Rory McNamara produced a Houdini act to edge dramatically into the third round of the 117th Amateur Championship at Royal Troon on Scotland’s Ayrshire coast yesterday.

Graeme McDowell will begin his second round at the 110th US Open happy to have to recalibrate his scoring expectations for a challenge much stiffer than most weeks.

OFFICIALLY he’s playing in his first major as an American from St Augustine in Florida.

IT is the stuff of sporting fairytale. Yesterday Waterford teenager Kevin Phelan secured a place alongside the world’s greatest golfers by qualifying for next week’s US Open in spectacular fashion.

NEW ENGLAND Patriots boss Bill Belichick is fuming about the sub-standard practice facilities his players have been given in the build-up to Sunday’s Superbowl XXXIX against Philadelphia in Jacksonville.