Golf Digest

A round up of today's other golf stories in brief...

Ireland make a bright start as they chase back-to-back European titles

EUROPEAN AMATEUR:Ireland cruised into the semi-finals of the European Amateur Team Championship in Turin yesterday to keep alive their dream of securing back-to-back titles.

They collected the notable scalp of Sweden with a crushing, 5½-1½ success, and will now play Germany today for a place in the final.

In the other semi-final, nine-time winners England take on last year's runners-up, France, who came back from a 2-0 lunchtime deficit against Scotland to win 4½-2½.

The defending champions laid the foundations for their handsome triumph by taking both the morning foursomes.

Shane Lowry and Gareth Shaw opened with a double bogey against Bjorn Akesson and Jesper Kennegard, but immediately got their act together and went on to win 4 and 2.

Walker Cup player Jonathan Caldwell and rising star Paul Cutler were an amazing five under par in overcoming Fredrik Quicker and Tobias Rosendal by 6 and 5.

Then in the singles it was pretty tight, with three of the five matches going to the home green.

Playing top of the order, Shaw was always in command against Jesper Kennegard and triumphed by 3 and 2.

A crucial win was achieved by Portstewart's Cutler, and it was when he beat Henrik Norlander that Ireland knew they had made it into the last four.

Cutler was level after eight holes, but then won two on the bounce to go clear and held on doggedly for a 2 and 1 win.

Caldwell halved his match, while at the bottom of the order Lowry edged out Akesson on the 18th.

"This was a solid matchplay performance and all the players gave it their best shot. Now I feel we are in fine fettle and right in the mix," said Irish captain Michael Burns.

US TOUR:American Steve Marino shot a flawless, five-under-par 65 to surge two shots clear midway through the first round of the ATT National at Congressional Country Club yesterday.

The 28-year-old, playing his second full season on the PGA Tour, birdied three of the first four holes to set the tone for the day, before signing off with his fifth birdie of the round at the par-four last.

"There was very little wind, the greens were perfect and soft, so you could really throw some iron shots in there,"said Marino.

This week's tournament is hosted by Tiger Woods, and his team-mate at Stanford University, 35-year-old Notah Begay, was among six players tied for second at 67.

Marino conceded "there's a long way to go" in his bid for a maiden PGA Tour title.

"The guy that's leading the first round, I would say the majority of the time they don't go on to win the tournament," he said.

Joining Begay two strokes off the pace were Germany's Alex Cejka, Americans Billy Mayfair, Tommy Armour and Anthony Kim, and Australian Stuart Appleby.

Holder KJ Choi of South Korea carded a two-under-par 68 to lie three strokes off the early pace.

LEINSTER YOUTHS:Rory McNamara from Headfort shot a final round 67 to win the Sigma Wireless-sponsored Leinster Youths' Open Championship at Portarlington yesterday.

McNamara's final total of 205 after rounds of 68, 70 and 67 gave him a seven-shot margin over Nial Kearns from Omagh.

With the morning round abandoned and the tournament reduced to 54 holes, McNamara produced a back nine of 32 to overcome overnight leader Brian Keenan from The Heath.

Kearns returned a fine round of 68 to capture second on 212, with Keenan a shot further back in third place.

CHALLENGE TOUR:Ireland's Colm Moriarty and Finland's Roope Kakko seized the early lead on the first day of the inaugural AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon after torrential rain severely limited play yesterday.

Kakko eagled the third hole and then carded four more birdies before fading light stopped play after he had completed 15 holes.

Moriarty carded six birdies in his 12 holes to join Kakko at the top of the in progress leaderboard.

Moriarty said: "To be six under par after 12 holes is obviously a great start. I played really well today and hit a lot of shots in close."

CONNACHT BOYS: Co Sligo's Michael Durcan won back-to-back Connacht Boys' titles at Claremorris yesterday, coming from three shots back at the start of play to beat overnight leader Garth Boyd by one shot.

Durcan finished on two-under-par 217 after rounds of 73, 71 and 73, while Boyd shot 72, 69 and 77.

The title swung in Durcan's favour on the back nine when he birdied the 15th and 16th in a three-under-par homeward run of 34.

It was a good event for Co Sligo, who placed three players in the first six: Barry Anderson was fourth and Stephen Brady sixth.