A decent initial prize cheque of his career was of little importance to rookie professional Paul Dunne following his 19th-place finish in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Shane Lowry has reset his goals and regained his hunger for the game as he looks to build on the biggest win of his career.

Lydia Slater is disappointed that the Diet Coke hunk Andrew Cooper kept his shirt on but is won over by his juicing ethos and the obvious physical benefits that come with it.

World number 792 Oliver Wilson won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today as Rory McIlroy paid the price for two amazing blunders at St Andrews.

England’s Oliver Wilson will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but world number one Rory McIlroy is one of the Englishman’s nearest challengers.

Kya deLongchamps says while smoking may be a bad habit, she has a sneaking regard for classic table-lighters.

David Howell hopes his first European Tour victory in seven years can inspire him to the best years of his career, including a third Ryder Cup appearance in 2014.

The golfing gods haven’t always been particularly favourable to David Higgins but they certainly compensated over the past few days as the 40-year-old Waterville man’s fortunes went on a decidedly upward curve.

A real life “guardian angel” from the “Gate of Heaven” saved Jacqueline Kennedy from drowning when she holidayed in Co Waterford in 1967.

This week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is again billed as a ‘Celebration of Links Golf’ but there was no hiding American Dustin Johnson’s bitter disappointment declaring simply it “sucks to lose” the Ryder Cup.

Kilkenny showed the greater hunger to land the 31st Tony Forristal U14 hurling title when they defeated host county Waterford 1-12 to 1-5 in yesterday’s final at sun drenched Walsh Park.

Waterford senior hurling champions Ballygunner have secured a place in the last eight of the 2012 competition with victory over Lismore at Fraher Field on Saturday.

Pádraig Harrington’s bid for a third British Open Championship victory will get off to a late start on Thursday following yesterday’s draw at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The tie of the Waterford championship weekend lived up to expectations with Dungarvan and Abbeyside finishing level after a thrilling spectacle at Fraher Field on Saturday evening.

There were shock weekend defeats for Waterford SH champions Ballygunner and pre-championship favourites De La Salle who went down to Dungarvan and Fourmilewater, respectively.

The opening round of group games in the Waterford SHC dominate the GAA scene in the Déise this weekend, with four of the six scheduled ties set to go ahead in doubleheader programmes at Dungarvan’s Fraher Field.

SOUTH AFRICAN Jbe Kruger took advantage of a collapse by compatriot George Coetzee to race clear in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

DARREN CLARKE has enjoyed something of a golfing honeymoon since his magnificent victory in the Open Championship at Royal St Georges in July.

Elizabeth Hurley has got engaged, according to reports.

WATERFORD firm Dunhill Cuisine has signed a €1.5 million deal with SuperValu.

Tobacco companies in Australia will be forced to strip all logos from their cigarette packages and replace them with graphic images such as cancer-riddled mouths and sickly children under legislation unveiled today – a move the government says will make Australia the world’s toughest country on tobacco advertising.

DEFENDING champion Pablo Martin held his nerve to claim back-to-back Alfred Dunhill Championship titles after a bad finish almost cost him in Malelane.

Rookie Anthony Michael recovered from an awful start on day three to lead the Alfred Dunhill Championship by one stroke heading into the final round at Malelane.

PLAYING a far crisper brand of hurling, UCC outplayed CIT to win the Freshers Division 1 Hurling League final at CIT yesterday.

The world’s second largest tobacco group today said it sold fewer cigarettes as smokers cut back their consumption in the economic downturn.

TOBACCO firm PJ Carroll saw its pre-tax profits plunge from €10.1m to €4.8m last year as the number of cigarettes smoked in Ireland fell to 4.5 billion from 5.1bn.

One of the world’s biggest tobacco companies today pledged €134m towards European efforts to smash the illegal trade in cigarettes.

CLOSE on 10 years separate Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy in age.

GOLF addict Niall Quinn describes the atmosphere at Adare Manor for the JP McManus Pro-Am as being “like Christmas time for adults”.

WATERFORD will include five of the team which won last year’s Munster MHC for tonight’s semi-final against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

JOHANN RUPERT, chief of the South African company Dunhill, one of the European Tour’s chief sponsors for many years, laid it on the line for players and officials at the annual Tour dinner on Tuesday night.

DAVID CUNNINGHAM, Glen Rovers, takes over the full back slot left vacant by the injury to Eoin Cadogan for Cork’s last game in the preliminary rounds of the Allianz NHL against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

PAURIC Mahony scored 2-8 as former champions De La Salle maintained their perfect record in this season’s Dr Harty Cup.

TOBACCO firm PJ Carroll saw its pre-tax profits increase 11% to €10.7 million last year despite falling cigarette sales.

Former Bank of Ireland governor Richard Burrows is to become chairman of global tobacco giant British American Tobacco (BAT), it was announced today.

WATERFORD have made one change from the side that lost to Tipperary in the Munster final for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier with Galway at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

AFTER a lifetime of service on the playing fields, Brian Lohan has turned his attention to management.

AN inventors’ village, environmental visitors centre, sustainable housing, and an eco-lodge are all features of an innovative project in rural Co Waterford.

Robert Karlsson today won his second successive European Tour event to blow the battle for the Order of Merit wide open.

Lee Westwood defended under-fire Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo – insisting he was not to blame for Europe’s defeat by the USA – as the nucleus of the vanquished team arrived back at Heathrow last night.

England’s Nick Dougherty has leapt 53 places to a career-high 47th place in the world rankings – and he leads the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team next year.

Nick Dougherty overcame an attack of the nerves to capture his second European Tour title in the Alfred Dunhill Links championship at St Andrews.

Lee Westwood burst into contention for a second win of the year today – and then delivered some bad news to Nick Faldo.