Ireland will go into today’s Women’s Home Internationals at Cork Golf Club with team captain Claire Coughlan-Ryan determined her side can make a mockery of the world rankings.

Stephanie Meadow kept the Royal Portrush bandwagon rolling at the weekend as she claimed the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship title, the first Northern Ireland player to do so since Maureen Madill lifted the trophy at Nairn 33 years ago.

Teenage star Leona Maguire is in position at Carnoustie to grab a prominent place in the matchplay stages of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship after yesterday’s second qualifying round.

Rory McIlroy will have Michael Bannon as his full time coach after the Bangor professional announced he would leave his club job to hit the road with the reigning US Open champion.

Stephanie Meadow was the heroine as Great Britain and Ireland regained the Curtis Cup — 16 years after last winning it at Killarney.

Rory McIlroy finished with three birdies in his last four holes and held a one-shot lead as the second round of the FedEx St Jude Classic drew to a close last night.

Simon Thornton could not have endured a more contrasting day of emotions during the final round of the Andalucian Open at Marbella.

IRELAND made a winning start to the defence of their R&A Trophy in the Boys Home Internationals over the Royal and St David’s links at Harlech yesterday — but they were made to fight hard for victory over hosts Wales.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON believes a return to links golf in the Scottish Highlands this week will provide the ideal preparation for his bid to capture a third British Open in five years later this month.

Liberal Democrat leader and “kingmaker” Nick Clegg will become Deputy Prime Minister and join four of his MPs in the UK’s first coalition Cabinet for 65 years.

A HOLE-IN-ONE at Esjberg in Denmark yesterday took in-form Irish international Paul Cutler to within sight of the European Amateur Individual title and a second gold medal this summer.

IRELAND will be well fancied to retain their title when the third European Amateur Seniors Team Championship takes place at Shannon Golf Club this week.

Royal Dutch Shell today blamed attacks by militants on pipelines in Nigeria and hurricanes in the United States for missing its goal of reducing oil spills in 2005.

IRISH teenage superstar Rory McIlroy stayed in contention for the European Amateur individual title with a second successive sub-par round over the Rinkven course at Antwerp in Belgium yesterday.

CLAIRE COUGHLAN, runner-up in the British Ladies Open matchplay championship at Littlestone in Kent in June, bids to go one better in the strokeplay event which gets underway at Nairn today in the north of Scotland.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months on from starting the Open championship with a horror round of 85 which he admitted left him “embarrassed and looking stupid”, England’s Paul Casey posted a 66 today to set the pace at Royal Troon.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months on from starting the Open Championship with a horror round of 85 which he admitted left him “embarrassed and looking stupid”, England’s Paul Casey posted a 66 today to set the pace at Royal Troon.

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).

AS Ireland’s two new Walker Cup stars basked in the adulation at Mullingar yesterday, where Colm Moriarty strode to an impressive victory in the prestigious 72 hole Scratch Cup to confirm his current well being, they became the 29th and 30th golfers from this country to be chosen on the British & Irish Walker Cup team.

Scotland have named three newcomers to their squad for the IRB World Sevens series in the Far East later this month.

Changes in the way Europe picks its Ryder Cup team are even more likely following Luke Donald’s victory in America.

TOM CLEARY birdied the first tie hole at Doneraile last evening to win a hat-trick of senior scratch cup successes at the County Cork club.

Britain and Ireland’s Walker Cup team, winners in America for only the second time in history, have overwhelmingly taken the Golf Writers’ Trophy for 2001.

England’s Paul Casey has been named the winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award on the European tour.

Paul Casey secured his maiden victory in only his 11th European Tour event as a professional in the Scottish PGA Championship.

Nick Faldo protege Nick Dougherty and Jamie Elson, whose father Pip played on the European tour, have both been named today in the Britain and Ireland team which will defend the Walker Cup in Georgia on August 11-12.