News Digest
CHALLENGE TOUR: England's Denny Lucas put the pressure of playing for a place on the main European Tour to one side at the European Challenge Tour's Open de Toulouse to fire a sparkling opening round of seven-under-par 65 to move into a two-shot lead at the Golf de Palmola.
With just three events remaining on the Challenge Tour schedule, Lucas is just three places outside of the all-important top 20 on the rankings, but was the most relaxed man in Toulouse as he constructed his excellent opening round.
But for a bogey on the last, the 28-year-old would have finished three ahead of the chasing pack. Other than that dropped shot he produced some near flawless golf in the south of France.
Lucas leads his fellow countryman Matthew Morris, Jan-Are Larsen of Norway, Paul Nilbrink of Sweden and the Argentinian Andres Romero by two strokes, with Germany's Kariem Baraka, French amateur Sebastien Clement, England's Ross Fisher and Sweden's Steven Jeppesen a further shot back.
Ireland's Colm Moriarty is seven shots back after an opening round of 72 while Tim Rice's disappointing season continues with an eight-over-par 80.
PGA TOUR: DJ Trahan fired a flawless, seven-under-par 65 to grab the early first-round lead at the Chrysler Classic in Greensboro, North Carolina, yesterday, two shots clear of fellow American John Rollins.
Playing the back nine first at the Forest Oaks Country Club, Trahan got his round off to a blistering start with three consecutive birdies from the 12th.
Chasing his first career US PGA Tour win, Trahan then finished his day in style with an eagle on the par-five ninth.
Rollins, who has one top-10 finish this season with a tie for second at the BC Open, also had an error-free start, signing for a five-under 67.
American Olin Browne and Australia's Geoff Ogilvy were in the clubhouse on four-under 68.
Stewart Cink, still basking in the United States triumph at the Presidents Cup last Sunday, opened with a two-under 70.
World number seven Adam Scott, a member of the losing International squad, and defending champion Brent Geiberger both struggled to a one-over 73.
LPGA TOUR: World number one Annika Sorenstam aims to win the Office Depot Championship for a third year in a row as Catriona Matthew and Laura Davies battle it out to be the top Briton on this year's LPGA Tour at Trump National in Los Angeles, California.
Scotland's Matthew, at number 17 with £309,140, is the leading British player on the money list, seven places higher than England's Davies, who has £241,612.
Matthew has had eight top 10s this season and came close to victory a few times, while Davies is keen to win the title which would extend her record of winning at least once every year since she turned professional in 1985.
Sorenstam has won eight times this year - seven on the LPGA Tour and once in Europe - and she heads a class field for the £738,000 54-hole tournament.
AMATEUR SENIORS: Ireland recorded their first outright win in the Seniors Home Internationals at Lahinch Golf Club since the inauguration of the Championship four years ago.
A final day 5-2 win over Scotland landed the triple crown for Ireland, who enjoyed a 5½-3½ win over the holders, England, on day one and a 3-0 win over Wales on day two, on which play was curtailed to the foursomes matches because of inclement weather.
Needing three and a half points from seven singles games against Scotland yesterday, Ireland notched up two early points, with wins for Maurice Kelly by 4 and 3 over Gordon MacDonald and Hugh Smyth, by 6 and 5, over George Macgregor.
Killarney's Sean Coyne added a further point before Michael Malone won the decisive game against Charlie Green on the 17th green.
PRO-AM: David Mortimer maintained the outstanding form that earned him a comfortable passage through last week's PGA European Tour Stage One school qualifying in England with a second round birdie battery on the par-72 Gold Coast course and win the Sherry Fitzgerald Reynolds 36-hole Dungarvan Pro-Am by a whopping seven strokes.
The assistant professional at Newlands, who posted an opening day four-under-par 68 at Dungarvan, bagged seven birdies, including a hugely impressive three at the 475-yard par four 17th hole.
Sharing second place, on 142, were Gerry Burke (The Curragh) and Royal Dublin's teaching professional Neil Manchip, who dramatically retaliated from a sickening 76 on the Gold Coast to shoot a 66 at Dungarvan.
