, James Fox (Portmarnock) 72 75 74 76;

298 Alex Kerins (Carton House) 74 73 74 77;

299 Knut Magnus Erlandsen (Baerum) 75 72 75 77;

300 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 76 71 78 75;

309 Nicolai Rosli (Oslo) 70 75 85 79.

Golf Ireland and AIG Ireland today officially launched this year’s AIG Men’s and Women’s Cups and Shields and AIG Men’s, Women’s and Girls’ Irish Amateur Close Championships at Stackstown in Dublin.

On hand to help the launch were reigning AIG Women’s Irish Amateur Close Champion Anna Dawson (Tramore) and leading golf analyst Dylan Beirne (Carrick-on-Shannon).

In addition to the launch of the Golf Ireland competitions, AIG provides a range of tailored insurance solutions for Golf Ireland clubs and members.

AIG has also proudly supported the Women in Sport Scramble which has been a phenomenal success since its inception in 2022. The most recent edition saw over 70 players take to the South Course at the K Club for another successful event which brings sportswomen together from across Ireland.

This year’s AIG Men’s and Women’s Cups and Shields are set to get underway in May with the finals in Shandon Park (26-29 August), Millicent (3-4 September), Ennis (18-19 September) and Thurles (19-20 September).

This year’s AIG Irish Women’s & Girls’ Amateur Close Championships will take place in Enniscrone from 28-31, July followed by the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship, which tees up in Portumna from 13-15 August.

Speaking about the launch today, Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly commented: “For almost three decades, AIG Insurance has been a tremendous supporter of Irish amateur golf, and their ongoing commitment and support to the elite level and Inter-Club competitions is greatly valued by Golf Ireland.

“It’s partnerships like this that allow us to keep raising our standards, provide more opportunities for players, and showcase the strength and depth of club and amateur golf right across the island of Ireland.”

Mark Power stayed patient in windy conditions and fired a bogey-free six under 65 to roar into contention at the Challenge de España in Andalucia.

The Kilkenny man (25) was disappointed not to take advantage of a six-under par front nine in the opening round of last week's Danish Golf Challenge and card a 72 en route to a modest 47th place finish.

But he kept his focus at a blustery Isla Canela Links to sit alone in third place, just a shot behind Portugal's Pedro Figueiredo and South Africa's Ryan Van Velzen.

"Yeah, I was delighted with that," Power said. "Last week I was six under after nine in the first round and had a terrible back nine, so I was disappointed. 

“I tried to keep the foot down, whereas I probably should have tried to keep it more steady.

"So I just knew steady golf out there was going to be good, and once a few putts started to drop, it just freed me up even more."

The two-time Walker Cup star is 100th in the Road to Mallorca standings but feels he has the game to compete for 20 DP World Tour promotions if the putter cooperates. 

"It's nice to see a few putts go in and know that my game is there, if I can convert," he said.

Mallow's James Sugrue missed the cut in Denmark, but he also rebounded well by carding a five-under 66 that left him just two shots off the pace in fourth, while John-Ross Galbraith was tied for seventh after a 67.

Max Kennedy shot 69 and Liam Nolan a 70 to leave them inside the projected cut line, but Ronan Mullarney (four-over), Dermot McElroy (five-over) and Cormac Sharvin (seven-over) have their work cut out.

On the Ladies European Tour, Douglas' Sara Byrne enjoyed a welcome return to form in just her third start since coming back after more than four months out with a fractured elbow to open with a three-under 68 in the Jabra Ladies Open de France.

While she bogeyed her final hole, the former Curtis Cup star (25) was tied for fifth, just two strokes behind Norway's Dorthea Forbrigd, who shot 66 to lead by a shot from India’s Diksha Dagar and England’s Hannah Screen and Hannah Burke at Evian Golf Resort.

“I was feeling pretty good. I was just really chilled,” said Byrne. “I went out there just to play some golf and not put any expectations on it and just took it shot-by-shot. My elbow is giving me a little bit of grief, so it’s just hitting and hoping and then hoping it’s not sore.

