Senior Interprovincial at County Sligo

Munster beat Leinster while Connacht and Ulster halved to leave things delicately poised after the opening day of the Senior Interprovincial Championship at Co Sligo GC.

Connacht had led after the morning foursomes thanks to a birdie on the 18th in the final match from Joe Lyons, who partnered Michael Durcan to a one-hole win over Nicky Grant and Wayne Telford.

Beforehand, Ulster had scored an early win through Reeve Whitson and Aaron Kearney, who beat Steffan O'Hara and Sean Cannon by 7/6, but Connacht had squared the match with a win from Michael Durcan and Joe Lyons over Connor Doran and Harry Diamond by 2/1. Due to illness, Gary McDermott was unable to play so his match in partnership with Kelan McDonagh against Luke Lennox and Colm Campbell was deemed a half.

But things started well for Ulster in the afternoon, with Diamond getting one back on the 18th with a final-hole win over O'Hara. Victories also followed for Reeve Whitson and Connor Doran against Michael Durcan and Sean Cannon respectively, while McCormack hit back for Connacht with a 2/1 win over Irish Close runner-up Kearney. 

Connacht's hopes were raised significantly when Kelan McDonagh got up and down from 20 yards over the back of the 18th green to earn a half against Luke Lennox.

The match between Grant and Lyons finished all square, leaving the pressure resting on Anderson to clinch the half for Connacht, which he did by halving the 18th for a one-hole win.

Munster, meanwhile, had the initiative after the morning's play against Leinster, with Pat Murray and Ian O’Rourke claiming a one-hole victory over Rory McNamara and Brian Casey. 

That left Munster one ahead going into the afternoon. Eoin Arthurs and Richard O’Donovan halved with Gary O’Flaherty and Niall Gorey, and John Greene and Craig Martin lost to Sean Barry and David O’Donovan by 3/2. 

Kieran Hurley and Ed Stack lost for Munster on the final green against Paul Dunne and Stephen Walsh, leaving the way clear for Murray and O’Rourke to put them in front going into the singles. 

Niall Gorey’s victory in the first match of the afternoon against East of Ireland champion Richard O’Donovan paved the way for his team-mates, with Sean Barry clinching a half against Craig Martin and David O’Donovan beating Rory McNamara 3/1.

To their credit, Leinster rallied with a tremendous 7/6 win for Eoin Arthurs over Pat Murray, and when Paul Dunne beat Gary O’Flaherty on the 18th green, the match came down to the wire.

Munster persevered though, with Ed Stack claiming a half against Stephen Walsh and Ian O’Rourke clinching the final game on the 17th to give Munster the overall lead going into tomorrow’s second day.

In the Boys Interprovincials, Leinster produced a spectacular rally on the back nine in the afternoon singles to beat Connacht while Munster edged a very close encounter with Ulster.

Leinster had shared the foursomes with Connacht when their top pair Jack Hume and Alan Lowry beat Alex Gleeson and Sean Flanagan.

Liam Harnett and Conor Glynn lost to Enda Craddock and Dan O’Connor, while Keagan Cummings and Gavin Moynihan won the final hole of their match with Declan Reidy and Thomas Finnegan to secure a half.

In the afternoon, Enda Craddock produced a superb display to see of Liam Harnett 6/5, but thereafter it was one-way traffic, with Jack Hume beating Alex Gleeson, Conor Glynn accounting for Ronan Mullarney, Gavin Moynihan edging past Sean Flanagan, and Keagan Cummings clinching a two-hole victory over Declan Reidy.

Alan Lowry and Ross Young completed the victory for Leinster with wins over Dan O’Connor and Thomas Finnegan.

Ulster, meanwhile, had taken the upper-hand against Munster after the morning foursomes, but victories for Gary Hurley, Robin Dawson, Jack Ryan and Kieran Lynch in the afternoon saw Munster past the winning post, with Jack Leacy gaining a half against John Ross Galbraith and Colm O’Sullivan and Eoin Harris losing to William Russell and Tim Jordan respectively.

Stanford Student Wie in Evian Action

Michelle Wie in action

Michelle Wie said ahead of this week's Evian Masters that she is not ready to leave Stanford University and concentrate all her energies on golf.

The former teen sensation was reacting to criticism from Swedish golfing legend Annika Sorenstam that she was spending too much time studying and was not playing enough golf.

