Leona Maguire's form back on even keel as Irish trio get set for AIG Women's Open
On Thursday, the elite in women's golf will be teeing off at the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in south Wales for the prestige of winning the AIG Women's Open and Leona Maguire comes into the tournament in decent form.
It hadn't always been that way as the year had ticked into early summer with the Cavan native enduring four missed cuts in a row across May and early June as momentum deserted her.
Slowly but surely though the next four LPGA tournaments have been more encouraging, finishing in a tie for 19th at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, T18 at the Dow Championship, joint-seventh at The Amundi Evian Championship and then last week's T16 at the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open, although the KPMG Women's Irish Open was not anywhere near as gainful after finishing tied for 48th.
That two of those results have been at major events will be a boost to her confidence before she tackles the Royal Porthcawl course.
Maguire will be the most experienced of the three Irish competitors in the field, where she will be joined by Anna Foster and Lauren Walsh.
Foster had a fruitful Irish Open at Carton House as the Dubliner finished tied for 12th, although Walsh did not make the cut in her home county of Kildare at a venue where she last year signed up to be their official touring professional.
Walsh will be the first of the Irish to tee off on Thursday, bright and early at 6.41am, with Maguire next at 7.58am and Foster among the late starters at 3.11pm, having been among the 17 players to make it through final qualifying at Pyle & Kenfig on Monday to take her place in the field.
When it comes to potential contenders for victory, much of the attention will be on the player who has been taking the game by storm in recent weeks.
England's Lottie Woad said she will block out the noise this week after being installed as the favourite despite it being her first major since turning professional.
The 21-year-old former Florida State University student marked her entry into the paid ranks by cruising to a three-stroke victory at last week's Scottish Open.
She also won the Irish Open by six strokes as an amateur earlier this month before just missing out on becoming the first amateur to win a major when she was beaten by one stroke by Australia's Grace Kim at the Evian Championship.
English amateur Lottie Woad has won the KPMG Women's Irish Open at Carton House
📺 @rteone @rteplayer - https://t.co/VgKAMJ3KiK pic.twitter.com/3qkSzjspkZ
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 6, 2025
So it is hardly surprising that Woad, who turned professional after the Evian Championship, has found herself in the spotlight as she arrived in South Wales.
Asked about the growing expectation, Woad said it was all part of the learning process.
"I don't think you can ever really fully handle it. I definitely feel like I've got a lot better at it," she told reporters. "I just try and block out the noise as much as possible really."
Woad finished tied 10th at the Women's Open last year at St Andrews, but said Porthcawl presents a tough challenge.
"I think it will be a really good test. We'll see; weather is always a factor in links golf. A lot more to mind off the tee than St Andrews last year. Definitely got to keep in play," she said. "A lot of holes, par is a good score, and then you've got to take a chance on the par-5s really."
Amongst a high-quality field standing in Woad's way is defending champion Lydia Ko from New Zealand.
"She's kind of come out with a bang, and I'm sure she's going to keep continuing to play well," Ko said of Woad.
"I don't know a lot about her game personally, but the little that I've seen, she seems super impressive and has that kind of cool, calm, collected demeanour, and that's, I think, pretty important as a player."
Olympic champion Ko is playing in Wales for the first time and said she is ready for the elements.
"I would rather it be tough than be calm. As much as I love sunny weather, when I'm coming to play the Women's Open, I expect it to be rainy, windy, and that's what I've gotten to really enjoy about this Championship," she said.
"I hope it brings all those elements."
World number one Nelly Korda is bidding to win her first British Open after coming tied second last year.
She is also expecting big things from former amateur world number one Woad.
"Golf is a game of confidence, and she's definitely high up there right now, so she's going to be trusting everything," Korda said.
"Her worst finish in the past three events is theoretically second or third. I think she's also riding a confidence high too with how well she's playing."
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