Golf: The Open
Not since the legendary Bobby Jones won his third Claret Jug in 1930 has an amateur won this oldest championship of all; yet, on this morning of the final round of the 144th Open, a 22-year-oldIrishman sits at the top of the leader board.
Having mastered those old fairways as if born to the famed links he shares the 54-holes lead alongside a couple of golfing millionaires; Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen, with double-major winner Jordan Spieth just one shot in arrears.
A certain Padraig Harrington is just one more shot behind him though after a round of 65 on Sunday, and it was Harrington who set the ball rolling for Dunne with his win in the Open at Carnoustie in 2007 - as a 14-year-old teenager, Dunne watched it all unfold at home in Greystones.
“(Pádraig’s) been probably the most influential person in Irish golf, definitely in modern history anyway. I’ve watched those videos over and over again, so has everyone in my family I think. I’ve always looked up to Pádraig. He’s been such a great ambassador for Irish golf, carries himself so well, practices hard. He’s always someone that I’ve looked up to,” said Dunne.
GAA: Championship
The shock of the weekend, in the GAA world, came in the shape of Monaghan dethroning Donegal in the Ulster SFC final, yet considering the fashion they did it in, their second provincial title now in three years, the county now progress to the last eight once more daring to dream big this time.
“The first time around, it was nearly a shock to a lot of people. We felt we could win it, but there was amazing exhilaration and celebration. This is more about fulfilment. It was just proving to ourselves and proving to everyone that we could come back and beat a quality team like Donegal. And we are delighted to be able to prove that,” said manager Malachy O’Rourke.
Sunday's other provincial final was another anti-climax - like the Leinster decider this year's Connacht final seen a team who will compete in Division Three next season take on one of the top division one sides, the result was frightening.
No doubt Sligo deserved their place in the final, but truth be told they aren’t among the top three sides in the seven-team province, and the 6-25 they conceded against now five-in-a-row champions Mayo shows how big that gap is.
Thankfully Saturday’s Munster final replay has evened the provincial debate, giving us two competitive finals to cancel out the two massacres out west and in the capital.
Kerry were rattled in the drawn game, Cork should have won, but in wet and windy conditions in Killarney a second time around the All-Ireland champions showed their strength in depth to edge a 77th Munster crown.
Central to the win was the introduction of a certain Colm Cooper, one instinctive, perfectly weighted pass from a short free set up Paul Geaney’s winning goal, a touch of class in a game where defences were on top.
“I’ve always set high standards of myself,” says Cooper. “Me getting to my expectations is more important than everybody else’s expectations, because I need to reach a certain level to make sure I’m in this Kerry team, playing my part, and once I’m doing that, heading for Croke Park now, one of my favourite venues, that’s a step definitely in the right direction.”
Soccer: FAI AGM
Two years ago John Delaney declined to take questions from journalists at an FAI agm on the basis – he told delegates at the time – that it was not in “the best interests of the association” to provide answers to a group that had been so sceptical about its financial claims.
On Saturday in Sligo he did so again but this time the organisation appeared to acknowledge that it would not meet its own stated target of being debt free by 2020.
Meanwhile Aston Villa's Belgian striker Christian Benteke is heading to Anfield for a fee of €46.8 million subject to medical expected to take place today.
Cycling: Dan Martin
Dan Martin is talking about how the respect between riders and fans paramount in his Tour de France diary today.
A spectator throwing urine at Chris Froome dominated headlines in recent days and Martin is outraged by the behaviour of some so called spectators;
“I was riding alongside Chris’s Sky team-mate Richie Porte yesterday when a fan spat at him. I’m staggered by that, and just find it disgusting that people would act that way. Why would you even come to a bike race to abuse those you are watching? You have to respect these guys . . .yhey are human beings as well. It is an absolutely disgusting attitude to bring to the race.”
What to watch out for:
Padraig Harrington is teeing off at The Open at 2.10pm while Paul Dunne gets started 20 minutes later.
BBC 1 from 1.45pm,
It's on to stage 16 of the Tour de France today; To Gap.
TG4, 1.10pm-4.40pm
