Golf DigestCHAMPIONS TOUR: Craig Stadler was on course to claim his first "major" in a long career as he took a three-shot lead into the closing two holes of the Senior Players Championship over the TPC of Michigan lay-out in Dearborn.
Stadler, who had begun the day in a three-way tie on 11 under par with Tom Watson and Mike McCullough, was six under par for his first 16 holes of the final round. Watson was just one under and McCullough level par for the day.
Tom Kite and Jim Thorpe had put up the biggest challenge, getting to nine and seven under respectively on the day.
Des Smyth had closed with a 71 to finish in tied 48th place.
US TOUR: Overnight leader Kenny Perry carded a 66 for the second day running to win the Greater Milwaukee Open by one stroke yesterday, returning a 12-under-par total of 268.
Perry, who recently won both the Colonial and the Memorial Tournament in consecutive weeks, edged out Australia's Steven Allan and Heath Slocum, who also carded rounds of 66 yesterday for 269.
Brett Quigley was fourth on 270, two strokes ahead of a group of five players - Chris Smith, Dennis Paulson, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Gallagher and Brenden Pappas of South Africa.
NORTH OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP: Walker Cup hopeful Gareth Maybin of Ballyclare defends his title at Portrush starting today and, as usual, the 300-strong field is bulging with talent.
Other former winners in the draw are Stuart Paul (Tandragee), current East of Ireland champion Michael Sinclair (Knock) and the 1980 winner Michael Malone (Belvoir Park).
Walker Cup captain Garth McGimpsey is back hoping to stretch his record to six wins, while young players in the draw who could cause a few upsets are Sean McTernan (Co Sligo), Clancy Bowes (Tramore) and Alastair McKinley (Shandon Park).
It's 26 years since a home victory was recorded at Royal Portrush. Nipper Young was the last to do it and Chris Browne has the highest hopes of closing that gap.
EUROPEAN AMATEURS: Ireland produced strong finishes in both the European Ladies and Boys team championships in Germany and the Czech Republic respectively at the weekend to clinch an unusual double.
In both contests they ended up in ninth spot, winning the second flight - the best they could do after failing earlier in the week to secure one of the top eight places for the matchplay phase.
And what pleased the country's golfing chiefs more than anything else was that they overcame Celtic cousins Scotland to wrap up the week in style in the women's contest over Germany's Frankfurter course and Wales in the boys' showdown over the Astoria course at Karlovy Vary.
Mary McKenna, nine-time Curtis Cup player and captaining Ireland for the first time, was delighted with the way her side stuck to their task. She could not have asked more in the 4½-2½ victory over a Scottish team which contained four members of next week's Vagliano Trophy side taking on the Continent of Europe at County Louth.
After sharing the foursomes, the Irish moved into top gear to see off their opponents in the singles. Tricia Mangan, the sole Irish player in the Vagliano team, recorded a fine 2and 1 victory over Curtis Cup player Vikki Laing, who had the fourth hole in one of her career at the llth in that match, but still had to play second fiddle to the Ennis star.
Claire Coughlan was at the top of her form in overcoming former British Girls' champion Claire Queen by 3 and 2, being three under par in the process, and newcomer Maura Morrin, who works in a Curragh stud, did not put a foot wrong in defeating Claire Hargan by 5 and 3 to ensure Ireland concluded the week on a happy note.
Spain clinched the crown for the second time when they beat Sweden by four matches to two with one halved.
Meanwhile, in the Boys' event Ireland overcame Wales 3-2 in a match every bit as tight as the scoreline suggests.
In the end the hero was Aaron O'Callaghan from Douglas, who notched victory at the third extra hole of a sudden death decider against Carl Wakeley.
It was level at two matches apiece when O'Callaghan delivered the goods to secure ninth spot for his country.
Limerick's Cian McNamara and Lurgan's Gareth Shaw gained the other points for Ireland.
Italy won the title when they defeated Austria 4-1 in the final.
