The Morning Sports Briefing

Golf

Paul Dunne earned his ticket to the US Open yesterday evening, after competing in 36-holes of the qualifying tournament in London, and then emerging from a seven-man play-off for the final four spots.

He becomes the fourth Irish player to earn his place in the field, joining Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell.

Dominating the headlines this morning though, 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods was arrested yesterday on a charge of drink driving.

James McClean likely to captain Ireland for Mexico friendly

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Valverde will be able to handle stars of Barcelona – Herrera

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Huddersfield’s promotion was glorious, staying up will be arduous

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Tiger Woods has veered from his core values again

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Philip Reid asks; "Is it to be that the salient image in our minds will now be of that police mug shot, a photograph of a man staring into the abyss which flew around mainstream and social media, rather than of his iconic punched fist hitting the air in celebration of a holed putt, or lifting one trophy after another?"

Soccer

Huddersfield won the world's most valuable football match in Wembley yesterday, beating Reading in the Championship play-off to earn promotion to the Premiership.

A scoreless 120 minutes of action was decided in a penalty shootout, with Huddersfield holding their nerve to end a 45 year absence from England’s top flight.

James McClean is likely to captain Ireland for Thursday's friendly against Mexico in New Jersey.

Manager Martin O’Neill has been impressed by the winger’s maturity and improved defensive concentration. “His attitude is brilliant. In the way that you could say Jon Walters was very much our player for the Euros in the qualification stages, James has taken on that mantle in this campaign.”

GAA

In his column this morning Jim McGuinness explains how Mickey Harte and Brendan Rodgers share the same vision.

“For me, Brendan is a person who has over a long period of time actively reflected on the game as he sees it. So it comes from that absolute clarity of his vision. And I feel this is a quality which differentiates the good from the great and also winners from second place.”

Sport Ireland confirmed on Monday that Kerry footballer Brendan O’Sullivan has served a 21 week doping ban.

O'Sullivan's doping ban shows how hard it is to make GAA sanctions stick.

Malachy Clerkin: “The GAA has always come across as fulfilling its anti-doping duties at the point of a bayonet. It hasn’t done a good enough job of educating its members on the dangers, the pitfalls and the very basic fact that GAA players aren’t the world’s only amateur sportspeople.”

Rugby

Meanwhile the Lions have left for New Zealand with Welsh outhalf Dan Biggar relishing working with Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell.

"The most important thing is not the battle for places but that we do everything on and off the field and back whoever is playing in all the games because we have the chance to achieve something historic."