Answering this accusation, the Hawaiian-bred American said: "Looking back at my stats and tournaments that I've played, I note that this year I've played in every single event except one.

"So I've been doing my best (to play as much tournament golf as (possible).

"I love being out here. Obviously I want to be the best player that I can be; I want to win majors; I want to win tournaments; and I'm working very hard at that. Right now that's my number one goal, especially during the summer holidays. And even if I'm at school, you know, I don't go to school full time. I have to go part time because obviously I do play, and I play in almost every tournament."

Wie, who comes from an academic family of Korean-born parents, said education had always been important to her ever since she was a child.

"Knowledge and education are very powerful tools for young adults and while I also believe that my sporting career is also important, I don't want to have to give up my education.

"I also believe that college is a lot more than just education and books. I think it was a very important step for me to go to Stanford and to experience living on campus, kind of making it on my own, you might say.

"People that have gone to college know that you do grow. For me, being out here spending a lot of time (in golf) when I was younger, it forced me to grow up a lot faster. I think I needed this step in my life, and I don't regret any of it."

Wie's top priority this week, though, has nothing to do with books unless it's the little one that holds all the course information about the picturesque Evian-Les-Bains in France where she will be teeing it up this week against the world's 111 best women golfers competing for the LPGA's fattest purse ($.25 million) at the Evian Masters.

With her mind on the challenge she faces, Wie said of the cold and wet conditions expected at the start of the tournament: "It makes the golf course a lot tougher, I think, a lot longer. But hopefully it'll clear by the weekend. The golf course is still in beautiful condition. It rained a lot on Sunday, I believe, and I came out to play yesterday and the course didn't seem at all soggy. I think they've been doing a really good job maintaining it, despite the weather.

The defending champion this week is South Korea's World No. 4 Jiyai Shin who last year birdied the par-5 18th to win by a stroke from American young guns Lexi Thompson and Morgan Pressel and Korean compatriot Na Yeon Choi.

It was her eighth career victory on the LPGA Tour, three of which came in 2008 before she officially becoming a member of the Tour.

She also won three times in her rookie year in 2009.

Shin's victory at the Evian Masters last year was her first of two in 2010 en route to her finishing the season as the World No. 1 following the retirement of Lorena Ochoa.

This year has not been nearly as kind to her, however.

Shin has yet to capture a victory on the LPGA Tour this season and has dropped to fourth place on the rankings list while Taiwan's Yani Tseng has been making most of this year's headlines with a blistering run of five worldwide victories, including a major, that has carried her into the No. 1 spot on the World Rankings list.

She is bound to be one of the biggest hurdles to a Shin repeat here in France this year with in-form American No. 1 Cristie Kerr another.Seven former champions of the Evian Masters are in the field this week.

Along with Shin there is Ai Miyazato (2009 winner), Natalie Gulbis (2007), Karrie Webb (2006), Paula Creamer (2005), Juli Inkster (2003) and English veteran Laura Davies (1995 and 1996).

Davies' two victories came prior to the LPGA Tour coming in to co-sanction the Evian event. When she won her two titles, the Evian Masters was still solely sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.

The tournament's 18-hole record is held by Helen Alfredsson who carded a second-round 63 en route to her victory in 2008. The 72-hole record is held by Juli Inkster at 21-under par.

A total of 10 sponsor invitees will be competing at this year's Evian Masters. There are four LPGA Tour members (Mariajo Uribe, Cindy LaCrosse, Grace Park and Julieta Granada), five LET members (Maria Verchenova, Caroline Rominger, Anne Lise Caudal, Sophie Giquel and Caroline Alfonso) and one member of the WGAI in India (Sharmila Nicollet).

Ladies Irish Open August 5th - 7th 2011 - Killeen Castle

Solheim Cup. September 23rd - 25th, 2011 - Killeen Castle

The 3 Major Musketeers

Who was to know?

Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland pose together during the second day of previews to the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 16, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York.

Darren Clarke Enjoys Open Dream

Newly-crowned British Open champion Darren Clarke has described winning the tournament as a dream-come-true, and also admitted his path to success had been a difficult one.

Clarke, 42, carded a final round of 70 to finish five-under par, three shots clear of American Dustin Johnson, to claim the first major of his 21-year career.