“It’s getting through that more than anything else, but I was really happy and everything felt good. My putting is really good, I had a chip-in on 16, up-and-downs were really good, so I was saving myself a lot, and taking them when I had opportunities. It’s just fun to play this golf course, the views are amazing and it’s a really cool place to be at.”

Aine Donegan was 36th after a 72 as Anna Foster shot 73 to share 54th while Annabel Wilson was 88th after a 75.

At the DP World Tour's Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel Tirol, China's Yanhan Zhou eagled his final hole to open with an eight-under 62 that gave him a one-shot lead over Portugal's Ricardo Gouviea.

In Texas, Ryan Gerar, Andrew Putnam, JJ Spaun, Tom Kim, Matt McCarty and Lee Hodges shot six under 64 to lead the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge by a shot from 12 players at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

West Waterford’s Seamus Power was 57th after he birdied his 16th and 18th holes for a one-under 69.

Power had little luck on the greens until he holed out from 42 feet from the fringe for a closing birdie at the ninth.

Meanwhile, Ryder Cup Europe has announced that weekly General Admission and Daily tickets for The Green have sold out for next year’s matches at Adare Manor.

The ballot for Daily General Admission ticket applications opens on June 3.

County Louth's Gerard Dunne hopes he can become the first home winner of the title for 41 years when the Arnotts-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Championship is decided at Baltray on Sunday.

The local school teacher (38) has already racked up top-10 finishes in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open and the North of Ireland Championship this season, and he's clearly got the game to aspire to become the first County Louth member to win the title since Finbarr Ronan succeeded Barry Reddan as champion in 1985.

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"I think it would be an amazing thing to do, to become part of the history of the club, to have your name on the board and to lift the trophy, it would be huge," said Dunne, who is part of an 11-strong home contingent that will take to the links on Friday.

"It's what you practice for when you're a kid, it's what you talk about when you're a young member and to be in a position where I genuinely feel I can win it is great. 

"I don't think about it a huge amount because it's such a tough thing to do and golf is such a punishing sport and it's hard to win but I'll absolutely be trying my best to win."

"I won't be thinking about the trophy on Friday; there's a lot of work to do in between, but it'd be absolutely huge."

He's certainly a more accomplished player now than he was in 2016, when he finished second to Paul O'Hanlon.

"I'm preparing much better now in the last few years than I ever did," said Dunne. 

"It's just about making sure I know what the strengths of my game are and where the areas are that I need to keep on top of.

"I am at a point in my life where I have a family at home, I have a career, and I know who I am as a person. 

"I think that when you have that self-awareness, it helps transfer over onto the golf course so that you can perform to a higher level because whether I win this week or not, I know I'm happy with who I am in my life."

With Dunne and Walker Cup players Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan joined Graham Callaghan, Harley Phipps, Evan Farrell, Ryan O'Doherty, Daniel O'Brien, Jack McKenna, Ronan O'Reilly and Louis Goodman, hopes of a strong home challenge are high. 

"We're lucky in Baltray to have so many good players that you play a high calibre of player every week, and that keeps your game sharp," Dunne said.

The first objective for the 132-man field is to make the top 42 and ties after 36 holes, who will qualify for the last two rounds on Sunday. 

Arnotts East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, County Louth GC

Tee-times

1st tee Friday/10th tee Saturday

7:30/12:30 Oliver Scriven (Pearl Valley), Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk);

7:41/12:41 Sean Keeling (Roganstown), Graham Callaghan (Co. Louth), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown);

7:52/12:52 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), David Lally (Blainroe);

8:03/1:03 Gavin O’Neill (Malahide), Keith Egan (Carton House), Liam Abom (Edmondstown);

8:14/1:14 Jamal Sabir (Moate), Matthew McClean (Malone), Kyle Honer (Roganstown);

8:25/1:25 Alex Kerins (Carton House), Cornelius Farhang (Oslo), William O’Riordan (Greystones);

8:36/1:36 Conor Stapleton (Westport), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock);

8:47/1:47 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Dylan Holmes (Greystones), Gavin Tiernan (Co. Louth);

