Tyrone's Colm Cavanagh has been named the PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for August, after he helped steer the county back into the All-Ireland SFC final for the first time since 2008. Cavanagh and Cathal McCarron - along with manager Mickey Harte - are the only survivors from the side which beat Kerry 1-15 to 0-14 to lift Sam Maguire 10 years ago. However, on their return to final day Tyrone are now massive underdogs against a Dublin side chasing five-in-a-row. Cavanagh is well aware his side need to do something different in order to avoid the same fate they suffered in last year's semi-finals, when Jim Gavin's side thrashed them 2-17 to 0-11. He said: "There's probably a fair enough point, in that we have to do something different. If we keep the same approach, same style, same personnel, it may not be enough because it hasn't been enough to date." Meanwhile Clare's Peter Duggan - who scored 3-76 in this year's Championship - has been named hurler of the month for August. Duggan was a driving force in getting Clare to the All-Ireland semi-finals, where they were beaten by Galway in a replay, but has revealed he was close to quitting the senior panel ahead of this summer. He said: "And I was close to quitting the year before, close on a few occasions. No reason, other than I was just a bit burnt out during the year, a long year. . . If we didn't go so well with Clooney [HIS CLUB]I don't think I would have gone back."
In her column today Sonia O'Sullivan writes about her return to Melbourne after a summer spent enjoying the Irish heat wave, and how she helps herself readjust to life down under. Unsurprisingly - running is one her main cures for jetlag after 24 hours of travelling: "There is nothing simpler than a run to wake you up and warm you up, to help reset the body clock." And she also talks of her admiration of the fearlessness of the Limerick hurlers, and the ability of a young team to seize the moment in Croke Park last Sunday. She writes: "Opportunities and chances come along and you just have to take them and not think chances will be greater when you are older, fitter, faster or more mature. There is no better time than the present to just go for it, take the rewards that come your way, and worry about the future when you get to it."
Roaring Lion was a thrilling winner of the Juddmonte International on the opening day of the Ebor Festival at York yesterday, with Killarney-born Oisin Murphy steering John Gosden's three-year-old to victory at 3-1 ahead of favourite Poet's Word. Today's feature is Yorkshire Oaks (3.35), in which Magic Wand looks the most likely of Aidan O'Brien's three runners to arrest the trainer's current slump. However, she will have plenty to do up against the pair at the head of the market - Williams Haggas's Sea Of Class and Karl Burke's Laurens.
Elsewhere the opening event of the FedEx Cup play-offs - the Northern Trust Open - gets underway in New Jersey today. All eyes will be on Tiger Woods as he takes part in the play-offs for the first time in five years, with the 42-year-old also looking for a first PGA Tour title since 2013 - he gets his fist round underway at 12.54pm (Irish time). Meanwhile defending champion Justin Thomas is bidding to eclipse Woods and become the first golfer to win back-to-back FedEx Cup titles, and with it a $10 million bonus. With Rory McIlroy resting, Seamus Power is the only Irish golfer in the field - he tees off at 1.49pm.
