Golf: Ciaran McMonagle joined such illustrious names as Dale Hayes, Mark McNulty and Ernie Els, by capturing the South African Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship yesterday, writes Dermot Gilleece. The 24-year-old member of Dunfanaghy GC, triumphed in a dramatic finish at the East London GC with a total of 290.
After a third round of 71, McMonagle seemed likely to need a closing 73 for victory. But England's Luis Barnett double-bogeyed the final hole where the Irish player could afford the luxury of a bogey, after being bunkered greenside in two.
The reigning Irish Amateur Close champion led overnight after the halfway cut. And despite heavy rain and humid conditions for the last 36 holes, he maintained his composure for a 75 which gave him victory by a stroke.
Two other Irish players - Noel Fox (Portmarnock), Gary Cullen (Beaverstown) - got among the top 32 who will now compete for the South African Matchplay title. Andrew McCormick of Scrabo missed out by a stroke, after a closing 82.
Irish Scores: 290 - C McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) 71 73 71 75; 300 - N Fox (Portmarnock) 73 77 73 77; 302 - G Cullen (Beaverstown) 83 73 71 75; 305 - A McCormick (Scrabo) 77 7472 82.
Cycling: Denmark's Bo Hamburger won the 178 km fourth stage of the Paris-Nice race between Trevoux and St Etienne yesterday.
Hamburger finished 10 seconds clear of second-placed Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy and the first peloton, which included France's Laurent Brochard, who retains the leader's white jersey.
The decisive breakaway took place 65km from the finish with a pack of a dozen riders headed by Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov forging clear. Hamburger, along with Nocentini, launched a second attack 25km out with the main chasing group featuring Brochard frequently at its head. Nocentini, who lost ground to Hamburger in the last kilometre, held off fellow Italian Matteo Tosato for second.
Cricket: The future of BBC Radio's Test Match Special, a long-established feature of the English cricket season, has been secured with a new five-year deal.
The agreement, announced yesterday by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), covers ball-by-ball coverage of home Tests, one-day internationals and the quarterfinal stages onwards of the two British knockout competitions.
Snooker: Mark Williams continued to do his chances of becoming world number one a power of good by becoming the first player into the semi-finals of the Thailand Masters last night.
Williams moved within two victories of successfully defending the title with a 5-3 victory over Stephen Lee now faces compatriot Dominic Dale or Mark King.
