'It feels important, it feels big': Major-level crowds and strategic move elevate Women's Irish Open

Irish Examiner

7 hours ago

Georgia Hall was taken aback by the crowds which turned out to watch last year's KPMG Women's Irish Open. 37,000 attended Carton House as Annabel Dimmock claimed victory. A similar number is expected this week at the same venue. There are hopes it could be exceeded.
'I was just actually shocked how many people turned up to watch, in a good way,' said Hall who finished tied for 15th last year. "I think we got more than we would in England."
'I remember playing with Leona (Maguire) in the final day and we weren't near the lead. We ended up finishing ok, but we had so many crowds. I was like 'this looks like the final group.'"
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This year's tournament has been moved two months earlier in the calendar making it even more attractive for LPGA Tour players travelling across the Atlantic for the European swing.
The Irish Open is followed by the year's fourth Major, the Evian Championship in France, before a week break to the Scottish Open and then the final Major of the year, the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
'That's the nice thing with the dates being a little bit earlier this year, the kids are on summer holidays,' said Leona Maguire.
'Hopefully there should be even more this year. The crowds are reminiscent of Major crowds having four or five people deep. There's only a handful of LPGA events where you can get that big of a crowd. It's nice and I know the girls on the LET appreciate it.
'There's some events they go to and there's a handful of people and their dog walking around. It's nice to have that feel. It feels important, it feels big.
'Also, the Irish fans are very knowledgeable. They'll clap for a good shot. Yes, they're a little bit biased probably towards the Irish players, but at the same time, they'll appreciate good golf and they want to come see good golf.'
Anna Nordqvist had been trying to play the Irish Open since its return in 2022. 'Good friend' Maguire had been in her ear about the atmosphere. The Solheim Cup teammates will tee off for the opening round at 9am on Thursday alongside Lahinch amateur Áine Donegan. Word of mouth from Hall means her best friend, the world number 19 Charley Hull, will also make her Irish Open debut this year. The two English golfers get their tournaments underway at 2pm on Thursday with Cork LET player Sara Byrne also in the group.
Hall believes moving the event earlier in the calendar is one of the reasons for the strong field but not the only one. 'In my opinion, this is one of the biggest events that we have on the LET,' said Hall. 'I think it would bring stronger players because of that.'
The Irish Open also makes the transition to European courses easier. 'It's great to play the week before the Evian on the same grass,' explained Hull.
'I've come from America, playing those grasses, it does your head in. When I was in Texas, that grass at the KPMG (PGA Championship), the major, was like pretty crazy, but you do kind of get used to it.
'Then you come over here, you're kind of on the same grass the whole time. It's nice to have five events with the same grass, which you don't really get that in America.'
Dimmock, unable to defend her title this year as she is pregnant, won last year's title in a playoff after shooting 19-under. Swedish pro Madelene Sagstrom, also making her Irish Open debut this year, feels the O'Meara Course is one which will reward aggression.
'I saw the back nine today, I'm going to see the front nine and back nine again tomorrow,' she said.
'It's a course where you have to be aggressive because in reality you're not going to make that many birdies from like 20 feet and out. You have to be aggressive, dare to hit close to the pins, go for par-fives.
'It all depends on the setup and on the weather, but there's some of the par-fours where I have an advantage; I hit it far, so I can get over some of the bunkers and just kind of give it a rip and then just trying to take advantage.
'Knowing it was a low-scoring course last year, you just have to go out and attack it, which is kind of a nice feeling because you know low scores are going to win.'
KPMG Women's Irish Open – selected round 1 tee times:
1st tee:
9:24am: G Ding (HKG), A Angurasaranee (THA), O Costello (IRL) (a)
10am: A Uehara (JPN), D Zalewska (POL), R Gardner (NIR) (a)
1:36pm: A Wilson (NIR), O Cowan (GER), L Woad (ENG) (a)
1:48pm: B Law (ENG), O Mehaffey (NIR), K Davidson Spilkova (CZE)
2pm: S Byrne (IRL), C Hull (ENG), G Hall (ENG)
10th tee:
8:12am: P Babnik (SLO), L Pettersson (SWE), B Coulter (IRL) (a)
8:36am: L Walsh (IRL), M Sagstrom (SWE), C Tamburlini (SUI)
8:48am: A Foster (IRL), M Rhodes (ENG), C Gainer (ENG)
9am: L Maguire (IRL), A Nordqvist (SWE), A Donegan (IRL) (a)
9:12am: A Fuller (ENG), K Bennett (AUS), A Dawson (IRL) (a)
10am: T Melecka (CZE), A Nobilio (ITA), E Fleming (IRL) (a)
1:48pm: L Young (ENG), C Screene (IRL), P Mack (GER)
2:12pm: C Herbin (FRA), S Bringner (SWE), M Joyce Moreno (NIR) (a)
2:24pm: H Kreuzer (GER), E Givens (ENG), R Scanlon (IRL) (a)
3pm: S Nuutinen (FIN), G Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), A Abom (IRL) (a)