8:58/1:58 Frederik Richardson (Byneset), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Jamie Anderson (Greystones);

9:09/2:09 Mark Cadden (Roganstown), Morgan Cain (Fota), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth);

9:20/2:20 Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore);

12:30/7:30 Shane Irwin (Hermitage), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), James Park (County Sligo);

12:41/7:41 TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Gary Collins (Rosslare);

12:52/7:52 Leon Sebastian Hauger (Oslo), Kyle McCarron (North West), Neil Patterson (Baltinglass);

1:03/8:03 Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Oscar Bach (Oslo), Ryan Griffin (Royal Dublin);

1:14/8:14 Marcus Goosen (Sunnfjord), Patrick Keeling (Roganstown), Robert Walsh (Kinsale);

1:25/8:25 Nicolai Rosli (Oslo), David Reddan (Castleknock), Calum Ward (Carton House);

1:36/8:36 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), Barry Howlin (Heritage);

1:47/8:47 Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Marius Kvande (Surnadal), Joe O’Neill (Berehaven);

1:58/8:58 Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Ronan O’Reilly (Co Louth);

2:09/9:09 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Michael Roche (Harpenden Common), Knut Magnus Erlandsen (Baerum);

2:20/9:20 John Cunningham (Carton House), James O’Rourke (Naas), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk).

10th tee Friday/1st tee Saturday

7:30/12:30 David Howard (Fota Island), Simon Ward (Belvoir Park), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt);

7:41/12:41 Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle), Fionn Dobbin (Malone), Isaac Oliver (Glasson);

7:52/12:52 Harry O Hara (Clandeboye), James Walsh (Kinsale/Douglas), Quentin Carew (Heritage);

8:03/1:03 Aaron Ryan (Thurles), Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth);

8:14/1:14 Dwayne Mallon (Dungannon), Corey Scullion (Moyola Park), Simon Gallivan (Killarney);

8:25/1:25 Ryan Murray (Balmoral), John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint);

8:36/1:36 Ciaran Murphy (Grange), Sean Sweeney (Gweedore), Ben Phipps (Taylormade, USA);

8:47/1:47 David Kitt (Athenry), Sean Downes (Royal Dublin), William Walshe (Delgany);

8:58/1:58 Sam Allister (Belvoir Park), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), James Hewitt (Tandragee);

9:09/2:09 Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet), Paul O Hanlon (Carton House), Cian Harkin (The Island);

9:20/2:20 Matthew Giles (Greenore), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Jenson Boyce (Royal Portrush);

12:30/7:30 Conor Murtagh (Island), David O’Malley (Black Bush), Matthew Dodd (St. Anne’s);

12:41/7:41 Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Luke Furlong (Wexford), Jonathan O Sullivan (Cork);

12:52/7:52 Ross Healion (Newforest), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), David Shiel (Enniscrone);

1:03/8:03 Jordan Boles (Carton House), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Harry Morgan (Donabate);

1:14/8:14 Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay), Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone/Co. Louth), Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint);

1:25/8:25 Daniel O’Brien (County Louth), Patrick Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay);

1:36/8:36 Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Brian Doran (Millicent), Cole Henderson (Galgorm Castle);

1:47/8:47 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Julius Sommer (Penati), David Bohill (Clgc);

1:58/8:58 Jack McKenna (County Louth), Eoin Burrows (Belvoir Park), James Fox (Portmarnock);

2:09/9:09 Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), Fergal Coyle (Athenry);

2:20/9:20 Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint).

Golf is a numbers game and Leona Maguire, briefly a fixture inside the world's top 10, is thanking her lucky stars this week.

Just 0.04 ranking points separated the Co Cavan star from missing next week's US Women's Open entirely. But as Maguire knows better than most, numbers don’t always tell the full story.

This week, the 31-year-old returns to Seaview's Bay Course near New Jersey, the site of her LPGA debut eight years ago, where she tied for 15th. She’d ended 2017 as one the most decorated amateurs in the history of women's golf—132 weeks as world number one.

Now she arrives for the Shoprite LGA searching for something perhaps more elusive than that early promise: consistent form.

