GOLF: Actuaries tend to be pretty precise when it comes to figures. So it's hardly surprising to hear that the number-crunchers in Irish Life, in extending their sponsorship of the Ryder Cup player, have high hopes for Padraig Harrington's upward assent on the world's golfing summit, reports Philip Reid.
When they first announced their tie-up with the personable Dubliner two years ago, Harrington was around 125th in the world rankings.
Now, he's almost certainly one of the first names that captain Sam Torrance will pencil onto his team-sheet for the match with the Americans at The Belfry in September, and he is up to number 25 in the world rankings.
"At this rate," said Roy Douglas, the group chairman in confirming his company's extended sponsorship of the player to 2003, "he'll be up to number one in the rankings by the time this deal is concluded".
Harrington flies out to Malaysia at the end of next week for a threeweek stint before he heads across the Atlantic for two of the season's biggest tournaments, the Players' Championship and the US Masters.
ATHLETICS: The Irish Schools' Athletic Association yesterday secured another season of sponsorship from Nestle, bringing the partnership into its 39th year. Alderman Maurice Ahern, Lord Mayor of Dublin, made the presentation of sponsorship cheques at the Mansion House to association officials from the four provinces, reports Ian O'Riordan.
Over the coming months, 23,000 athletes from 800 schools will participate in the various stages of competitive schools' athletics. The highlights come with the All-Ireland Cross Country championships on March 10th at Knockbeg College, Carlow and the track and field finals in Tullamore on June 2nd.
The association also plays host this summer to the Nestle Schools' International, which will be staged in Santry on July 21st. Bill Hyland, PR manager with Nestle, has this year been selected as chair of the Schools' International Athletics Board.
TENNIS: Irish Davis Cup colleagues Peter Clarke and Connor Niland have been drawn against each other in the first round of the Sydney ITF circuit, reports Pat Roche. John Doran faces Ricardo Schlacher, the number seven seed from Brazil, ranked 441.
