Hazel Kavanagh's share of third place in UNIQA Ladies Golf Open in Austria equalled the best ever performance by an Irishwoman on the Ladies European Tour.

Irish professionals Rebecca Coakley, Tara Delaney, Hazel Kavanagh and Martina GillenThe 37 year old Dubliner shared third place when she finished one stroke outside a possible play-off with Laura Davies and eventual winner Linda Wessberg.

It was her best ever performance on tour and a cheque for €13,866 catapulted her to 42nd in the money list with earnings this year of €33,038.

With the Solheim Cup coming to Ireland in 2011, the question remains: Can an Irish player make the team?

Winning tournaments is the only way forward and Kavanagh's top performance in Austria shows that Irish women's professional golf is improving all the time.

Best Irish performances on the Ladies European Tour

T3 Hazel Kavanagh 2009 UNIQA Ladies Golf Open €13,866

T3 Rebecca Coakley 2006 Tenerife Ladies Open  €11,570

4th Aideen Rogers 1998 Donegal Irish Ladies' Open

5th Rebecca Coakley 2005 Wales Ladies Championship €21,651

6th Martina Gillen 2008 Portugal Ladies Open

6th Rebecca Coakley 2003 AAMI Women's Australian Open €10,402

(Claire Coughlan-Ryan won Stage Two of the 2008 Qualifying School)