Back to southern France again this week, as I find myself enjoying the wines from here more and more.

Golf

A spectacular chip in for eagle at the final hole for a round of one under par 71 enabled Rowan Lester of Hermitage to ensure his place at the head of affairs after the second and final qualifying round of the Pierse Motors South of Ireland Championship at a wet and windy Lahinch yesterday.

Not a single member of one of the strongest fields to contest the Pierse Motors South of Ireland managed to break the par of 72 in yesterday’s first qualifying round of the 116th championship.

When Ford’s new foundry opened on the Marina in Cork nearly 100 years ago, Jimmy O’Sullivan was among the managers.

Conor O’Rourke will spearhead the Irish attack as 16 stars travel to Scotland for the start of St Andrews Links Trophy today.

To get a feel for the world of wine you need to get a feel for geography and do a bit of driving – perhaps from Napa to Sonoma, from Bra to Barbaresco or take a drive up the D2 from Bordeaux through Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe. 

Ireland suffered an agonising tie with England as they opened the defence of their Amateur Home International series at Royal Portrush yesterday.

Weekend wins for Rosslare in Irish Senior Cup Leinster section and Warrenpoint in the Barton Shield in Ulster have confirmed the field for the national finals of the AIG Cups and Shields at Carton House, Kildare next month.

Annabel Wilson, who helped Ireland to a highly-creditable second-place finish in the Home internationals last week, produced a stunning closing burst over the Massereene course in county Antrim yesterday to spearhead the Irish charge towards places in the knock-out stages of the British Girls Open Championship.

Sq m: 120 (1,288 sq ft)

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.

The last time a former European Tour player returned as a reinstated amateur to tee it up in the East of Ireland at Baltray, Jim Carvill led by nine shots with a round to go, in 2005, and won the title by three.

FOOD and wine matching can get over-emphasised these days and unnecessarily panic home cooks.

THE last week of November was Rhone Wine Week organised by the ever busy Simon and Emma Tyrrell of Tyrrell and Co. who import a range of wines from the region, including one that Simon himself makes called Les Deux Cols which featured here a few weeks ago.

The K Club’s Ryder Cup course has been voted the country’s top parkland course for 2014 by readers of Golfing Weekly. Its sister course at the Straffan estate, the Smurfit Course, came in at No 15.

Irish Amateur Open champion Robbie Cannon angrily headed to Lahinch last night gunning for more South of Ireland glory after being sensationally left out of the 11-man Ireland team for next month’s Home Internationals at Ganton in England.

A 52-year-old man is fighting for his life in hospital following an alleged assault in Ennis, Co Clare.

Fintan Buckley, from the Hermitage club in Dublin, was yesterday installed President of the Golfing Union of Ireland at the annual delegates meeting in Carton House, Co Kildare.

A PENSIONER bit and scratched a traffic warden in a row over a parking ticket.

Dennis Hopper is making his mark as an artist in Europe after becoming the first living American to exhibit at the fabled Hermitage gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Defending champion Darren Crowe will face Limerick's Michael Kemmy in Sunday's second round of the South of Ireland championship at Lahinch.

The 100th birthday of a Dublin school founded by Easter Rising rebel Padraic Pearse will be commemorated in two new stamps.

Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs romped to a four-stroke win in the East of Ireland Championship at Co Louth today.

Authorities in Russia have brought tax evasion charges against a well-known British investor who has been barred from the country for nearly 30 months, it is reported.

Newlands’ Andrew Hogan defied 40 mph gusts to card a four-under par 67 and grab the silver medal for the leading qualifier in the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point.

England’s Jonathan Hurst has set his sights on the West of Ireland Amateur Open title after a level-par 71 gave him the first round lead at wind-blown Rosses Point today.

Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell made it a birthday to remember, finishing joint top at the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close at Cork yesterday.

Walker Cup hopefuls Simon Ward and Jonathan Caldwell will lead the chase for the East of Ireland Amateur Open at Co Louth on Saturday.

Alison Murdoch has once again travelled from Canada to defend her Irish title at the ILGU Seniors Open Strokeplay Championship, Woodbrook Golf Club, September 11-12.

Rory McIlroy dashed Simon Ward's dream of a second win in a week with an exciting sudden-death victory in the Owens Group Mullingar Scratch Cup.

A revitalised Rory McIlroy is licking his lips at the prospect of a head-to-head battle with Mark Campbell for the Mullingar Scratch Cup.

Warrenpoint’s Jim Carvill got his title defence off to a winning start in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch today.

It's now down to the last four in the Magners' North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush with the line-up being Rory Leonard (Banbridge) v Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) and Connor Doran (Banbridge) v Andrew Pitcher (The Island) with the possibiloity of tomorrow afternoon's final being an all-Banbridge affair.

IRISH YOUTHS AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2006

Carlow’s Tara Delaney sets out to capture an unprecedented third consecutive title at the Irish Open Strokeplay Championship in Rosses Point this weekend.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy cruised into the last 16 of the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close at The European Club.

Big-hitting Andrew Pitcher led the qualifiers in the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close Championship at the European Club.