McKibbin and Walsh Receive Irish Professional of the Year Awards

Tom McKibbin has been honored as the men’s Professional of the Year by the Irish Golf Writers’ Association for the second consecutive year. The 22-year-old from Co Antrim experienced another successful year in just his second season on the DP World Tour. He finished 18th in the Race to Dubai, which earned him one of ten dual memberships for the PGA Tour in 2025. McKibbin became only the 16th Irishman to break into the top 100 in the world rankings after securing a runner-up position following a playoff at June’s Italian Open. This was one of nine top-10 finishes recorded by McKibbin, who also made his major debut at the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and qualified for The Open at Royal Troon, successfully making the cut in both events. Co Kildare’s Lauren Walsh was named women’s Professional of the Year. This recognition followed her rookie season, during which she placed 18th in the Order of Merit on the Ladies European Tour. The 24-year-old Wake Forest University graduate, who is a product of Castlewarden Golf Club, achieved 12 top-25 finishes, four of which were in the top 10. Her notable performances included finishing third behind Leona Maguire in the Aramco Team Series-London, third in the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, fourth in the Jabra Ladies Open, and eighth in the Amundi German Masters. She subsequently qualified for the final stage of the LPGA Q-Series, thereby securing status on the LPGA’s second-tier Epson Tour for 2025.