Golf Digest

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

Ireland go head-to-head with England in title defence

EUROPEAN AMATEUR:Ireland will attempt today to become the first country since England almost two decades ago to win back-to-back European Amateur team titles.

Ironically, standing in their way are England, who prevented a repeat of last year's final by beating France.

Fired-up Ireland, who had stumbled on the second qualifying day, were in tremendous form as they took Germany apart in the semi-finals over Turin's Royal Park course and won 5-2.

Esker Hills star Shane Lowry, partnering Lurgan's Gareth Shaw, and Walker Cup man Jonathan Caldwell playing with Paul Cutler maintained their 100 per cent foursomes record in this event.

The outstanding display of the afternoon was staged by Cutler. Playing Stephan Gross, he went to the turn in an amazing six-under-par 30 - but in a high-quality match found himself only two up. Cutler extended that lead to three with a birdie at the 10th and then just motored clear.

Caldwell was also in dynamic form collecting six birdies in the first 16 holes against Sean Einhaus.

The Clandeboye man was never in any real danger as he won the first three holes to establish a commanding early advantage.

Gareth Shaw was on the verge of defeating Alexander Knappe when news filtered through that the tie was already over and Ireland were through to their second consecutive final.

So Shaw gave his opponent Knappe a 30-foot putt and called their match a half.

New Irish champion Paul O'Hanlon was one down with two to play to Maximillian Kiefer and that game also was deemed to have been a half, while, at the bottom of the order, Lowry went down 5 and 4 to Allen John.

But he quipped afterwards, "The team's in the final and that's the name of the game".

LET TOUR:Martina Gillen is just two shots off the pace after the first round of the Ladies English Open.

The Beaverstown player shot a two-under-par 70 as English duo Melissa Reid and Natalie Booth share the first round lead with three other players - Sweden's Emma Zackrisson, Australia's Joanne Mills and Italian Margherita Rigon.

The five players are tied on four-under-par 68 after a sunny but breezy day at The Oxfordshire Golf Club near Thame.

Booth, 25, from New Milton in Hampshire, set the pace with a 68 in the calmer morning conditions. She was joined by Zackrisson, Mills and Rigon, who also played in the morning.

Claire Coughlan-Ryan shot 73, while Hazel Kavanagh is two shots back on 75.

SENIORS:Ireland's Denis O'Sullivan carded a one-under-par 71 to claim a share of 11th place after the first round of the Pestovo Russian Seniors Open at Pestovo Golf Club near Moscow.

The Corkman goes into the second round four shots behind first round leaders Ian Woosnam, Bill Longmuir and Jeff Hall, but one shot ahead of compatriot, Eamonn Darcy, and Northern Ireland's Jimmy Heggarty, who recorded level-par rounds of 72 for a share of 17th place.

The round of the day came from Scotland's Bill Longmuir, who had to borrow a set of clubs after his own clubs were lost in transit. However, that did not stop him firing four birdies and an eagle on the 514-yard par five ninth where he hit a three-wood to the back of the green and then holed out from 55 feet.

US TOUR:American Tom Pernice shot a seven-under-par 63 to seize a share of the lead with compatriot Jeff Overton midway through the second round of the ATT National at Congressional Country Club yesterday.

Pernice, 48, had eight birdies and one bogey on the challenging, 7,255-yard, par 70 course that will host the 2011 US Open.

"I've been playing well and you never know when a round like this is going to jump up," said Pernice. "I'm thrilled at my position. Shooting a 63, seven-under-par, around this golf course is special."

Pernice's 63 put him level with Overton at nine-under-par 131 with 36 holes to play. The duo were four shots clear of their closest challengers.

The 25-year-old Overton shot a bogey-free 65 to complement Thursday's opening round 66 and put himself in position to win his first championship.

Steve Stricker was one over after the opening round but shot a 64 yesterday to jump into contention. He birdied the first two holes and continued to play aggressively.