"It's tougher every year," Maguire told RTE's Greg Allen on the station's Game On programme recently. "You very much have to elevate your game every year, or you get left behind."

Five missed cuts in ten starts this season would suggest the struggle is very real.

But that’s not quite the full story.

She needed to remain in the top 75 in the world when the Rolex Women’s World Rankings were updated this week to qualify to join Olivia Mehaffey in the US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club next week.

She fell two spots to 75th to make it on the qualifying cut off and while a second-place finish in April's Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek showed she remains a class act, it’s time now to  show more consistency as the Major season looms.

After more than two decades with lifelong coach Shane O'Grady—the man who guided her to that world number one amateur ranking, to Duke University success, to the top 10 of the professional game—Maguire sought the counsel of Sean Foley, Tiger Woods' former coach.

"Shane's been a massive part of my journey all along the way, he always will be," Maguire said carefully, respectfully. "But I was sort of at a crossroads at the end of the year. Do I settle for finishing 40th or 50th on the money list week in, week out, or do I want to actually get back into the top 10?"

With the understanding that breaking eggs might be necessary to make this particular omelette, she’s patiently waiting for her swing changes to click.

Foley identified inefficiencies—a lack of width, insufficient turn, a ball flight too low for the firm, fast, lengthening courses the LPGA now routinely plays.

The early returns have been, as Maguire admits, mixed. She's hitting it longer—seven or eight yards added—and making more birdies. But the inconsistencies have also produced more dropped shots and more weekends off than she's accustomed to.

"He's seen tens of thousands of golf shots," Maguire said of Foley. "He knows the swing inside out. But at the same time, he can keep it simple. Ultimately, we still have to go out and compete. You're playing golf, not golf swing."

Woods, Nick Faldo, Pádraig Harrington and even Rory McIlroy have gone to new coaches in search of the next level and the hope is that the grit that Foley admires in Maguire will translate into results sooner rather than later.

"He walked around and watched a few holes," Maguire recalled. "I think he was amazed by some of the things I was able to do with hybrids and woods. That sort of grit and resilience, getting things up and down when things maybe weren't 100 per cent. That's a very Irish thing. Pádraig and Shane and Rory all have that as well."

The major season now looms. Riviera Country Club for the US Open—a new venue for the women's game, but one Maguire relishes and Hazeltine for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, where she played on an invitation in 2019 — are courses that demand planning, discipline, and the ability to chip and putt under pressure.

"Major championships are always a bigger and better test," she said. "They test all aspects of your game."

When they began working together, Foley predicted it would be June before significant progress would show.

June has almost arrived and Maguire is hoping he’s right.

"Ultimately, when I walk away from my career," she said, "I want to know I've left no stone unturned."

Cian Arthurs claimed both the Sports Class Standing 2 title and the Gross Stroke Play prize after a strong final-round performance at the inaugural ISPS Handa Irish Close for Golfers with Disabilities at County Meath Golf Club.

Thirty-three players competed in glorious conditions at the Trim venue for the 36-hole championship, marking another significant milestone for disability golf in Ireland.

View the final scores here

Arthurs found himself tied for the ST2 lead after an opening round of 85 alongside Paul O’Kelly (Portmarnock) and County Meath men’s captain Brendan Swan.

The Roganstown golfer teed it up on Wednesday morning determined to improve on the previous day’s performance. He got off to the ideal start with a birdie on the par five third, helping him take a one-shot lead from O’Kelly as they teed up on the 10th.

The lead threatened to slip away from Arthurs’ grasp after a triple bogey on 13 and a double on 16 but composed golf throughout the rest of the back nine proved decisive, with seven pars across the closing stretch helping secure victory by a single shot.

“Yesterday I came out and I don’t know whether my mind was just fog but I couldn’t get anything going,” said Arthurs.

“Today I came out with the mentality, let’s go and get it and try and go low enough. I took a few shots off my score, played five better than yesterday. Made a couple of errors on the back nine but I made 12 or 13 pars today. Overall played a lot better and really enjoyed it.”

