Sara Byrne has everything set in stone for when she turns professional at the end of the year to allow her to focus on having one last golden summer and bowing out of amateur golf with a bang.
The 121st Women’s Amateur Championship in Portmarnock begins on Monday with the Douglas star the joint lowest handicap index in the world class field at +8.2 after she enjoyed a sensational final year in Miami, winning twice and setting a new college scoring record for 54-holes.
Byrne looks will headline a stacked Irish contingent at the Women’s Amateur Championship in Portmarnock alongside Kate Lanigan, Aine Donegan, Anna Foster, Beth Coulter, Annabel Wilson and Mairead Martin.
The Women’s Amateur is the second of a trilogy of top-class amateur events coming to Ireland this summer, sandwiched between the Amateur Championship in Ballyliffin and the Arnold Palmer Cup in Lahinch which Byrne will be a part of.
The Cork woman is determined to win on home soil again after capturing the 2023 Irish Women’s Close Championship.
“It’s such a long week but one of the most special weeks on the calendar. We all want a great week no matter what happens. A lot of people know about it so it’s going to be a great week for everybody,” she said.
“A huge crowd would do so much for the game. The last couple of matches get on to a livestream, so hopefully we can get some Irish up there, but golf can be fickle!”
Byrne has been putting in some preparation in Portmarnock Links ahead of the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying which she hopes to ease through and into the last-64 matchplay stage.
She has huge aspirations for the summer, including bowing out of amateur golf at the Curtis Cup in September with Great Britain and Ireland, but winning the Women’s Amateur Championship this week would be the icing on the cake.
“Each tournament I play I want to win. It just depends on whether it’s my week or not. The Amateur is high up on the list of things I want to win. It would be great to end my amateur career on a high note. I’m very happy with what I have achieved so far and anything this summer is a bonus.”