History will be made at Woodbrook this weekend as the inaugural East of Ireland Women\u2019s Amateur Open Championship gets underway.<\/p>\n
The third of four new women\u2019s championships will see 67 players compete at the 54-hole championship, with 36 holes of Stroke Play on Friday before a cut ahead of Saturday\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n
2026 is a year that holds special significance for Woodbrook, as the Wicklow club celebrates their centenary year, with the East of Ireland Women\u2019s Amateur Open Championship standing as a major highlight in one of the club\u2019s busiest seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very proud,\u201d said Woodbrook General Manager Marcus Doyle at the launch of the 2026 Championships programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cA centenary is not just a milestone, it\u2019s a celebration of the legacy, the community and the spirit that carries Woodbrook and it\u2019s a fantastic way of honouring our past and inspiring the next generation of Woodbrook members to bring the club forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe built up our Ladies Scratch Cup here significantly to the point where it was a world amateur golf ranking event, and to be given the opportunity to host the inaugural Women\u2019s East of Ireland is just fantastic for the club and fantastic for the Ladies\u2019 Club.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event will see a host of champions take to the east coast venue with South of Ireland Women\u2019s Champion Anna Abom (Edmondstown), West of Ireland Women\u2019s Champion Ella Cantwell (Esker Hills), Irish Women\u2019s Mid-Amateur Champion Shannon Burke and AIG Irish Women\u2019s Amateur Close Champion Anna Dawson (Tramore) among a strong field competing for the title.<\/p>\n
There will also be strong local interest, with four Woodbrook members in the field. Nicola Coffey, Isabella Stewart, Clodagh Hopkins and Sue Phillips will represent the home club, while the county will be further represented by Isobel Byrne (Blainroe), Olivia Byrne (Blainroe), Sadhbh Kelly (Bray), Sophie Harrison (Dun Laoghaire) and Emma Haugh (Greystones) all representing Wicklow clubs.<\/p>\n
Woodbrook are also set to host the R&A Men\u2019s & Women\u2019s Home Internationals from 4-6 August, and many players will be hoping that a strong performance this weekend will help put them on the radar for international team selection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had significant investment across all aspects of Woodbrook Golf Club,\u201d said Doyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very special opportunity to showcase everything that Woodbrook has to offer from first class agronomy throughout the entire golf course to the warm welcome, to the fantastic food and beverage. We feel we\u2019re tailor-made now to host big events like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe approach it with great respect for the past, all the past successes of Woodbrook Golf Club and we commence this next 100 years on really strong footing with hosting the Home Internationals and the Women\u2019s East of Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first round of the East of Ireland Women\u2019s Amateur Open Championship gets underway on Friday with Abom, Ellen O\u2019Shaughnessy (Co.Louth) and Helena Burke (Carlow) leading the field out at 7.00am<\/p>\n