“If you went two years ago you probably would have got 22 or 25 people and now it’s over 30. A couple of years’ time you’ve got 40 or 50 playing then. It’s great to have everyone involved and getting new people involved as well because it’s great for exercise, great for mental health and it’s great to show that you can still do what you might think you can’t do after an accident or an injury.”

With the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with Disabilities taking place at Arthurs’ home club of Roganstown in two weeks’ time, the Irish international’s performance at County Meath could provide a spark as he prepares to take on another strong field when the championship begins on June 9.

“There’ll be a couple of lads from overseas coming and Brendan (Lawlor) is playing as well so I need to sharpen up a little bit of my game,” said Arthurs

“Overall, I’m striking it well, putting quite well without holing stuff. Just need to get a bit better on the greens and a bit tighter off the tee and why not? We’ll give it a go.”

Players competed across a range of sport classifications during the championship with Tom Doherty (Killarney) winning the Sport Class ST1 title and Adam Lockhart (Kirkistown Castle) claimed the Sports Class ST3 prize.

Caolan Munnelly (Tullamore) claimed both the Sport Class IN prize and Net Stroke Play crown while Patrick Morgan (Elmgreen) won the Sport Class V1 2.

Peter Hawthorne (Edenmore) won the Net Stableford, while Cathy Fitzgerald (St Patrick’s) was the champion in the Women’s Division after carding a net seven under par over the two days.

Castletroy Golf Club has announced details of the Trade Electric Group-sponsored Men’s Senior Scratch Cup.

The competition takes place on Sunday, 14 June.

First played in 1948, the Castletroy Senior Scratch Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious scratch cups in the country and attracts many of Ireland's best amateur golfers each year.

Tralee’s Mark Gazi, now at Northwestern University, returns to defend the title he won in a dramatic play-off with Davy Reddan last year.

Also, vying for the trophy will be 2025 West of Ireland champion, Dylan Holmes, 2026 Munster Strokeplay Champion, Paul Coughlan, former Irish Close winners, Paul O’Hanlon and Quentin Carew, as well as Irish U-18s Internationals, Isaac Oliver, John-William Burke and Luke Furlong.

Isaac and John-William represented the Irish Men’s Team at the European Octagonal Matches in Spain earlier this year.  

Among the recent winners at Castletroy are 2023 Irish Close Champion, Rob Moran, Arnold Palmer Cup Representative David Kitt, Connacht Interprovincial Simon Walker and former South of Ireland and British Amateur Champion, James Sugrue.

The quality of former champions is further exemplified by a unique roll of honour containing seven Walker Cup representatives - John Burke, Jimmy Bruen, Max McCready, JB Carr, Tom Craddock, David Sheahan and Sugrue.

• Entries are invited to Castletroy GC at (061) 335 753 (ext. 2) or golf@castletroygolfclub.ie.

• Handicap limit is WHS of 2.4 and confined to the lowest 72 entrants.

• Shotgun start at 9am and 2.30pm on the day. The entry fee of €60 includes lunch.

• Closing date for entries is 4pm sharp on Wednesday, 10 June with the draw for play taking place later that evening.   

• Please note that entries are running very high this year and all the indications are that waiting list will be in operation.  

Séamus Power was pleased to see green shoots in his game and earn some valuable FedExCup points with a top 30 finish in the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson in Dallas.

The West Waterford man (39) closed with a four-under 67 to finish tied for 19th behind Wyndham Clark on 15 under at a remodelled TPC Craig Ranch and hopes to bring that form to Fort Worth for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.

"I putted well," said Power, who was ranked second only to Clark on the greens and moved to 100th in the FedEx Cup standings with the top 100 fully exempt next year.

"I mean, I needed the points, so hopefully I'll hold on to a top 20. So it's not bad. It's building blocks, but still not quite where I wanted from tee to green, but a lot of good stuff around the greens."

Power is hoping for a change of fortune at Colonial, where he was 59th last year in his first start there for six years.

"I've never played particularly well there, but I enjoyed it there last year, so I'm hoping to kind of build off that," said the Waterford man, who hopes to try and qualify for the US Open at Lambton Golf and Country Club the Monday before the RBC Canadian Open on June 8. 

