Golf Digest/ CHALLENGE TOUR: Brian McElhinney returned from making his first professional cut at the European Challenge Tour's Parco di Monza Challenge last night to hear the news that he had received the last available invitation to this week's Nissan Irish Open at Carton House Golf Club.
The Donegal 24 year old picked up his first cheque for official prize money of €624 at the Golf Club di Milano after finishing in a tie for 43rd place on level par 284 - 13shots behind the winner, Alvaro Salto of Spain.
"I'm definitely looking forward to it," said McElhinney. "I have never played in one so it will be good to play in my first one. Carton House is a good course.
"It's tough and, like most Tour courses you have to be long and accurate off the tees. We played an Irish Amateur Strokeplay Championship there (2004) and I finished tied eighth."
Mangan leads
IRISH WOMEN'S CLOSE: Defending champion Tricia Mangan from Ennis took the Leitrim Cup as leading qualifier in the Lancôme Irish Ladies' Close Championship at The European Club yesterday.
Mangan's opening 80 was swiftly put aside as the 2005 Champion added a 73 to lead the qualifiers on acountback after a three-way tie with Mary Dowling and Martina Gillen.
Mangan birdied the third, 12th and 18th while Dowling from New Ros eagled the ninth and 12th on her way to a 73. Gillen added an 80 to her opening 73.
Today's draw sees Mangan take on local player Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) while Dowling plays Miriam Abernethy (Cork) and Gillen faces USA College student Anne Marie Dalton (Coollattin).
Webb by seven
WOMEN'S TOURS: Australia's Karrie Webb led from start to finish to clinch the US Tour's Michelob Open at the Kingsmill Resort in Virginia. With a final-round 70 for a 14-under-par 270, the former world number one won by seven shots from Mexico's Lorena Ochoa and South Korea's Hee-Won Han.
New Zealand's Lynnette Brooky maintained her overnight lead to claim the Spanish Open title by three strokes. Brooky claim her fourth Women's European Tour victory with a final-round two-under-par 70 for a total of 275, 13 under par.
First for Wetterich
US TOUR: Brett Wetterich claimed his first PGA Tour win at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship yesterday when he fired a final round of two-under-par 70 for an 12-under-par total of 268. Wetterich won by one from Trevor Immelman and two from Omar Uresti.
