British amateur champion Brian McElhinney feels his short game will be the deciding factor in whether he goes one better than last year and makes the cut at this year’s Open at St Andrews.

BALLYLIFFIN’S Brendan McCarroll shot a round-of-the-day 71 to win the Nissan Irish Boys Amateur Close Championship at Hermitage by four strokes from Karl Gilbert (Malone).

JUSTIN KEHOE was on fire in the European men’s amateur team championships over the Royal Hague course yesterday to take 2001 runners-up Ireland to the top of the leaderboard in the first qualifying round.