Swiss-Spanish duo card matching 67s at Carton House as Women’s Irish Open tees off
Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and Spain’s Blanca Fernandez are tied at the top after the opening round of the 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open, each posting a six-under 67 in changeable conditions at Carton House near Dublin.
Both players navigated wind, sunshine, and passing showers on the O’Meara Course to emerge as early frontrunners in the 14th event of the Ladies European Tour season.
Fast Start for Tamburlini
Tamburlini, a three-time LET winner, opened her round from the 10th tee and quickly picked up momentum with birdies at 11, 13, 15, 16, and 18. She added two more on her second nine, offsetting a lone bogey on the third hole.
“I’m very happy with how I played today,” she said. “The wind really picked up on the last five or six holes, and I think tomorrow will be similar, so it’ll be a good test going into the weekend.”
Tamburlini, who placed fourth here last year, is therefore using this week to benchmark her game against a strong field that includes several LPGA regulars.
Breakthrough Performance for Fernandez
LET rookie Blanca Fernandez also made a strong opening statement, notching seven birdies after an early bogey on the third. The 24-year-old credited recent changes and a renewed focus with her performance.
“You never know in golf,” she said. “I made some changes last week, got my caddie back, and tried to relax more. I think all of those little things helped.”
Six-Way Tie for Third
A tightly packed group sits one shot behind the leaders at five-under-par. Among them are England’s Hannah Screen, Mimi Rhodes, and amateur Lottie Woad, Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson and Madelene Sagström, and Alexandra Swayne from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Sagström produced one of the more dramatic rounds of the day, with an eagle, a triple bogey, and six birdies. Pettersson and Rhodes both kept their cards clean with bogey-free 67s.
“I love the course,” said Rhodes. “If you’re aggressive, you can go really low.”
Irish Interest and Hole-in-Ones
Irish amateur Emma Fleming was among 11 players tied at four-under, while the day also featured two hole-in-ones—Brianna Navarrosa aced the par-3 second, and Sofie Bringner holed out on the 16th.
Round two resumes today, after which the field will be cut to the top 60 professionals and ties.
How to Watch This Weekend
Live coverage of the 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open continues through the weekend. Additionally, fans can watch rounds three and four on Saturday and Sunday from 14:00 to 17:00 local time (13:00 to 16:00 GMT).
Streaming is available globally on the Ladies European Tour website, with updates and highlights on social media via @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok, and X, and full video coverage on YouTube and Facebook.
