Sport

Seve for Laois course

Golf: Seve Ballesteros is to spearhead a major golf course development at Killenarden, Co Laois, reports Dermot Gilleece

Thu Jun 07 2001 - 01:00

Golf: Seve Ballesteros is to spearhead a major golf course development at Killenarden, Co Laois, reports Dermot Gilleece. The celebrated Spaniard will collaborate with Kilkenny-based architect Jeff Howes in the design of a championship-standard layout, on which work will start this summer.

Howes, whose creation at Gowran Park is to be officially launched on July 1st, worked with Jack Nicklaus on Mount Juliet and at Gleneagles. And the expectation is he and Ballesteros will deliver a venue of comparable standard and capable of playing host to important tournaments.

Ballesteros, who was in Dublin recently for the announcement of the Seve Ballesteros Trophy at Druids Glen next year, has previously been associated with design ventures in this country. On this occasion, however, the indications are the project, situated about 10 miles the Dublin side of Portlaoise, is a definite starter.

Soccer: Derry City pulled off a major coup yesterday with the news that Real Madrid will visit the Brandywell for a preseason friendly in August.

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And the man behind the highprofile fixture is the Derrybased SDLP leader and MEP, John Hume. On Monday, Hume received a letter confirming the famous Spanish club would be coming to Derry. .

Hockey: Lisnagarvey's Dan Clarke is poised to win his 100th Ireland cap against Scotland in Belfast on Saturday week. Clarke goes into the Celtic Cup matches at Queen's on the 98-cap mark after his involvement in the Bangladesh tournament in March. There is one change in the 18-man squad, with Ivan Steen coming in for Karl Burns.

Tennis: Kelly Liggand lost out in straight sets for a place in the quarter-finals of the singles tournament in Surbiton, near London, yesterday but not without giving a good account of herself against Jennifer Hopkins, the US third seed who is 68th in the world rankings.

Both sets went to tie breaks although Liggand was 2-4 down in the second. Hopkins took the first 6-2 and the second 8-6.

Cycling: Pietro Caucchioli of Italy outsprinted Portugal's Jose Azevedo to win the 123-km 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia yesterday. It was the Alessio rider's second win in the 2001 Giro after his victory in the eighth stage to Reggio Emilia on May 27th. Caucchioli broke away on the final climb of the stage.