Walsh keen to 'keep doing her thing' on LPGA Tour stage

Lauren Walsh has secured a LPGA Tour Card for 2026. Pic: Tristan Jones/ LET

Lauren Walsh is determined to stick to her tried and tested methods on the Ladies European Tour when she makes the leap to the LPGA Tour next season after earning her ticket to the United States earlier this week.

The Kildare golfer won her tour card to join Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow on the big-money LPGA circuit after successfully negotiating Q-School in Alabama, one of five LET players to earn their stripes Stateside after she finished 10th on the European Order of Merit for 2025.

It comes after just two seasons on the European circuit and 11 top-10 finishes having turned professional following a college career in the USA at Wake Forest.

“I am absolutely over the moon, it's an absolute dream come true,” Walsh said. “Been working towards this since I was a little girl. So for it to all come together this week is so, so special.

“I've had amazing two years on the LET and to be able to progress now until the LPGA is just phenomenal, brilliant.

The 25-year-old Castlewarden golfer who represents Carton House now wants to apply the lessons she learned in her rookie season on the LET when she starts over on the LPGA Tour in 2026.

“I think a lot of things that went right, which I want to continue to do, is, you know, just kind of trusting and believing in what I'm doing.

“That's got me this far and that will continue to take me where I want to go. I think it's sometimes easy to get caught up and you go out there, you're looking at what everybody else is doing but I've had a lot of success with what I do right now.

“So I hope to keep doing my thing, keep preparing for a tournament how I normally prepare. And the last two years have shown that my good game is absolutely good enough. So I think that's the biggest lesson for me.

“You know, it's not necessarily doing anything new, but it's continuing doing what I'm doing, which is nice.” 

Walsh is aware the bigger money on offer at more celebrated events on the LPGA Tour may present new challenges and she said: “I'm sure there'll be moments when you might get a little distracted at times, but I think that's when the importance of my family and Shane (O’Grady, her coach) and this team that I have created around me, it's a great reminder of kind of keeping me grounded and keeping me just focusing on the things that I know that work.” 

Despite her consistency on the LET, a tournament victory still remains elusive but Walsh is not going to be consumed in that search for a title, nor a place on Europe’s Solheim Cup team in 2026.

“Playing on the LPGA, playing at Solheim has been a goal and a dream of mine as well. So when the time is right, all will come along. It's all about controlling what I can control, enjoying what I'm doing and if that all works out, the win will come.

“I've had a lot of close calls, played well at times to get myself into contention. And so my time will come. I'm not kind of concerned about that.

“You know, everything happens for a reason and the golf I played down the stretch this just this past week in Alabama, you know, shooting four under on my last eight holes, someday that will help me win a tournament, hopefully. So my time will come.” 

Nevertheless, Walsh is excited about what lies ahead and she added: “Can't wait. I'm excited for a little bit of time off now over Christmas, but I'll be ready to go come the new year.”