Sports Digest

Other sports news in brief

Increased prize money for Open

GOLF:British Open organisers have increased the overall prize money and the winner's portion for the 150th championship at St Andrews in Scotland this month.

The 2010 prize fund will be €5.75m, of which the champion will receive €1m, an overall increase of €720,000 from the last three tournaments in which the winner pocketed €900,000.

“We have had to take account of the pound’s weakened position against the US dollar and the euro,” said RA chief executive Peter Dawson yesterday. “The Open sits at the forefront of world golf and it is appropriate that our prize fund reflects that position in the game.”

Anthony Kim, third in The Masters in April, is out of next week’s championship. Former US PGA champion David Toms is also out. Heading for St Andrews instead will be their fellow Americans Ricky Barnes and Davis Love.

Semenya cleared to compete as a woman

ATHLETICS:South African world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya has been cleared to compete as a woman, nearly a year after controversial gender tests put her career on hold.

Semenya (19), has not run competitively since undergoing tests at the Berlin World Championships in August.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it accepted the findings of an expert medical panel.

Lawyers acting for Semenya said the decision to allow her to compete came after a “landmark settlement” between the IAAF and the athlete.

Semenya’s lawyer Greg Nott said details of the settlement would remain confidential.

“Our direct negotiations with the IAAF representatives, through the mediator, have been ongoing for 10 months,” he said.

“Meetings have been held in Monaco, Istanbul and Paris, but due to the nature of the matter the parties resolved to keep the negotiations confidential.”

Irish men and women struggle

GOLF:Ireland, bidding to win their third European Men's Amateur Team title in four years, made a disappointing start over Sweden's Osterakers Course yesterday.

They will have to step up several gears today if they are to stand a realistic chance of qualifying for the championship top flight and keep alive their hopes of another crown.

With only new Irish Close champion Dara Lernihan bettering the par of 72, Ireland are in 14th position at the end of the first day of qualifying, but more importantly, six strokes adrift of eighth place.

Lernihan ended with a 71. Portstewart’s Paul Cutler also finished with two birdies but could do no better than record a 74.

Ireland also face a stiff task in the European Ladies Team Championship at La Manga to reach the top flight. They are in joint 14th place on 387, eight strokes behind the halfway mark for qualification.

Sweden lead England in this event.

Maguires again lead the way

GOLF:The Maguire twins fired defending champions Ireland into a strong position yesterday to qualify as one of the top seeds in the European Girls Team Championship over Denmark's Aalborg course.

Leona, the French under-20 champion, returned a one-under-par 70 – a score beaten by only one other, France’s Celine Boutier – while Lisa posted a 71.

But Stephanie Meadows and Laura McCarthy rather struggled, taking 77 and 81 respectively.

Ireland finished on 218 – five over par – to share second spot with Spain, four behind leaders France.

Meanwhile, at Klassis, Turkey, the Irish Boys are still in the hunt for a championship flight spot being in 12th place on 369, five strokes outside the top eight.

A hole in one at the short seventh by Dermot McElroy may well prove all-important when the figures are being worked out tonight.

McElroy finished on two-under 70, with three birdies in the last six.

Chris Selfridge matched the par of 72, while Stephen Barry had 75.

Irish FA head to step down

FOOTBALL:Irish Football Association (IFA) president Raymond Kennedy is to resign in September following a highly critical report into his handling of the sacking of former chief executive Howard Wells in 2008.

Wells took an unfair dismissal case, which cost the Irish FA some €600,000. The IFA settled before the case went to hearing.

The review, which has yet to be made public, was damning of Kennedy and vice-president David Martin, who quit on Monday.