Ireland produced an improved all round display in the second qualifying round of the European Amateur Women's ladies team golf championships over the Meis course in Pontevedra, north-west Spain yesterday but it was still not sufficient to book them a place in the top flight for the match-play stages.
They completed the qualifying phase in 10th tenth place with a score of 787 and today they will face Iceland as they set about their attempt to salvage some pride although the best position they can finish now is ninth.
Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie may decide to play in the £1million Scottish PGA championship next month rather than the £3.5 million NEC World Championship in Akron.
The World Championship is open to the 12 leading players in Europe's Ryder Cup table at the time and could have a huge influence on the make-up of the side.
Clarke is already sure of his automatic place - his victory in the European Open on Sunday took him into first place - whereas Montgomerie is currently sixth and may not be certain of his spot when he makes his decision. Winning the Gleneagles event, which is also part of the qualifying race, will be worth roughly the same as finishing fourth in Akron the world championship, where Tiger Woods is the defending champion.
Michael Campbell is considering leading a boycott of the New Zealand Open in January over the price of tickets to watch Tiger Woods in action. Campbell is and compatriots Greg Turner, Stephen Scahill and Elliott Boult are due to play at the January 10th-13th tournament at Paraparaumu Beach, north of Wellington, but are having second thoughts after learning that spectators will have to pay $500 New Zealand dollars ($204) for a week-long ticket.
"It is totally disgusting they are charging that much money, and $NZ 500 is a lot of money to the average New Zealander,' said Campbell, "It is great that Tiger Woods is playing, but his presence should not mean a young New Zealander can't go to Paraparaumu.'
Americans Lee Janzen and Kirk Triplett have withdrawn from the British Open at Royal Lytham and St Anne's, tournament organisers said yesterday.
On Wednesday Janzen, a two-time US Open champion, is suffering from a virus and has pulled out on doctor's advice. It will be the first time he has missed a British Open since 1990. No reason was given for Triplett's decision not to compete.
Gary Nicklaus, son of Jack, will not be attempting to qualify for the Open. Nicklaus is among a number of withdrawals from the final qualifying. The others include former US PGA champion Jeff Sluman.
The European Tour is spreading its wings again. The Hong Kong open on November 29th-December2nd will count towards the 2002 order of merit.
Yorkshire's Simon Dyson is the defending champion, the event being one of three he won in becoming number one on the Asian circuit in his rookie season last year.
Prize money is going up from 500,000 us dollars to 700,000 and half the 120-strong field will come from the europeantour. the circuit is in Taiwan the previous week for the 1.5million US dollars BMW Asian Open.
