Moynihan sparkles at Carnoustie

GOLF

GAVIN MOYNIHAN swept into top gear at Carnoustie yesterday to storm into the knockout stages of the Amateur Championship.

The Walker Cup star produced a champagne performance to fire a threeunder-par 69 for a total of 140 and a spot in the top 20 for the match play draw. Despite slipping a little at Panmure, Jack Hume also progressed after finishing just a stroke adrift of Moynihan.

Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy knew he had move up several gears if he wanted to make it through- and that is exactly what he did, going around Panmure in 67 for a 142 aggregate which saw him through comfortably. And his 67 came despite a doublebogey seven on the 14th.

Portmarnock’s Alexander Wilson looked set to go through when he was twounder par at Carnoustie with three holes to play but then disaster struck via a bogey at the short 16th and a triplebogey seven on the last.

CRICKET

JOHN ANDERSON and David Rankin have been called up by Ireland for this week’s three-match series of T20 internationals against Scotland, after Paul Stirling and John Mooney had to withdraw.

Merrion all-rounder Anderson has won 13 caps but none of them in the shortest form of the game while Rankin, the younger brother of fast bowler Boyd, will be hoping to make his full Ireland debut tomorrow at his home club Bready in Co Tyrone.

SNOOKER

IRELAND pair Ken Doherty and Fergal O’Brien bounced back from their 4-1 World Cup drubbing at the hands of China ‘B’ by inflicting a 5-0 rout on UAE. Their next Group game is against Thailand this morning before they take on Germany and England.

TENNIS

RAFAEL Nadal insists slipping to a first-round Aegon Championships defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s world No 79 Alex Dolgopolov will not dent his Wimbledon preparations. On his first Queen’s Club outing in four years, Nadal went down 3-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-4.