Pardon the language, but Rory McIlroy’s summing up of his opening round at the US PGA Championship? “Shit.” He “cut a frustrated figure”, writes Philip Reid, bogeys on each of the last four holes doing nothing to lighten his mood. But it was a very different day for Shane Lowry who is just one shot off the lead after an opening round of 68, a lead that is shared by a certain Scottie Scheffler.
In rugby, it’s been “a long and winding road” for the Irish women’s game, but Sunday will be a momentous day when the team plays its first stand-alone fixture at the Aviva Stadium. Johnny Watterson traces that journey, while Linda Djougang salutes the women who paved the way.
And in his column, Matt Williams praises the creators of the URC, the tightness of the battle to reach the quarter-finals of this season’s competition “evidence of its success”.
Connacht are among those scrapping for a top-eight finish, John O’Sullivan previewing their meeting with Edinburgh this evening. Ulster, who can be caught by Connacht, are at home to Glasgow Warriors, also this evening, but are reeling from the blow of captain Iain Henderson’s three-game ban.
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Munster, currently sixth in the table, are at home to the Lions tomorrow, head coach Clayton McMillan welcoming the rescinding of the red card hooker Diarmuid Barron picked up in the defeat to Connacht last weekend.
In hurling, Joe Canning looks ahead to the meeting of Clare and Tipperary tomorrow, both sides in need of a pick-me-up after recent chastening defeats, Tipp not coming close yet to the form that won them an All-Ireland last year.
In football, Ireland are warming up for a friendly against Grenada, among those hoping to make an impression Jack Moylan. Gavin Cummiskey hears from the Lincoln City attacking midfielder.
And a glittering chapter in Katie McCabe’s career is coming to an end, Arsenal announcing on Thursday that the Irish captain will leave the club at the end of the season after 11 trophy-laden years.
The latest instalment of Pádraig O’Hora’s Everest Diary does not make for comfortable reading, sleepless nights caused by illness and the ensuing stomach pains the latest challenge he’s enduring on this adventure.
Inspired by the pace Sabastian Sawe managed to maintain during his historic sub-two-hour marathon run in London last month, Sonia O’Sullivan has been taking to the track in UCC for some sprint training with Derval O’Rourke.
In rowing, Ian O’Riordan talks to double Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy about his LA 2028 plans, and his view on the criticism levelled at his sport last year: “That’s what sells papers.”
And in racing, Brian O’Connor looks at the emergence of Francis-Henri Graffard as France’s top trainer. “New faces are vital to every sport,” he writes, and Graffard’s rise can be “a rare competitive fillip to top-level European racing over the coming years”.
TV Watch: Sky Sports Golf’s coverage of the second round of the PGA Championship starts at 12.30pm, and carries on for in or around just the 12 hours. At 7.45pm, Connacht and Ulster complete the group phase of their URC campaigns, against Edinburgh (TG4 and Premier Sports 1) and Glasgow (Premier Sports 2), respectively. And at 8pm, Dundalk host Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland (Virgin Media Two), Rovers’ Matt Healy intent on boosting his claim to a place in the Irish squad.
