Pádraig Harrington, delighted to be playing in Rio after golf’s reintroduction to the Olympics after an absence of 112 years, began his campaign for a medal with an opening one-under round of 70, and later described some of those who skipped the tournament as “sheep”.

Two of Ireland’s most promising young stars are hoping to ride the feelgood factor from the Walker Cup and rack up big finishes in the Volopa Irish Challenge at Mount Wolseley this week.

KUNG FU CORK

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

Jack Hume defied end of the world conditions to card what he described as the round of his life to take a two-stroke after two rounds of the Irish Amateur Open at a weather-lashed Royal Dublin.

Gavin Moynihan might be considered a shoo-in for a second Walker Cup cap but the Dubliner knows he needs to start showing some form to make sure of his place at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September.

Paul Azinger has welcomed reports Davis Love will captain the US Ryder Cup team for the second time at Hazeltine in 2016. 

Scotland’s Marc Warren was one of four players to claim a share of the lead heading into today’s final day of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Lahinch Golf Club has taken what it believes will be a giant step towards restoring the prestige of the South of Ireland Amateur Championship by staging a 36-hole stroke play qualifier next year.

The happiest group of people at last night’s low-key annual delegates meeting of the Munster Branch of the Golfing Union of Ireland in Mallow were the representatives of Ballyneety Golf Club, formerly Limerick County, who were awarded the Munster Branch Club of the Year award for 2014.

Casteltroy go into today’s AIG Junior Cup semi-finals at Carton House knowing there is extra pressure to succeed for the first time since 1972.

Munster Barton Shield and Junior Cup finals

Given there is invariably little between the teams at this stage of the various AIG Irish Cups and Shields competitions, it is not surprising the bookmakers have struggled to separate the qualifiers for this weekend’s Munster semi-finals and finals of the Senior and Junior Cups and Barton Shield at Shannon Golf Club.

Muskerry, Limerick and Doneraile are chasing elusive doubles at this weekend’s Munster finals of the AIG Irish Senior and Junior Cups, along with the Barton Shield, at Shannon Golf Club.

Munster captured the Senior Interprovincial Championship for the second time in three years when they pulled off a magnificent 7-4 victory over hot favourites and holders Ulster in an epic decider at The Island links in North Dublin yesterday.

Rob Heffernan will lead an Irish team of 25 athlete’s to Zurich for next months Europeans, which take place from August 12 – 17.

Fota Island Resort chief executive Jonathan Woods has called for more international sporting and music events to be staged in Munster following the overwhelming success of the Irish Open in Cork at the weekend.

Former European Tour player Stephen Browne still believes he has a chance of a dream comeback victory in the East of Ireland Championship despite slipping nine shots off the pace in a "US Open-style" test at blustery Baltray.

Paul Dunne is keeping his fingers crossed the billiard table Baltray greens can inspire a resurrection in his putting when he begins his defence of the East of Ireland Amateur Open title at County Louth today.

Dermot McElroy is determined to break his championship duck when the Irish Amateur Open gets under way at The Royal Dublin today.

Dermot McElroy hopes to celebrate his call-up to the St Andrews Trophy squad by challenging for his first amateur major when the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open gets under way at Rosses Point today.

Three top-10 finishes for Ireland once upon a time may have been a cause for celebration coming out of a European Cross-Country Championships.

Thomas Mackle had an easier thanexpected win over Aidan Murphy in the Dunmanway Hospital Day Care Tournament semi-final at Derrinasafa on Sunday.

Cork’s Brian Murphy showed true grit in the men’s 400m to win his third national title in a row in 47.14, as Kelly Proper was laden with gold and four national titles in monsoon conditions at the 141st Woodie’s DIY National Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium over the weekend.

He might have been watched by 60 years-old Des Smyth, but Niall Gorey is determined to become the oldest swinger in town by breaking his championship duck in the West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point today.

Seamus Power birdied the penultimate hole to keep his PGA Tour dream alive by a whisker at the first stage of the Q-School in North Carolina.

NUI Maynooth struck a blow for Irish college golf yesterday as their Paddy Harrington scholars lifted the coveted Barton Shield on the second day of the All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals at Kinsale Golf Club.

Ireland captain Pádraig Hogan believes a strong start against hosts Scotland tomorrow will be key to success in the Home Internationals at Glasgow Gailes.

Alan Dunbar bounced back from a poor opening round to equal the course record at Carton House’s Montgomerie layout and leap into contention at the European Amateur Championship.

Connacht, who bridged a 28 year gap when capturing the title at Rosses Point last year, begin their defence of the Interprovincial Championship this morning with a difficult match against Munster at Royal Co Down.

Noel Pyne reaches a remarkable milestone when he makes his 50th successive appearance in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch next Saturday.

In spite of winning the South of Ireland Championship in 2010 and playing a major role in Portmarnock’s victory in last year’s Irish Senior Cup, John Greene has surprisingly failed to catch the eye of various selection committees at provincial and national levels.

Dubliner Richard O’Donovan gave a champagne display at Glasgow Gailes on the Ayrshire coast yesterday to romp into the matchplay stages of the 117th British Amateur Championship.

Freddy Kearon has won the sixth annual Cork City Marathon today in a record time of 2:22:11.

James Fox can follow in the footsteps of his brother Noel if he takes advantage of a four-stroke overnight lead and wins the East of Ireland Amateur Open at Baltray today.

The Lee Valley Scratch Cup tees off this weekend.

JOE SWEENEY goes into tomorrow’s Woodies DIY national inter-county cross-country championships overwhelming favourite to retain the title he won in Derry last year.