A round-up of today's other sports news in brief
Mixed day for Maguires in Illinois
GOLF: Less than 10 miles from where the Solheim Cup teams are preparing for this weekend’s transatlantic tournament, 14-year-old Cavan twins Leona and Lisa Maguire were yesterday part of the 12-strong European team that took on the US in the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup in Aurora, Illinois.
In yesterday’s opening fourball matches, Leona – playing with Scotland’s Sally Watson – lost 2 and 1 to the USA’s Sarah Brown and Alexandra Stewart, however, her sister Lisa – playing with Kelly Tidy of England – beat Kristina Wong and Jennifer Johnson 3 and 1.
After yesterday’s six fourball matches the USA led 4-2 at Aurora Country Club, with six foursome matches to be played late last night.
As the format copies that of the Solheim Cup, today’s action features 12 singles games.
Dunbar, Cutler have point to prove
GOLF: Alan Dunbar and Paul Cutler will attempt to get over their disappointments at not being included in the Walker Cup for next month’s transatlantic battle in Pennsylvania when they line up in the European Amateur Individual championship at Chantilly today.
And Niall Kearney, the Brabazon Trophy winner who has been named in the Walker Cup side, will be out to demonstrate again his talent.
Simon Ward,Paul O’Kane, Kelan McDonagh and Andrew Hogan are the other Irish players in the 72-hole tournament.
Meanwhile, Danielle McVeigh spearheads the Irish challenge in the Ladies British Open Amateur at Royal Aberdeen.
Former Curtis Cup player Karen Delaney, Aedin Murphy and Victoria Bradshaw are among the nine Irish women competing.
Renault bring in Grosjean for Piquet
FORMULA ONE: French driver Romain Grosjean will replace Nelson Piquet Jr as the Renault’s second driver, the team have announced.
Brazilian Piquet was released from his contract by mutual agreement after failing to score a point in the first 10 races of the season.
Grosjean, who will race alongside former world champion Fernando Alonso in Sunday’s European Grand Prix in Valencia, said: “I am very proud that the Renault F1 Team has given me the chance.”
The 23-year-old has been Renault’s third driver this season and has previously been champion in the Formula 3 Euro Series and the GP2 Asia Series.
Two Irish boxers in quarter-finals
BOXING: Donegal welterweight Jason Quigley joined Gavin Moore in today’s quarter-finals at the European Youth Championships following a 2-0 win over Romanian Paraschiveanu Catalin in Szczecin, Poland yesterday.
Quigley meets Turkey’s Muratcan Bugra Oner, while Moore faces English light welter Mark Heffron.
Six in Irish squad for Europeans
EQUESTRIAN: Ginny Elliot, Horse Sport Ireland’s eventing high performance manager, has named the Irish squad for the European championships which take place late next month in Fontainebleau, writes Margie McLoone.
Six riders and horses have been named for the French venue, and in alphabetical order they are Capt Brian Curran Cournane (The Sally Rod), Sacha Pemble (I’ve Been Dun), Elizabeth Power (Kilpatrick River), Patricia Ryan (Fernhill Clover Mist), Sarah Wardell (Killeenduff Boy) and Sam Watson (Horseware Bushman).
Four of these combinations will compete as the Irish team while the remaining two will compete as individuals.
