Casandra Alexander wins Women's Irish Open by three shots at K Club

Casandra Alexander won the Women's Irish Open by three shots at the K Club, finishing 20 under par to strengthen her position at the top of the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit. BBC Sport reported that the 27-year-old South African held off Czech player Sara Kouskova, who ended the tournament at 17 under.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z6zkAB-DzA

Finland's Noora Komulainen placed third on 16 under, one stroke ahead of Leona Maguire and Sweden's Louise Rydqvist, who shared fourth at 15 under. Alexander entered the final round with the lead and retained enough of her advantage to withstand the challengers in County Kildare. A group of five players, including Australia's Amelia Garvey, finished another two strokes back at 13 under.

The result gave Alexander her second Ladies European Tour victory. Her first came at the Czech Open in 2025, and the Irish Open success followed four runner-up finishes during the current season. According to BBC Sport, Alexander said winning tournaments was the best way to pursue her goal of finishing first on the Order of Merit. She also acknowledged the difficulty of playing the final round while holding the lead.

Maguire had revived her chances with a third-round 63 on Saturday, moving within range of Alexander after a slower start to the event. The Irish golfer closed with a 68 on Sunday but could not erase the remaining deficit, ending five shots behind the champion. Her final total left her two shots behind runner-up Kouskova and one behind Komulainen.

Her share of fourth nevertheless matched the best finish by an Irish player at the Women's Irish Open, BBC Sport reported. Maguire described her 15-under total as solid and credited the home support, while also identifying Friday as the round that had cost her ground. England's Lily May Humphreys was the highest-placed English player listed, finishing at 12 under.

Maguire will next turn her attention to the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands. She was selected as a wildcard by Europe captain Anna Nordqvist. Alexander, meanwhile, leaves the K Club with the trophy and a larger lead in the season-long Order of Merit standings after converting her final-round advantage. The win also broke her run of second-place finishes and added a second title in consecutive seasons.