Lauren Walsh didn’t just survive the pressure-she thrived in it. Clinging to a top-10 spot in the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit, the 25-year-old Castlewarden native secured her place at this week’s LPGA Q-Series by the thinnest of margins-just 2.52 points. It was a dramatic finish to the season at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, and Walsh’s perseverance paid off in a big way.
Heading into the final round at Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf, Walsh knew what was at stake. Only the top 10 in the season-long standings would earn a ticket to Alabama for the LPGA’s grueling Q-Series, where 25 tour cards are up for grabs. But a closing 74 on Sunday had her walking a tightrope, as Canadian teenager Anna Huang and France’s Perrine Delacour surged past her in the live projections.
Then came the late-round drama.
Huang, who had been playing steady golf, stumbled with bogeys at the 15th and 17th holes, dropping her tournament position and ultimately falling to 11th in the Order of Merit. Delacour, meanwhile, couldn't hold her nerve down the stretch, carding four bogeys over her final six holes. That late slide left her in a five-way tie for third-good for a strong finish, but not enough to crack the top 10 in the season standings.
When the final numbers were in, Walsh’s tie for 47th at one-over par was just enough. She held on to 10th place in the Order of Merit by a razor-thin 2.52-point margin.
That finish wasn’t just about Alabama-it also punched her ticket to one of the biggest stages in women’s golf: the 2025 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The top 15 in the LET standings earn automatic entry, and Walsh’s season-long consistency paid off. Seven top-10 finishes in 24 starts, including a share of second at the Swiss Ladies Open, proved she belonged in that elite group.
But Walsh wasn’t the only Irishwoman making noise this season.
Rookies Anna Foster and Sara Byrne also made strong impressions, each securing full LET status for next year by finishing inside the top 70 in the Order of Merit. Foster, the Elm Park standout, closed with a level-par 72 to finish 34th in Malaga and 42nd in the season standings-a rock-solid rookie campaign. Byrne, from Douglas, carded a 74 to tie for 56th and finished 69th in the points list-just enough to retain her card.
At the top of the leaderboard in Spain, it was France’s Nastasia Nadaud who stole the show. Starting the final round five shots off the lead, she delivered a flawless 66 to storm past Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab and win by four at 16-under. It marked her first LET title and vaulted her to third in the Order of Merit, bringing a €25,000 bonus along with the trophy.
The season-long Order of Merit title came down to the wire, too. Singapore’s Shannon Tan held off England’s Mimi Rhodes to claim the crown.
Tan closed with a 73 to finish 16th at seven-under, while Rhodes fired a 70 to finish seventh at 10-under. Rhodes needed a solo second to leapfrog Tan but came up short.
Still, both players were rewarded handsomely-Tan with a €75,000 bonus as European No. 1, and Rhodes with €50,000 for her runner-up finish.
Now, all eyes turn to Alabama, where Walsh will try to take the next step in her career at the LPGA Q-Series. Meanwhile, Olivia Mehaffey, Canice Screene, and amateurs Olivia Hunt and Aine Donegan are gearing up for Pre-Qualifying at the Lalla Aicha Qualifying School in Morocco starting December 10. Their goal: join Annabel Wilson, who finished 83rd in the Order of Merit, at the Final Stage in Marrakech from December 16-20.
And across the globe, another rising star made history. David Puig, a member of LIV Golf’s Fireballs team, became just the second Spanish player after Seve Ballesteros to win the BMW Australian PGA Championship. The 23-year-old fired a bogey-free 66 to finish at 18-under, two clear of China’s Wenyi Ding, and locked up his first DP World Tour title in just his 15th start.
Also making moves, The K Club’s Liam Grehan tied for 31st in the Fitch and Leedes PGA Championship on the Sunshine Tour, held at St Francis Links in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
From Malaga to Melbourne, the season’s final chapters are being written-and for players like Lauren Walsh, the story is just beginning.