Lee Westwood off to the Open, Poulters and Graeme McDowell miss out
However, his former Ryder Cup and current LIV Golf team-mate Ian Poulter, Poulter's son Luke and Portrush-born ex-US Open champion Graeme McDowell all came up short in their bids to make the final major of the year.
Westwood, 52, who has played in golf's oldest championship 27 times previously, finished top at Dundonald Links after posting seven under for 36 holes.
Westwood had flown in from Dallas where he had been competing in Sunday's LIV Golf event.
"I've been up since half-past one this morning with jet lag so I was starting to feel it," said Westwood, whose move to the Saudi Arabia breakaway series removed his chances of qualifying for majors through regular tour events.
"I haven't tried to qualify for the last couple of years for one reason or another.
"Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course and I played well there last time, finished fourth in 2019, so that was another reason to come and play.
"The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar. I'm not getting any younger, I'm 52 now."
Poulter at least finished the day with some pride intact as, having trailed Luke all day in the scoring, finished level with his 21-year-old son on one under. Luke followed an opening 67 with a 76 at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, with his dad shooting 72-71, as they and McDowell finished just short.
"I played good on the first 18, the last 18 not great," said Luke.
LIV golfer Dean Burmester topped the leaderboard at Royal Cinque Ports after a brilliant eight-under second-round 64 lifted him to 10 under.
That was three better than Nathan Kimsey – whose professional golfer girlfriend Lauren Taylor won the 2011 Women's Amateur at Portrush – and Curtis Knipes, who qualified for the 2019 Open.
Derbyshire amateur Sebastian Cave and Dane John Axelsen completed the five qualifiers.
At Dundonald, amateur Connor Graham won a play-off to join fellow Scot Daniel Young, Spain's Angel Hidalgo, Swede Jesper Sandborg and Westwood in qualifying.
Another LIV golfer, Lucas Herbert, finished top at West Lancashire, near Liverpool, with an eight-under total after rounds of 69 and 67.
That was one better than China's Sampson Zheng, with England's George Bloor third and amateur Richard Teder – who holed out from the fairway for eagle at the third extra hole to become the first Estonian to play at The Open – and Finland's Oliver Lindell coming through a four-man play-off.
Galway man Ronan Mullarney missed out, alongside England's Sam Bairstow.
England's Jacob McGoldrick endured a roller-coaster end to his qualifying as a hole-in-one at the 15th put him in line to progress, only to card two late bogeys to miss the play-off by one.
At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Cornwall-born PGA Tour winner Harry Hall qualified alongside winner Justin Walters, who finished nine under, Dane Jakob Skov Olesen, amateur Frazer Jones and fellow Englishman OJ Farrell.
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Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Westwood books Open return as Poulter and son miss out
Lee Westwood made light of jet lag to book his return to The Open following a two-year absence after winning his qualifier in Scotland. However, his former Ryder Cup and current LIV Golf team-mate Ian Poulter and his son Luke - and Portrush-born ex-US Open champion Graeme McDowell - all came up short in their bids to make the final major of the year. Westwood, 52, who has played in golf's oldest championship 27 times previously, finished top at Dundonald Links after posting seven under for 36 holes. Meanwhile, there was no joy for any of the 18 Irish players who contested final qualifying. Dubliner Ronan Mullarney lost out in a four-man playoff for two spots at West Lancashire. Kinsale's John Murphy missed out on a playoff by one shot at Dundonald Links. Westwood had flown in from Dallas where he had been competing in Sunday's LIV Golf event. "I've been up since half-past one this morning with jet lag so I was starting to feel it," said Westwood, whose move to the Saudi Arabia breakaway series removed his chances of qualifying for majors through regular tour events. "I haven't tried to qualify for the last couple of years for one reason or another. "Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course and I played well there last time, finished fourth in 2019, so that was another reason to come and play. "The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar. I'm not getting any younger, I'm 52 now." Poulter at least finished the day with some pride intact as, having trailed Luke all day in the scoring, finished level with his 21-year-old son on one under. Luke followed an opening 67 with a 76 at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, with his dad shooting 72-71, as they and McDowell finished just short. LIV golfer Dean Burmester topped the leaderboard at Royal Cinque Ports after a brilliant eight-under second-round 64 lifted him to 10 under. That was three better than Nathan Kimsey - whose professional golfer girlfriend Lauren Taylor won the 2011 Women's Amateur at Portrush - and Curtis Knipes, who qualified for the 2019 Open. Derbyshire amateur Sebastian Cave and Dane John Axelsen completed the five qualifiers. At Dundonald, amateur Connor Graham won a play-off to join fellow Scot Daniel Young, Spain's Angel Hidalgo, Swede Jesper Sandborg and Westwood in qualifying. Another LIV golfer, Lucas Herbert, finished top at West Lancashire, near Liverpool, with an eight-under total after rounds of 69 and 67. That was one better than China's Sampson Zheng, with England's George Bloor third and amateur Richard Teder - who holed out from the fairway for eagle at the third extra hole to become the first Estonian to play at The Open - and Finland's Oliver Lindell coming through a four-man play-off. England's Jacob McGoldrick endured a roller-coaster end to his qualifying as a hole-in-one at the 15th put him in line to progress, only to card two late bogeys to miss the play-off by one. At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Cornwall-born PGA Tour winner Harry Hall qualified alongside winner Justin Walters, Dane Jakob Skov Olesen, amateur Frazer Jones and fellow Englishman OJ Farrell.