"But it's totally different golf, which is funny, because only 45 minutes away, but it's all Bermuda, a completely different game altogether, so really looking forward to a different challenge, but it's kind of fun."

Clark, meanwhile, closed with an 11-under par 60 to win by three strokes from Is Woo Kim (65) and five rom Scottie Scheffler (65) on 30 under and move up to 44th in the world.

In Belgium, Richard Sterne played one of the shots of his life to claim his first DP World Tour title in 13 years at the 2026 Soudal Open.

Trailing countryman Zander Lombard for most of the day, the South African (44) made a stunning eagle at the 17th to top the leaderboard at Rinkven International Golf Club by two strokes on 18 under.

"It's been a tough ride," said Sterne, whose 276-yard draw with a five wood to four feet at the 17th helped him shoot 66 and clinch his first since the 2013 Joburg Open 4,851 days ago. 

"Three wrist ops, a disc replacement, hip surgery, I've been through it all, so I'm pretty happy. I've been putting in a lot of hard work and trying to figure things out."

As for the eagle at the 17th that left him two clear of Swede Marcus Kinhult, England's Marcus Armitage, Frenchman Victor Perez, Japan's Kota Kaneko, Spain's Jorge Campillo and Dane Jacob Skov Olesen, he felt it was one of the best shots of his career.

"It was a long way for me," he said. "It just came out as good as I could, it ended up great – three, four feet away – and yeah, it was one of the best shots I've hit."

At the Danish Golf Challenge, Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen birdied the par-five 18th in regulation play to force extra holes against Frenchman Maxence Giboudot before winning with another eagle in sudden death.

Pulkannen closed with a one over 73 to Giboudot's 70 to leave them on 18 under as Galway's Liam Nolan shot 69 to tie for sixth, three shots outside the play-off.

John Murphy (75) and John-Ross Galbraith (72) were 34th on nine under, with Mark Power (70) 47th, Dermot McElroy (73) 56th and Max Kennedy (76) 64th.

Nolan moved up to 30th in the Road to Mallorca rankings race for 20 DP World Tour cards.

Hurley is the leading Irish player in that race in 18th place with Kennedy 25th, Conor Purcell 92nd, Power 100th, Ronan Mullarney 144th, Murphy 163rd, James Sugrue 195th and Rowan Lester and Dermot McElroy 203rd.

Leona Maguire admits it was a risk, but she’s hoping her decision to retool her swing under Tiger Woods’ former coach can make her better than she was when she reached 10th in the world less than two years ago.

The Co Cavan star has been working with Sean Foley since falling outside the world’s top 100 at the end of last year, and while her results have been mixed, she’s keeping her fingers crossed that the gamble will pay off with a fourth Solheim Cup appearance in the Netherlands in September.

"I suppose I was at a crossroads at the end of the year," Maguire told RTE Radio's Game On.

"I'd had a lot of middle-of-the-pack finishes last year, sort of scratching my head going, what's next? How do I improve?

"Do I settle for finishing 40th, 50th on the money list week in, week out, or do I want to actually get back into the top 10 and contend week on week?”

Still seeking that maiden Major win, she opted to make the difficult decision to tell her coach of 20 years, Shane O’Grady, that she was going to begin working with Foley at her Orlando base.

"There were no guarantees it was going to work,” she told RTE’s Greg Allen. “There's no guarantees it still has worked. But that was a risk I felt like I wanted to take to bring my game to the next level."

While results have been mixed, a runner-up finish at the Aramco Championship at punishing Shadow Creek n in Las Vegas last month has given her hope.  

"There's been enough good in there to see the benefit of it, even if there is some growing pains," said the current world number 73, who must remain inside the top 75 when the rankings are updated next week to secure her place alongside qualifier Olivia Mehaffey in the US Women's Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles from June 4-7.

Maguire’s move to Foley is designed to create more width, a greater turn, higher ball flight, and added distance, which she believes she needs to reach the next level.

