2 days ago
Lahinch's Walsh wins Bridgestone Women's Order of Merit
Aideen Walsh has been crowned the Bridgestone Women's Order of Merit winner after the Lahinch golfer produced a series of top-class performances this season.
Walsh began the campaign strongly, with top 10 finishes at both the Woodbrook Scratch Cup and the Ulster Women's Amateur Stroke Play Open Championship moving her into pole position by late May.
Those results gave her a slender lead over a chasing pack that included Clodagh Coughlan (Douglas), Katie Poots (Knock) and Roscommon teenager Olivia Costello.
Walsh's form continued at the Flogas Irish Women's Amateur Open Championship at Headfort in June with a sixth-place finish. A third-place finish at the Dun Laoghaire Scratch Cup in July followed by a run to the last 16 of the AIG Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship in August secured her a final total of 720 points.
It was enough to finish 95 points clear of Anna Dawson (Tramore) in second and to capture her first Bridgestone Order of Merit title, having finished runner-up in both 2023 and 2024.
Walsh also helped the Irish Women's Home Internationals team to an unbeaten, title-winning campaign at Woodhall Spa earlier this month.
On the men's side, Stuart Grehan (County Louth) continued his dominance with a second championship victory of the season at the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close in Westport.
This earned him a further 500 points and stretched his lead to 536 at the top of the Bridgestone Men's Order of Merit, with only the North of Ireland at Portstewart next month remaining.
