The J P McManus Invitational Pro-Am 2000 at Limerick Golf Club will be the richest pro-am golf tournament in Ireland and is already promising a host of golfing stars. The leading European and US professionals who had already confirmed their entries for the £400,000 event next July include Mark O'Meara, Payne Stuart, David Duval, Stuart Appleby and Lee Janzen. Irish professionals Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley have already accepted invitations. "I would like to see Tiger Woods play, but we will leave that until later," said McManus.
Final confirmation of the full list will not be available until nearer the event which is scheduled to take place on July 10th-11th, immediately after the European Open at the K Club and just prior to the Standard Life Loch Lomond and British Open events.
McManus said that each team will comprise one professional who will alternate each day with the three amateurs. Seven satellite qualifying events will be held at Limerick, Castletroy and Charleville clubs some weeks before the event.
The two previous J P McManus tournaments raised £3 million for charity. The 1990 event was won by Roger Chapman (England), while Richard Boxhall and Paul Broadhurst (England) shared the spoils in 1995.
Ben Crenshaw's successor as American Ryder Cup captain - expected to be Curtis Strange - will be named on Monday.
Crenshaw stood down after the controversial one-point victory in Boston last month and the American PGA have acted quickly to get their new man in place before qualifying for the 2001 match, at The Belfry, begins in January.
Strange, winner of five Ryder Cup caps and two US Opens, is seen as the front-runner for the job.
Sailing: The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Olympic committee chairman, Richard Burrows, launched a credit card for sailors this week as part of a £120,000 fund-raising drive for the Sydney 2000 sailing team.
MBNA, a Visa card provider, has created the affinity card and added a financial incentive for sailing club members. For every sailor signing up, the company will contribute £20 to the Sydney fund with further annual payments based upon card usage. For more details contact the ISA on (01) 280 0239 or pick up a form in your sailing club.
Tennis: Australian number one Pat Rafter said yesterday he is to have an operation on his injured shoulder and will miss the Davis Cup final against France in December.
The two-time US Open champion said he will undergo surgery tomorrow and hoped to be fit to play in the Australian Open in January.
"The Davis Cup is definitely out - it's gone. The Australian Open is the reason why we are going into this thing right now," he said.
Rafter has been plagued by the injury for the past six months. It caused him to miss the US Open and the chance to defend his title as well as missing the semi-final of the Davis Cup.
World number three Pete Sampras has put off his return to the court once again and has pulled out of the ATP tournament in Stuttgart which starts today because of flu, tournament organisers confirmed yesterday.