"It's nice to be going into some greens with a club less,” said the former world amateur number one, who has already added seven or eight yards to her drives.  

“There's been a few golf courses we've gone back to this year that I've been able to carry a few bunkers that I wasn't able to carry before."

Getting to the US Women’s Open will help scale the world rankings, though she has a summer of Majors as well as August’s KMPG Women’s Irish Open at The K Club ahead of her.

"I'm still waiting on the cut-off for the world ranking category," she said of Riviera. "Hopefully that stays where it's at."

As for the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands in September, captain Anna Norqvist will have four picks to supplement the two automatic qualifiers from the European Solheim Cup rankings and the six highest-ranked Europeans in the world after the AIG Women's Open cut off on August 2.  

"I'd love to be in Holland in September – a home Solheim Cup," she said.
"The goal is to try and get my overall ranking back up and make the team automatically, and not have to rely on a pick or anything like that."

Foley predicted that it could take up to six months to see significant results, and Maguire is hopeful she’s about to reap the benefits of their hard work.

"He's a very confident and positive person," she said.  ”When things aren't going quite as well, it's nice to have that positivity."

The effort, she believes, is worth the risks involved.

"When I ultimately walk away from my career,” she said, "I want to know I've left no stone unturned – that I really tried to maximise every element of my game."

Seamus Power and Scottie Scheffler were three shots behind a red-hot Brooks Koepka despite opening with five-under 66s in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas.

The West Waterford man matched the world number one and defending champion when he rolled in a 29-footer for a closing birdie three at TPC Craig Ranch outside Dallas.

But they were still trailing five-time Major winner Koepka, who continued his encouraging return to form after rejoining the Tour from LIV Golf when he made an eagle and six birdies in an impressive, bogey-free eight under 63.

Taylor Moore later shot a nine under 62 to head Koepka and Jesper Svensson by a shot as Michael Thorbjornsen, Keith Mitchell, Tyler Duncan, Argentina's Emiliano Grillo, Korea's Si Woo Kim, Japan’s Kensei Hirata and Germany's Stephan Jaeger shot 64s to share fourth on a low-scoring day at the redesigned course.

Koepka, who described his putting as "absolutely horrendous" during last week's US PGA Championship, switched putters this week and immediately saw some results.

“Finally, I felt good with the putter," said the Floridian, who birdied his second hole and eagled the third to get a 25-putt round off to a fast start alongside Scheffler and Kim.

"I felt good the last few days with it when I was working in my studio. Then, when I got here, it felt very comfortable."

Koepka, who won the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in Korea in 2019, believes a win this week would be the confidence boost he needs.

"I think, when I won it the last time, I got back to No. 1 in the world," he said. "It would be a big confidence boost for sure because I feel like I've been playing well, the results just haven't been there, mainly because of the putter.

"But I feel like I'm knocking on the door, and I'm very, very close. I would love to have a chance come Sunday."

Scheffler also had a disappointing week on the greens at Aronimink, but he was pleased to birdie three of his last five holes to remain in touch, tied for 16th with Power.

“I felt like I was getting lapped out there for a little bit," Scheffler said. "So I was fortunate to make a couple of birdies late in the round and keep myself in the tournament.

"I feel like sometimes in these tests, once you start getting behind, you can kind of start falling pretty far behind, and it can be difficult to catch up. It was nice to kind of stay in it."

As for Power, he was ranked first for strokes gained putting as he made 111 feet of putts and birdied the second and third before following a lone bogey at the fourth with birdies at the sixth, 12th, 14th and 18th.

On the DP World Tour, South Africa's Zander Lombard carded an eight-under 63 to lead the Soudal Open by a shot from Dane Jacob Skov Olesen and compatriot Richard Sterne at Rinkven International in Antwerp.

It was also low scoring in the Danish Golf Challenge at Odense Eventyr, where Kinsale's John Murphy and Galway's Liam Nolan opened with bogey-free, six-under 66s to share second place with Sweden's Adam Wallin, a shot behind Spain's Juana Salama.

But it was a mixed bag for the other eight Irishmen in action.

