A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Harrington to tee it up with Woods
US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP:Pádraig Harrington will tee it up with Tiger Woods and Davis Love III in the first two rounds of next week's US PGA at Atlanta Athletic Club, reports Brian Keogh. It's the first time the Dubliner has been drawn with the former world Number one in a Major since they played together in the first two rounds of the 2009 US PGA at Hazeltine. British Open champion Darren Clarke and US Open champion Rory McIlroy have been drawn with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel in the traditional grouping of this season's Major winners. Graeme McDowell will also have Major company alongside 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy.
Cutler four shots off top in Sweden
MEN'S EUROPEAN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Walker Cup hopeful Paul Cutler moved up the leader board over the Halmstad course in Sweden yesterday with a stirring third-round display. The Portstewart star fired a four-under-par 68 for a 54-hole aggregate of 212 – four under par – to close to within four strokes of leader Manual Trappel of Austria. Also on the 212 mark is West Waterford's Kevin Phelan, who had halves of 35 for a 70. Richard O'Donovan, who also posted a 70 yesterday, is on 215, one better than Alan Dunbar. The 54-hole cut fell on 220 – four over par – which meant Ballymena teenager Dermot McElroy missed out by a stroke and Paul Dunne did not survive either.
Thornton sweet for second day
IRISH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: It is a catch-me-if-you-can story for Simon Thornton at the 101st PGA Irish Region Championship as the Newcastle-based man fired another six-under-par 66 at Seapoint yesterday to lead at the half-way stage by three strokes from Des Smyth as 56 players made the cut on 149. It has been tremendous golf from the Huddersfield-born Thornton who has played 36 holes without ever dropping a shot as, yesterday, he again matched the course record and his opening round six-birdie blitz. Smyth is aiming for his seventh win at the tournament and also to
maintain his record of taking the title in every decade from the ,70s. He again displayed great touches on the greens on the course he designed to add a 68 to his opening 67. Séamus McMonagle didn’t let the big boys run away with it, the newly-qualified Dunfanaghy pro matching Thornton’s 66 to move into third place.
Pierse pipped for second title
MEN'S BRITISH SENIOR AMATEUR OPEN: Tipperary's Arthur Pierse came agonisingly close yesterday to claiming his second British Seniors Open title. The former Walker Cup player was pipped by a stroke at Royal Portrush as he attempted to add to his triumph of 2007. Pierse finished with a 54-hole aggregate of 215, comprising scores of 73, 72 and 70 – just one stroke behind champion Chip Lutz. Bangor's Garth McGimpsey finished in a creditable tie for sixth place on 220 after a 73.
England just too strong for Ireland
GIRLS' HOME INTERNATIONALS:Ireland found England too hot to handle in the Girls' Home Internationals over the Gullane No 2 course in Scotland and crashed to 7.5-1.5 defeat. But they can take many positives out of the series as they collected the Swansea Spoon as runners-up, having started the final day in contention for their first title. Ireland's fate was effectively sealed when they lost all three foursomes to eventual champions England, although in the end they fought hard and three of the six singles went to the last green .
