A round up of today's other golf stories in brief...
Maguire twins play prominent roles as they prepare to face Switzerland
AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:Ireland qualified for the quarter-finals of both the European girls and boys team championships yesterday but fell by the wayside in the women's event in Sweden.
It was always going to be an uphill struggle at the Stenungsund Club after a lack-lustre opening day - only former Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney from Carlow matched the par of 72.
Niamh Kitching was out in 36 and looking quite comfortable but a double bogey at the 16th and another dropped stroke at the 17th, where she three-putted, cost her dearly - she finished on 73,the same as Cork's Gillian O'Leary.
The best position they can finish in the championship is ninth after their 36-hole total of 749 left them 18 strokes outside the top flight in 14th place.
But at Murcar north of Aberdeen the under-18 girls team performed well with the brilliant 13-year-old twins Leona and Lisa Maguire of Slieve Russell playing their part. Ironically Leona, Lisa and Sarah Cunningham returned scores of 74, both the Maguires dropping strokes on the last. They were counting cards while Bangor's Victoria Bradshaw took 76.
With a 36-hole aggregate of 444 Ireland were in sixth place after the qualifying section and will now face Switzerland today in the first matchplay round.
And at Bled in Slovenia the Irish boys also performed admirably to make the top flight with Richard O'Donovan, Alan Dunbar and Paul Dunne all firing five-under-par scores of 68.
Luke Lennox returned 71 and Chris Selfridge 73. The non-counter was Reeve Whitson who had an eight on the 16th on his way to a 74.
EUROPEAN TOUR:Spain's Pablo Larrazabal has been named European Tour golfer of the month for June after his maiden victory in the French Open.
The 25-year-old led from start to finish and held off a chasing pack which included Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood, becoming the first player in history to come through the qualifying event to triumph in continental Europe's oldest national Open championship.
"I played great golf in France and to win the golfer of the month award is a superb feeling for me," said Larrazabal, whose victory at Le Golf National secured an appearance at next week's Open.
"In the third and fourth rounds in France I probably played the best golf of my life and to beat guys like Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood is amazing. Montgomerie is one of the three best players in the history of the European Tour and to know that I can play like those guys is great for me."
The victory saw the man from Barcelona make giant strides in both the European Tour Order of Merit and the Official World Golf Ranking as well as gaining entry for next week's Royal Birkdale event. He also followed in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Sergio Garcia who won the May award after his victory in The Players' Championship.
