A record 16 Irish players will be teeing up at this week’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open with Dubliner Anna Foster in as fine form as any of her compatriots.
Foster recorded her best finish to date on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in her last outing placing T2 at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open as Eleanor Givens claimed a one-shot victory.
Having also finished T12 at the Hulencourt Women’s Open in July before qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open, the Irishwoman has every right to feel confident heading into her home event at The K Club this week.
“I’ll take lots of positives from the week [in Switzerland],” Foster said, who carded rounds of 67-66-68 at Golfpark Holzhäusern. “It was very exciting. I was really happy with the final round. Going in, being a few back from the lead, you don’t really know what to expect. To be able to enjoy it as best as I could and actually play good golf was great.
“I always felt I was one behind so was always trying to make another birdie. After I missed my birdie putt I then looked on the big screen and saw Ellie [Givens] getting drowned in champagne so I knew she had won. But honestly, I was just so happy for her. I wasn’t really disappointed.”
Foster is now in her second season on the LET having earned full playing rights at Q-School in December 2024. She admits she is now feeling more relaxed on the circuit – something reflected in her recent run of form.
“I’m definitely a lot more comfortable this year than last year,” the 24-year-old said. “To have a finish like that was great for my own confidence. It shows I do belong. I feel like the more times I can be in contention the better. You’ll only improve handling those situations. Hopefully I can push on now for the last little bit of the season. I’m really enjoying it.”
As for this week, a home fixture at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, Foster will be looking to build on her great result in Switzerland and use the Irish fans to her advantage.
“I’m really excited for this week,” the Irishwoman said. “It’s so nice that I can stay at home. I’m only 45 minutes away. I’ll have lots of members from my club [Elm Park] and lots of friends and family coming out. My mum and dad will be here and maybe my twin brother. It will be so nice to look out into the crowd and recognise a lot of faces. It’s lovely. Even just having the big crowds will be great. I’ll try to bounce off them as much as possible. The energy will be great.
“The K Club has been great to me. They’ve let me play and practice here a bit in the past when I’ve been home from college from the States. I used to caddie a little bit on the other course during my summers. I know it quite well around here.“
On the home front, Solheim Cup winner Leona Maguire is in the field alongside Foster with LPGA member Lauren Walsh returning to LET action. Curtis Cup winners Aine Donegan, Sara Byrne and Beth Coulter will also be teeing up on the K Club’s Palmer South Course.
“It’s so nice to have 16 of us here,” Foster said. “We’re such a small country so it’s amazing. There’s another girl from my home club playing too, Emma Fleming. We’ve been playing golf together since we were 9 and 10-years-old. It’s nice to almost feel like you’re a kid again.It’s just so exciting. Irish women’s golf is in such a strong place right now. All of us girls on tour always feed off each other and we really enjoy having each other around. Hopefully we can motivate the younger girls to get the bug and follow in our footsteps.
“Lauren [Walsh] has been a big inspiration to me. It’s so nice to see her back this week. Her getting her LPGA card has been such a motivator for us. We want to join her eventually but to have back this week is great. It shows how much she values this tournament.”
Foster gets underway at the 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open on Thursday at 7:56 local time playing alongside England’s Annabell Fuller and Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling.
“I just want to enjoy myself,” the Irishwoman added. “Yes, it’s a home week, but it adds a little bit of pressure to do well. I’ll just try to enjoy it and stick to my processes.”
Follow all the action throughout the week on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook – #KPMGWIO.
