Lauren Walsh ties for fourth in Morocco as Sara Byrne slips back
Sara Byrne slipped to 24th as Lauren Walsh birdied four of her last eight holes to get her 2025 season off to a strong start with a tie for fourth place in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.
Byrne went into the final round just a shot behind Singapore's Shannon Tan but carded a four-over 77 to finish on two-under, seven shots outside a playoff that saw England's Cara Gainer beat Indian left-hander Diksha Dagar.
Four shots off the lead overnight, Dagar made seven birdies in a six-under 67 to set the clubhouse target at nine-under before Gainer birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th to join her in the lead after a 69.
They finished a shot ahead of Tan, who shot 72, with Walsh a shot further back in joint fourth alongside Spain's Nuria Iturrioz after she closed with a five-under 68 to set the clubhouse target at seven-under.
It wasn't enough to give the Carton House touring professional (24) her first LET title. But she was pleased to make a charge on the final day at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam's Blue Course after finishing 18th in the order of merit in her rookie season.
"I'm really happy with how this week has gone, first week back in the office and to get in contention is always nice, so very pleased with the week's work," said Walsh.
"I was sick to start out the week, so happy to be able to fight back.
“During the off-season, my coach Shane O'Grady and I always look at the end of the year and how it's all gone – things I can improve on. For me, my putting was a huge part of that, my wedges also.
“I hit some really nice wedges today and this week, which is nice, and my coach will be happy to hear that. The putting has been coming along nicely as well, and I holed some nice ones this week. I just took some time off and worked hard."
The former Wake Forest star turned in one-under as she sandwiched a bogey at the par-five sixth between birdies at the second and sixth.
She then moved up a gear on the back nine by following a birdie at the 11th with three in a row from the 13th.
"I got off a pretty solid start. I made a lot of nice pars, one or two birdies on the front nine," she said.
"A little slip up on the par five, but I got it going on the back nine, had a lot of really nice iron shots. I hit a lot of shots inside 10 feet and managed to convert three of them, left one or two out there."
It was a more challenging day for Douglas dynamo Byrne (23), who was bidding to win in her first start since claiming her LET card at December's Qualifying School.
She was also battling for a top 10 finish in the battle for one of two spots in next week's PIF Saudi Ladies International for the leading players not already exempt.
While she followed a bogey at the fourth with a birdie four at the fifth, where she tickled home a slick seven-footer, she bogeyed the seventh and par-five eighth to turn in one-over.
She got back to level for the day with a birdie at the 12th, but with her title chances gone, she bogeyed the 13th and 16th before making a double-bogey six at the last for a four-over 77.
Annabel Wilson made four birdies in a three-under 70 to finish joint 33rd on level par with fellow rookie Anna Foster joint 42nd on two-over after a 73.
Olivia Mehaffey was joint 57th on six-over after a 77, making four birdies, five bogeys and a costly triple-bogey eight at her 11th hole.
