Lauren Walsh carded a bogey-free, five-under-par 67 in the final round of the LPGA Tour Q-School in Alabama, leaping from tied-34th to tied-17th to secure her tour card with a shot to spare. But is Walsh settling for that? Definitely not. The 25-year-old Kildare native has set her eyes on the next career target.

“Definitely playing a Solheim Cup is up there,” Walsh admitted to Greg Allen on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport on January 3.

The biennial clash between Europe and the United States will be in the Netherlands next September, and Walsh knows she’s got work to do, alongside focusing on the rest of the checklist.

“I’d would love to represent Ireland in the Olympics,” Walsh added. “I’ve had a couple close calls on the LET so getting one over the line is definitely something that I look forward to doing in the future, and major championships as well. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play against the best in the world week in, week out.”

Here’s some context to Walsh’s dream.

In February, Walsh starts her LPGA career with the LET (Ladies European Tour) event in Saudi Arabia. She’ll then make her full LPGA debut in China a month later. There are 33 events on the program. The prize money is $132 million. She is now in a super-elite bracket, alongside Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow, as the only Irish women with LPGA cards.

Walsh’s 2025 season on the LET showcased why she is worthy. After a hot late-season run that included good performances and consistent scoring in Switzerland, Spain, and France, she ranked 10th in the Order of Merit.

“I took a little break in August and went away on holidays, just took a little bit of time off golf,” Walsh explained. “I came back from Spain feeling very refreshed, really excited to get back into golf.”

That stretch gave her the confidence she needed when everything was on the line in Alabama.

Sitting tied-34th heading into the final round, Walsh needed roughly three under to crack the top 25. She delivered five birdies, including two in her final three holes.

Coach Shane O’Grady, who also works with Maguire, helped unlock something technical in her swing late in the year. The enhanced putting stroke and sharper short game turned near-misses into genuine contention throughout 2025.

The Q-School finish was dramatic. Walsh wasn’t comfortable at first due to the course. The LPGA Tour courses are longer and firmer, with faster greens that should suit her ball flight. She’s improved different parts of her game, including the mental side. Learning how to manage life as a pro golfer matters as much as technique.

The Solheim Cup isn’t just theory. Lauren Walsh has done the math. Team Europe picks its roster in the summer. To get noticed, Walsh needs to perform right away on the LPGA Tour, and she knows it.

“For me, it’s all about controlling what I can control, enjoying what I’m doing,” Walsh said in December. “And if that all works out, the wins will come.”

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Europe vs. USA: The Solheim Cup battle in the Netherlands

The 2026 Solheim Cup will take place at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands in September 2026. Angela Stanford’s Team USA is up against Anna Nordqvist’s Team Europe. The Americans are the defending champions, having beaten Europe 15 ½-12 ½ in Virginia in 2024.

It will be played out over three days. On Friday and Saturday, there are four foursomes and fourball matches. On Sunday, there are 12 singles matches with 12 points at stake. The winner gets 14.5 points. The course features a heathland layout with water hazards that encourages accuracy more than power.

The all-time series is 11-7 in favor of Team USA with one tie. Stanford has played in the Solheim Cup six times and brings along vice captains Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer, and Brittany Lang.

Nordqvist has played in nine tournaments and was the vice-captain in 2023 and 2024. Caroline Hedwall and Mel Reid, her vice-captains, have played together nine times.

The qualification process spans the summer.

Team Europe picks the top two players from the LET points list, and the next six players from the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. The list is completed with four captain’s picks. Team USA picks seven players from the LPGA points list, adds two from the world rankings, and three more players as captain’s picks.