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Denis Leamy's finest hour, well 30 seconds, was against Georgia - One F in Foley
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Leamy had got a hand between the ball and the turf. Relief all round. But it was something which would be forgotten all too quickly because Ireland were sailing Titanic-like towards a massive defeats to France and Argentina would mean the Eddie O'Sullivan-coached side did not make it past the pool stages; that 2007 squad remains the only Ireland side not to have emerged from the pool stages of a Rugby World intervention was consigned to history, his being the sporting equivalent of able seamen Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee. They spotted the iceberg and rang the bridge 'Iceberg, right ahead!' but it didn't save the doomed is traveling to Georgia and Portugal on the Ireland summer tour as assistant coach to Paul O'Connell's Head Coach role - and enjoying being reunited with his Munster 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup winning colleague."Yeah, it's very exciting to be working with Paul again. 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He's such a promising player, I've no doubt he can do that.'"Look, all the guys have kind of been mix and match in training, so all the guys have kind of jumped in and out in those (second/back-row) positions."The game is ever-changing and the type of second-row is changing and you see the likes of Tom and Izzy, Ryan Baird, these guys are such athletic specimens and they cover the ground so well, but that's what the game demands at the moment.'Leamy wouldn't be human if the sight of the Georgia jersey didn't bring back memories of he wouldn't have been doing his job correctly if he were to equate the then novice outfit replete with mostly amateur backs to the current squad which has 18 players playing professionally in France and which includes sensational Lyon full-back David Niniashvili 'They're a very experienced Georgian team, a lot of them have played in World Cups. A huge amount of them play in the Top 14 so they're well accustomed to big games, being in tough environments."So it's a really good challenge for a young team and to go to Tbilisi, into a bit of a bearpit, it's going to be physical, it's going to be hot, it's everything we want to expose our young players to.'Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025Player/Club/Province/CapsBacks (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*, Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)*, Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(8), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)*, Dermot Kilgallon (Munster)*, Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster)(8), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)*, Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38) Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)*, Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht)*, Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)*, Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)*, Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)*, Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(16), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster)*, Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3), Scott Wilson (Queens University/Ulster)* *denotes uncapped IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SCHEDULESaturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time);Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time)Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025, departing for Tbilisi on Wednesday, 2nd July.
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Lee Westwood off to the Open, Poulters and Graeme McDowell miss out
Lee Westwood made light of jet lag to book his return to The British Open following a two-year absence after winning his qualifier in Scotland. However, his former Ryder Cup and current LIV Golf team-mate Ian Poulter, Poulter's son Luke and Portrush-born ex-US Open champion Graeme McDowell all came up short in their bids to make the final major of the year. Westwood, 52, who has played in golf's oldest championship 27 times previously, finished top at Dundonald Links after posting seven under for 36 holes. Westwood had flown in from Dallas where he had been competing in Sunday's LIV Golf event. "I've been up since half-past one this morning with jet lag so I was starting to feel it," said Westwood, whose move to the Saudi Arabia breakaway series removed his chances of qualifying for majors through regular tour events. "I haven't tried to qualify for the last couple of years for one reason or another. "Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course and I played well there last time, finished fourth in 2019, so that was another reason to come and play. "The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar. I'm not getting any younger, I'm 52 now." Poulter at least finished the day with some pride intact as, having trailed Luke all day in the scoring, finished level with his 21-year-old son on one under. Luke followed an opening 67 with a 76 at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, with his dad shooting 72-71, as they and McDowell finished just short. "I played good on the first 18, the last 18 not great," said Luke. LIV golfer Dean Burmester topped the leaderboard at Royal Cinque Ports after a brilliant eight-under second-round 64 lifted him to 10 under. That was three better than Nathan Kimsey – whose professional golfer girlfriend Lauren Taylor won the 2011 Women's Amateur at Portrush – and Curtis Knipes, who qualified for the 2019 Open. Derbyshire amateur Sebastian Cave and Dane John Axelsen completed the five qualifiers. At Dundonald, amateur Connor Graham won a play-off to join fellow Scot Daniel Young, Spain's Angel Hidalgo, Swede Jesper Sandborg and Westwood in qualifying. Another LIV golfer, Lucas Herbert, finished top at West Lancashire, near Liverpool, with an eight-under total after rounds of 69 and 67. That was one better than China's Sampson Zheng, with England's George Bloor third and amateur Richard Teder – who holed out from the fairway for eagle at the third extra hole to become the first Estonian to play at The Open – and Finland's Oliver Lindell coming through a four-man play-off. Galway man Ronan Mullarney missed out, alongside England's Sam Bairstow. England's Jacob McGoldrick endured a roller-coaster end to his qualifying as a hole-in-one at the 15th put him in line to progress, only to card two late bogeys to miss the play-off by one. At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Cornwall-born PGA Tour winner Harry Hall qualified alongside winner Justin Walters, who finished nine under, Dane Jakob Skov Olesen, amateur Frazer Jones and fellow Englishman OJ Farrell.
