They say no one knows you better than a sibling does and this past month Ana Dawson has been relying on just that as she turns to sister Lea to help boost her form.
The Isle of Man golfer had her younger sister on the bag last month at the PIF London Championship as she recorded her best ever finish (21st) on the Ladies European Tour (LET) within a stacked field.
A month later and the pair are linking up again with Lea caddying for Ana at the 2026 KPMG Women’s Irish Open. In rainy conditions on day one at The K Club’s Palmer South Course, things were working for Dawson once again as she opened with a round of 67 (-5) to sit in a tie for second through 18 holes.
“It was definitely tricky out there but I’m fortunate to have my sister out here with me,” the 26-year-old said. “An extra pair of hands always helps when it’s raining. We did our best to manage that and I hit some nice shots along the way. She played college golf with me in Memphis and then she transferred to Texas El Paso. So yeah, she knows what she’s doing.”
“She’s caddied a couple of times for me on the LET Access Series (LETAS) where we had a couple of good weeks and she caddied for me in London where we had a nice finish. I’d been pestering her to finish her dissertation so she could make it back out here for this week!
“She’s so good at switching off between shots and coming up with the most random conversations. That’s what she’s best at. Then every now and again she’ll pipe up and say, ‘I don’t know about that club’. No, she’s really good.”
Dawson first joined the LET back in 2023 and has jumped between the main circuit and the LET Access Series (LETAS) over the past few years. Back in December, the Isle of Man golfer earned full LET status at Lalla Aicha Q-School in Morocco finishing 16th. She is currently 105th on the LET Order of Merit with three top-30 finishes to her name.
“My golf has definitely been a lot better,” Dawson said. “I think every week I try to have fun out there which always helps. And I’ve had a lot more fun out there the past month and a half.
“It was a really quiet off week. I managed to get back to the Isle of Man. Dublin is one of two places you’re able to fly direct from there so I took advantage of flying from home for once. In terms of golf, I didn’t do too much. I felt really tired after the PIF London Championship and Switzerland.”
Casandra Alexander leads the way at The K Club after firing a course record 63 (-9) on day one. Follow all the action throughout the KPMG Women’s Irish Open on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook – #KPMGWIO.
