LISTENING tomusic lifts moraleand makes for a happy workforce, a final-year management student at Waterford Institute of Technology has discovered.

MATTEL Inc, after waging a seven-year legal war against a tiny California company, swallowed a surprise defeat after a US jury decided that MGA Entertainment Inc is the rightful owner of the once-billion dollar line of pouty-lipped Bratz dolls.

THE field for the ‘3’ Irish Open at Killarney’s Golf and Fishing Club (July 29-August 1) was yesterday boosted by the inclusion of Rory McIlroy, the weekend’s PGA championship winner Simon Khan and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.

LAOIS proved too strong for their Antrim hosts when recording a 2-19 to 1-12 victory at Casement Park yesterday.

Kildare 4-10 Westmeath 0-11

OPTIMISM is high a successful season for professional golf in this country will be maintained, in the €150,000 Challenge of Ireland tournament, starting over the picturesque Christy O’Connor Junior-designed Glasson course near Athlone this morning.

A rare albatross on Thursday helped Sweden’s Joakim Backstrom to claim a share of the lead after the first round of the Inteco Russian Open.

THEY may have spent the last three months winding each other up, pouring scorn on their rival’s talents and rubbishing each other’s prospects for success in tonight’s WBC welterweight title fight but if there is one thing that both the Mayweather and Hatton camps agree on, it is that boxing is once again back in the big time.

Robert-Jan Derksen leads the rain-delayed Mallorca Classic by one from playing partner Jean-Francois Lucquin. Fellow Frenchman Gregory Bourdy set the clubhouse target on nine under after a 64.

Tour winners David Carter, David Park and Sven Struver face a trip to the qualifying school next month after missing the cut in the rain-delayed Mallorca Classic today.

Sergio Garcia is the star attraction at this week’s Majorca Classic – but the battle to stay alive on the European Tour could steal the show at Pula Golf Club.

Kerryman David Higgins moved within with two shots of the lead at the KLM Open today.

England’s David Carter, without a European Tour victory in nine years, emerged from a “deep, dark hole” to lead the KLM Open at the halfway stage..

IRELAND’S David Higgins, Stephen Browne and Michael Hoey return to the European Tour School at San Roque next month having failed to retain their cards.

Ireland’s Gary Murphy can seal his European Tour card for next season and beyond in emphatic fashion in the final round of the Mallorca Classic tomorrow.

Ireland’s Gary Murphy had one eye on the upper reaches of the Order of Merit rather than the bottom in the third round of the Mallorca Classic.

Padraig Harrington failed to close the gap to Paul Casey at the top of the Order of Merit after crashing out of the Mallorca Classic.

Padraig Harrington’s worst round of the year dealt a potentially fatal blow to his bid to become European number one at the Mallorca Classic.

Michelle Wie’s presence ensured a record first-day crowd at the Omega European Masters – but it is unlikely she will be around to boost the weekend attendances as well.

Michelle Wie’s debut on the European Tour looks certain to be short-lived after she slumped to a first-round 78, seven over par, in the Omega European Masters.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson is on target for back-to-back victories and a certain place in the Ryder Cup after a brilliant performance in the EnterCard Scandinavian Masters.

After leading for much of the day, Ireland’s Darren Clarke was overtaken by Scot David Drysdale and Sweden’s Johan Edfors at the Barclays Scottish Open today.

Sweden’s Joakim Backstrom, whose only European Tour victory came in France, found himself leading the French Open early in the first round.

England’s Simon Dyson and Irishman David Higgins are two of four players locked at the top of the overnight leaderboard on six under par after a tight first round at the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open.

World number five Ernie Els will be able to give a good test to the knee he injured in the summer as a thunderstorm means he must play 23 holes in the Dunhill Championship in South Africa today.

An early start helped England’s Phillip Archer miss the afternoon thunder and lightning which disrupted the opening day of the Dunhill Championship in South Africa and he benefited greatly by claiming the clubhouse lead.

Jonathan Lomas believes course management is the key to success at the dunhill championship in South Africa.

BESIDES the lions, elephants and the other African wildlife, the big attraction this weekend at the Dunhill championship in Mpumalanga, South Africa, will undoubtedly be the appearance of world number five Ernie Els.

Besides the lions, elephants and the other African wildlife, the big attraction this weekend at the dunhill championship in Mpumalanga, South Africa, will undoubtedly be the appearance of world number five player, Ernie Els.

Paul McGinley has expressed his disappointment at the number of big names missing from this week’s World Cup in Portugal – even though it improves the chances of he and Padraig Harrington regaining the title and walking away with almost £400,000 each.

Just when he thought it was safe to go back on the golf course Ryder Cup star Paul Casey ran into more problems today.

RYDER CUP captain Ian Woosnam is urging top players to compete more in Europe to improve their chances of making the 2006 team.

Sergio Garcia and his artful lodger Luke Donald both began the Ryder Cup qualifying campaign with five under par rounds of 66 in Switzerland today.

England’s David Carter began the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team with a sparkling six under par 65 in Switzerland today.

Luke Donald made exactly the flying start to the Ryder Cup campaign he was looking for in the Swiss Alps today.

Swede Michael Jonzon, a lowly 187th on the Order of Merit, raced into an early two-stroke lead today at the Omega European Masters – opening event of the 12-month race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima missed the halfway cut in the French Open today because of a two-stroke penalty for missing his second round tee-off time.

Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima was given a two-stroke penalty for missing his second-round tee-off time at the French Open today.

TIME was when the Irish Open was dominated by the superstars of the game ... Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Jose-Maria Olazabal, all major championship winners, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia, two of the game’s finest ever players.

The best weather of the tournament so far was reflected in the early scoring on the third day of the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House near Dublin.

WITH so many of their top players turning their sights towards the US Tour with all its wealth and perks, the European Tour is finding it increasingly difficult to put fields together that will attract serious public interest.

Welsh Ryder Cup player Phillip Price lies joint second after the first round of the US Tour qualifying school in California, with Ireland's Richie Coughlan and Keith Nolan well down the field.

The James Stephens club of Kilkenny collected the AIB Leinster club championship, at O'Moore park in Portlaoise this afternoon.