Digest: SOLHEIM CUP: The United States regained the Solheim Cup from holders Europe yesterday, winning the biennial women's team title for a record sixth time by 15½ points to 12½.
The sides were all square at 8-8 going into the last-day singles encounters at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana, but the Americans won the first five matches out to take early control.
Their 19-year-old Paula Creamer, the youngest player in Solheim history, set the tone by claiming the first point with a superb 7 and 5 win over former world number one Laura Davies.
The home team rookie, who won 3½ points on her debut, was six up after reaching the turn in 30 and got to seven under par after 13 holes.
After Creamer had put the first red point on the board, Laura Diaz, Juli Inkster, Christina Kim and Pat Hurst added further wins for the home team before world number one Annika Sorenstam finally stemmed the tide with a 4 and 3 triumph over Beth Daniel.
Natalie Gulbis beat Swede Maria Hjorth 2 and 1 in the seventh match out to put the US on the brink of victory at 14-9, before Europe fought back to trim the score to 14-12.
But veteran Meg Mallon sealed the win when she went dormie two up on England's Karen Stupples before completing a 3 and 1 success.
IRISH PGA: In a definite case of better late than never, the world's number 11 ranked player, Padraig Harrington, has decided to enter the Irish PGA Championship which takes place at PGA National at Palmerstown House in Co Kildare, starting on Thursday, writes Philip Reid.
Although he hadn't originally entered the championship, Harrington, who missed the cut in the German Masters, felt he needed more competitive play for a run of tournaments that takes in next week's Seve Trophy, followed by the Dunhill Links Championship, the American Express Championship and the Las Vegas Championship in successive weeks.
Harrington won the title at St Margaret's last year, his second Irish PGA success, and his late decision to enter this year's tournament will provide a big boost for its first staging at the much-acclaimed Christy O'Connor Junior-designed course outside Naas.
CHALLENGE TOUR: David P Jones ended a disappointing week for the European Challenge Tour's Irish players in a tie for 42nd place at the Telia Challenge Waxholm in Sweden.
The Derry professional, who was the only Irishman in the final two rounds after Michael Hoey, Justin Kehoe and Tim Rice had missed the cut, carded a fourth round of four-over-par 77 to post a two-over 294 total.
Norway's Morten Hagen took the title with a birdie at the fourth play-off hole after he and Sweden's Christian Nilsson had finished the regulation 72 holes at the Waxholm Golf Club on 12-under-par 280.
SENIORS TOUR: Scotland's Bill Longmuir was crowned the king of Denmark after securing his fifth European Seniors Tour victory in the Scandinavian Senior Open at the historic Royal Copenhagen Golf Club.
The 52-year-old fired a brilliant, seven-under-par final round 64 to extend his overnight lead and finish the tournament on 17 under, four strokes clear of Italian Giuseppe Cali in second place.
The Irish players in the field, Eamonn Darcy and Denis O'Sullivan, were going well before both wasted shots at the 404-yard 14th hole. Former Ryder Cup player Darcy carded a bogey five and finished in a tie for seventh place on eight under, while O'Sullivan took six and closed with a level par 71 to finish a shot behind his compatriot.
However, the day belonged to Longmuir, who produced a stunning display of stroke-making to match the beauty of the course.
An eagle three at the 501-yard fourth hole helped him to four under through five holes, and four birdies followed over the back nine as he cruised to the €39,893 first prize.
US TOUR: Mark Calcavecchia held steady while his challengers faltered, building a three-shot lead with nine holes left in yesterday's final round of the Canadian Open. Calcavecchia, chasing a first title in four years, began the day with a one-shot cushion, but a flawless front nine and a birdie at the fifth at the Shaughnessy Golf Club to move three clear of fellow American Ryan Moore and Canada's Stephen Ames.
ASIAN TOUR: Australia's Adam Scott fired a final-round 65 to ease to a seven-stroke victory at the $2 million Singapore Open, with the world number seven completing the tournament with a 13-under par 271 total.
