WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN:Sixteen-year-old Charley Hull was not the only amateur to shine when the Women's British Open began at Hoylake yesterday.

The Woburn youngster, tricking herself into thinking she was “out there playing with my mates”, tucked in just behind the two leaders with a one-under-par 71, the same as Wales’ Lydia Hall.

Then Curtis Cup team-mate Holly Clyburn, who also came through Monday’s qualifier, matched the 72 of Taiwanese star Yani Tseng, the world number one chasing an unprecedented third successive victory in the event.

Fifteen-year-old New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko, who last month in Canada became the youngest-ever LPGA Tour winner, also posted a 72.

South Korean pair Haeji Kang and So Yeon Ryu, last year’s US Women’s Open champion, set the pace on two under after a day which also saw 1986 winner Laura Davies, playing her 100th Major, fail to break 80.

America’s best-known woman golfer Michelle Wie double-bogeyed the first hole and had to be content with a 75, the same mark as Irish amateur Leona Maguire. Ireland’s other participant, Rebecca Codd, signed for a 77 in her opening round.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL: A round of 68 yesterday saw Ireland's Peter O'Keeffe surge into second place behind fellow countryman and runaway leader Mark Staunton on day three of the first stage in Scotland.

The duo now look nailed on to progress to the next stage with Ballinasloe’s Staunton having maintained his six-shot advantage over the field going into today’s final round.

He recorded a two-under-par 70 at Roxburghe Hotel while Muskerry-based O’Keeffe collected half-a-dozen birdies to move to five under, three clear of England’s George Thacker.

The top nine plus ties at the end of today will advance and there’s a possibility two more Irishmen, Damian Mooney and Mark Murphy, could go through as well. Both began yesterday in a tie for 11th place but Kerry-born Murphy, who is based in New Orleans, couldn’t make any headway up the leaderboard with a one-over-par 73 while Mooney’s second successive 74, which started with a pair of double bogeys and included an eagle, saw him drop two places to 13th.

PGA IRISH ASSISTANTS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Despite a horrendous finishing run, Daniel Sugrue clung on to the top of the leaderboard to win the Irish PGA Assistants' Championship, at Balcarrick, Co Dublin, yesterday with a three-over-par 295.

After a calm morning, with only a hint of a breeze for the third round, the wind stiffened considerably with the scores sent soaring. So bad were the conditions that the balls were blowing around on the greens but the organisers managed to get play completed, even though it was touch and go.

Killarney assistant Sugrue led at lunchtime on regulation 219 but finished with a 76 for a three over aggregate. He turned in level par in the fourth round and went one under with birdie three at the 10th hole, before being four over for the closing six holes. He finished one shot clear of Lorcan Costello as the pair had tussled throughout the championship.

Costello (Lucan) had three birdies and two bogeys in this third round and then bogeyed six and nine in his fourth outing. Like Sugrue, he birdied 10 but then dropped four shots in his next five holes before making four at the long 17th for a two-over 39 home run.

Cahir Park assistant David Ruddy carded the best round of the championship, a six-under-par 67, in the third round yesterday morning but failed to match that performance in the afternoon, carding an 81.

IRISH SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN:Helen Jones will attempt today to complete a remarkable Irish golfing double over the challenging Royal Belfast Course.

Having won the Irish Seniors Close title earlier this season Jones, a member of Strabane and Royal Portrush, will bid to add the country’s Open crown to her list of achievements.

With one round remaining she shares the lead with defending champion Minna Kaarnalahti of Finland after a spirited 77 yesterday.

They are locked together on 162 but the chasing pack are breathing down their necks with home club favourite Marilyn Henderson a mere stroke adrift and Dubliner Gertie McMullen, the first round leader, on 164 after a 85 to add to her opening 79.