The elation felt by the Northern Irishman in the wake of his triumph at Royal St. George's was in stark contrast to five years ago, when his wife Heather died after a battle with breast cancer.

"You almost wouldn't wish it on anybody," Clarke told CNN when asked to describe the sequence of events which led to his victory in golf's oldest major.

"It's weird. It's a game of give and take, it takes it away and it gives you it back. I've had a tough period of late, obviously, since Heather passed away. My boys were priority and they've now developed into two really good kids.

"Of that I am very proud, even more proud of that than I am being Open champion."

Clarke's success at the 140th staging of the historic tournament means he can look forward to participating in the event for years to come.

And the 14-time winner on the European Tour could even have one of his sons on his bag in years to come, with Tyrone, 12, and Conor, 10, both following their father into the sport.

"They both love playing their golf," Clarke said of his boys. "Both playing at Royal Portrush [a golf course in Northern Ireland] everyday and it is fantastic.

"For them to be able to say their Dad is Open champion is wonderful. If they do come back and caddy for me I probably won't pay them that much! But that would be a treat to be able to do that."

Clarke became the third Northern Irishman to secure one of golf's four majors in the last 13 months on Sunday, after his compatriots Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell won the U.S. Open in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

But despite his country's recent triumphs, Clarke believes the current upturn in form began with the Republic of Ireland's Padraig Harrington winning the British Open 2007 and then going on to retain his title and win the PGA Championship in 2008.

"It wasn't just GMac [McDowell] and Rory, it was Padraig. What he achieved, his major wins and the manner in which he achieved them, he kicked the ball rolling.

"There's no real reason for it, we're just producing talented players at the moment."

The new world number 30 also revealed he received congratulations from joint runner-up Phil Mickelson and also from 14-time major winner Tiger Woods -- who missed the championship with a knee injury.

"I had a couple of wonderful texts from Tiger last night. Phil came over and put his arm around me. He said: 'Enjoy every moment of it. You're a major champion, and they can never take that away from you.'

"It's respect from your peers, from the guys you're playing with week in, week out and trying to beat week in, week out. Things like that are really important."

The Major Champions are Coming.....

Irish golf fans will be able to give their two reigning Major Champions a rousing homecoming to remember when Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy tee it up in the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club next week.

Clarke’s emotional victory in The Open Championship at Royal St George’s on Sunday meant historic back-to-back Major triumphs for Northern Ireland, following McIlroy’s record breaking eight shot victory in the US Open Championship last month.

Now Ireland’s golfing public will be able to demonstrate their typically vocal support and appreciation for both Major Champions in their national Open, ensuring a wonderful festival atmosphere in Co. Kerry on Bank Holiday weekend in Ireland (July 28-31).

Clarke and McIlroy will also be joined by Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell, Ireland’s two other recent Major Champions, for what is set to be a celebration of the country’s remarkable achievements on the world stage over the last four years, which was sparked by Harrington’s 2007 Open Championship win.

“The Irish Open promises to be extra special this year with Rory and I bringing back the US Open Trophy and the Claret Jug,” said Clarke.

“We always enjoy an amazing reception from the fans in Ireland but I’ve got a feeling next week could be like nothing we’ve seen before. We are both really looking forward to coming home and celebrating Irish golf’s achievements and we will both be hoping to win the Irish Open to give the fans yet another reason to celebrate.”

McIlroy added: “Darren’s magnificent victory at Royal St George’s means the Irish Open will be even more of a celebration next week.

“The reception I received last month when I brought the US Open Trophy home was unbelievable and I’m sure it will be even better in Killarney when Darren also has the Claret Jug with him. It’s an amazing time for Irish golf at the moment and I’m sure the fans will help make the Irish Open a truly special event.”

More than 82,000 people flocked to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club last year when England’s Ross Fisher held off a final day Harrington charge to capture the title.

Tickets to The Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland are available NOW on www.europeantour.com/tickets, but time is running out for one lucky fan to have the chance of a lifetime by winning a place alongside McIlroy in the Pro-Am on Wednesday, 27 July.

Anyone purchasing a ticket, aged 16 years old or over on July 27, 2011 – and in possession of an official handicap - can enter the prize draw to play alongside McIlroy. 

The competition closes for entries at midnight on Wednesday 20th July, 2011. European Tour Terms and Conditions apply.