Mark Power turned in a sensational six-under 30 but came home in 42 for a level par 72 that left him tied for 68th with John-Ross Galbraith.

James Sugrue, Max Kennedy and Ronan Mullarney shot 73s, as Conor Purcell shot a 74, while Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy signed for 75s.

At the LET's Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco, Anna Foster shot a level par 73 to lead the Irish challenge.

She was joint 30th, five shots behind Australia's Kelsey Bennett, who shot 68 to head the field by two strokes.

Aine Donegan was 44th after a 74, Sara Byrne 61st after a 75, and Annabel Wilson 76th after her 76.

The K Club in Kildare will host the MCM-sponsored PGA Pro-Am from August 10-11.

Marking the third consecutive year of Europe’s largest Pro-Am event, the competition will take place across the resort’s Palmer North and Palmer South courses.

Teams consisting of three amateurs and one professional will compete in a 36-hole stableford format, while professionals will also play an individual strokeplay event.

Last year’s edition saw entrants play the Palmer North course under tour conditions ahead of the Amgen Irish Open.

Similarly, this year’s Palmer South course will be configured in advance of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, scheduled for late August.

The field is expected to include professionals from Ireland and mainland UK PGA regions, along with several touring players, competing for a share of €100,000 in prize money.

The K Club will also host the PGA Cup at the end of September.

Cormac Sharvin won the 2024 event by one stroke over Niall Kearney and successfully defended his title in 2025, winning by two shots over former AIG Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall.

The three leading teams after two days, along with daily winning teams, will receive prizes at a gala dinner following the final round.

A limited number of team spaces remain.

Entry fee is €1,950 per team, with a closing date of May 31.

Professionals must register via the PGA website.

For further information, contact Michael Maxwell, Director of Golf at The K Club, at michael.maxwell@kclub.ie or 01 601 7200.

Séamus Power will be hoping to start a summer surge and stop Scottie Scheffler in his tracks when he returns to action at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas.

The West Waterford man (39) has yet to play his best stuff so far this season and he'll need to find it if he's to get over the line at TPC Craig Ranch, where Scheffler shot 31 under to romp to an eight-shot win last year.

The good news for Power, who yesterday joined Pádraig Harrington and Tom McKibbin in confirming his presence in September's Amgen Irish Open in Doonbeg, is that the course has been toughened up after a $25m overhaul by Lanny Wadkins.

"I think it's a more interesting test," Scheffler said. "The greens have added a significant amount of slope to them, and some are a bit aggressive.

"You definitely have to think your way around this place a lot more than you did before."

Power is ranked 112th in the FedExCup standings, and a good week in Dallas would help him in his quest to make the top 100, who will be fully exempt for 2027, before he returns home for the Irish Open at Donald Trump's Co Clare resort.

"Being based in America, I can't wait to come back and hopefully create some pretty special memories close to home," Power said. 

"This week is such a highlight of my year. It has an amazing atmosphere, with fans who get behind you after every shot, and it just keeps getting better year on year with the support of Amgen."

The DP World Tour is in Belgium this week with home hero Nicolas Colsaerts (43) making the final appearance of his career in the Soudal Open at Rinkven International Golf Club.

On the HotelPlanner Tour, 16th-ranked Gary Hurley and 20th-ranked Max Kennedy head a 10-strong Irish challenge in the Danish Golf Challenge at Odense Eventyr Golf, while on the Ladies European Tour, Annabel Wilson, Sara Byrne, Aine Donegan and Anna Foster play the 54-hole Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco.

Meanwhile, Kirkistown Castle's Beth Coulter is the only non-English player named in the Great Britain and Ireland team for the 44th Curtis Cup match at Bel-Air Country Club from June 12-14.

Coulter helped GB&I claim a 10.5-9.5 victory at Sunningdale in 2024 and Catriona Matthew returns as Captain seeking a first away win for GB&I since 1986.

While Elm Park's Emma Fleming is second reserve, Coulter and Patience Rhodes return to the team alongside Sophia Fullbrook, Lily Hirst, Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Charlotte Naughton, Nellie Ong and Davina Xanh.