
Lauren Walsh and Canice Screene well placed ahead of Dutch Open finale
Kildare's Lauren Walsh will enter the final round of the Dutch Open just three shots off the lead as she chases a first-ever Ladies European Tour win.
Walsh fired a second-round 54 in the three-day event to move to three-under par, three strokes behind leading trio Mimi Rhodes of England, Spain's Nuria Iturrioz and Italy's Alessia Nobilio who all sit on six-under par at Goyer Golf & Country Club.
Also sitting inside the top 20 a further shot back is Canice Screene with the London-born Irish golfer posting her second round of 71.
Anna Foster and Annabel Wilson both finished comfortably inside the cut-line and will be targeting high finishes as they start the final round on level par but Sara Byrne, who ended on five-over, missed the cut by a stroke with the damage done by Friday's 77.
Joint leader Rhodes currently leads the Order of Merit on 1,046.88 points and admits this season has already exceeded expectations.
"Not in a million years did I think this would be how my rookie season would go. The support has been incredible - so many people have reached out. It's given me a huge confidence boost heading into the bigger events. I'm just really happy."

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RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Lauren Walsh and Sara Byrne remain in striking distance in Belgium
Lauren Walsh and Sara Byrne are both within striking range following the third round of the Hulencourt Women's Open in Belgium. The in-form Walsh, who led at the halfway point of last week's Tenerife Women's Open before dropping off, is in a tie for seventh on six-under par, four shots off the lead held by India's Avani Prashanth. Byrne, meanwhile, sits just outside the top 10 after a third-round 70 moved her to four-under par. Walsh went even better with a 68 despite a slow start. After opening with four pars, the Dubliner bogeyed the par-three fifth to fall back to one-under par, but it would be her only dropped shot of the day with back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh and the 11th and 12th being followed by another birdie at the 17th. Byrne temporarily got to five-under after three birdies over her first 12 holes, but a bogey at the 15th saw her drop outside the top 10. It's youngster Prashanth who leads the way following a third-round 69. The 18-year-old drained a huge putt on her last hole – the ninth – to ensue a one-stroke lead over France's Nastasia Nadaud. England's Cara Gainer is back in contention on six-under with the joint lowest round of the day. It was matched by Germany's Celina Sattelkau that took the latter to four-under par following a 66.


Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Leinster drama, Lions star injury scare, fitness test ahead of URC Final
Leinster have scheduled a fitness test for one of the top players just hours ahead of their URC Grand Final clash with Bulls. Jamison Gibson-Park has been struggling with a niggle during the week and was scheduled to re-join full-training yesterday, Friday. Following not completing the session, Leinster have decided to give him a further test on the morning of the game. The scrum-half has started seven of the Blues' URC games this season and featured as a sub in another two while he was ever-present in the seven match Champions Cup campaign. Considered very much a key cog in the game plan, his hurry-hurry style has been seen as central to Leinster's being able to move bigger teams - and the Bulls are a big team - about the park while his experience has been a valuable foil for young out-half Sam Prendergast at both club and international level. Luke McGrath is on stand-by and will be promoted from the bench should JGP fail to make the 5pm kick-off game while Cormac Foley or Fintan Gunne are likely to be asked to sit on the bench. Should Gibson-Park be declared fit, Leinster would have nine Lions among their 13 Irish internationals in the starting line-up. Eight of those Ireland star are on IRFU central contact. Add the best All Black on the planet Barrett and Leinster's in-form but as yet uncapped Tommy O'Brien to make XV. Opposite this Jake White has picked a forward-oriented side which has six Springboks in the side albeit none of the big RWC the forwards on the bench look a decidedly weak unit compared to the international Ronan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Slimani, Snyman, Max Deegan it's ironic that South African rugby has revelled in the Bomb Squad notion, it is Leinster who actually have the heavyweights on the line - it has the ironic feel of somebody offering you an Irish whisky that's been made in talked up out-half Johan Goosen during the week and pointed out he was a teenage 'prodigy' but his career never panned is ability there but Rassie Erasmus hasn't touched him for eight years while scrum-half Embrose Papier is rated by Erasmus either and he hasn't been next nor year a Boks cap for six 'Boks stars in the back are just that, Willie le Roux and Can Moodie but an uncapped centre pairing in David Kriel and Harold Vorster are facing Ringrose and Barrett. Meanwhile Stephen Ferris, a noted harsh critic of Leinster in the past - perhaps their harshest critic - can't see Bulls having enough to cause a surprise. 'The reality is it will be a huge, huge upset if the Bulls come to Dublin and overturn Leinster and win. "That would make it five years in a row that Leinster have finished a season without a trophy. There is so much to play for. There are so many elements to this Final, it should be a fire-cracker of a game.'There's brilliant match-ups all over the pitch but I can't look any further than the front row."Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels destroyed a World-Cup winning front row at Sharks last weekend - now they're up against expected Lions starter Andrew Porter as well as Dan Sheehan and Thomas Clarkson.'The Bulls are very set piece dominant. It's all about the scrum and big guys getting on top of the opposition, eking out penalties, getting good field position and trying to launch off it.' Beating Leinster wouldn't just be down to skill either, it would require a game plan and sticking to it when the heat comes on. 'They can't just give Leinster easy opportunities. It's going to be more about what's between the ears. 'The coaches will be trying to get the mental parity of their players right and to make sure they peak at the right time – to ensure they are not going through the motions but that the attention to detail is absolutely spot on. 'There are some key players for Bulls - Sebastian de Klerk for one, he is in fabulous form. Plus Johan Goosen at 10 who gives them that really strong kicking game and percentages as well." Former Ireland international Ferris is predicting the South African side won't be afraid of the 'three-six-nine' mantra. 'The thing about the Bulls is they are extremely efficient. Expect Bulls to take three points when they are on offer pretty regularly."They might only get three or four (tray-scoring) opportunities in a game - but they will take two of them, they have a high success rate. Leinster will have to sharpen up on their efficiency when they are in the right areas. 'The Bulls will be fully focused on trying to be physically dominant like they were last year, make impact tackles, back their defence and stop Leinster's big runners on the gain line and if they do that hopefully it will stem any flowing attack that Leinster might bring. "I see Leinster winning this by at least one score - I'd really like to see them lift the trophy.' Leinster (v Bulls, Croke Park, 5pm, Saturday, TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & Jimmy O'Brien, Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (CAPT)Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jamie OsborneVodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux, Canon Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Jan-hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (CAPT), Marcell CoetzeeReplacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon WilliamsReferee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 55th league game).VERDICT: Leinster to win comfortably, Bulls don't have the bench to extend the game past the hour.


The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jake Paul taking Amanda Serrano from underpaid legend to highest female fighter sparked his passion for women's boxing
JAKE PAUL says his passion for promoting women's boxing stemmed from Amanda Serrano's remarkable rise to riches. Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions stable have become the premier platform for female fighters with a string of high-profile signings. 5 Jake Paul with boxing legend Amanda Serrano Credit: Rex 5 Serrano is now the highest-paid female boxer of all time Credit: The Mega Agency 5 She signed with Jake Paul in 2021 Credit: Instagram / @serranosisters Alycia Baumgardner, Savannah Marshall, Chantelle Cameron and Ellie Scotney have all been added to their increasing stable of late. But it all started with Serrano in 2021, who came on board as At the time, Serrano was only earning £3,000 for her world title fights - Paul, with his promotional hat on, said: "It just came from the organic relationship that was formed with Amanda Serrano. READ MORE IN boxing "Seeing how entertaining of a fighter she was and how talented - one of the best boxers of all time period male or female - and how underpaid she was and underserved and wasn't getting the shine that she deserved." Serrano, 38, has had two bouts with Irish icon Katie Taylor, 36, losing both thrillers via razor-tight decisions. And for her rematch - The boxing pioneers now collide for a trilogy on July 11 back at New York's Madison Square Garden Most read in Boxing 5 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Paul's new top talent - including Brit trio Marshall, Cameron and Scotney - all fight in a showcase of MVP's commitment to women's boxing He said: "I think It turned into this bigger movement and now you just see that all across sports, women shining the Caitlin Clarks, etc. Jake Paul ranks cruiserweight world champions and reveals he is in talks with two for shock title fight "And now it's happening in boxing and women are getting their equal and fair shot and MVP proved that we can make mega fights happen with women. "And, they're arguably more entertaining than a lot of the recent men's fights that we've seen." Serrano lost her rematch to Taylor on Paul's undercard in November - when he beat 58-year-old Mike Tyson in their controversial Netflix clash. Now Paul, 28, returns against ex-middleweight champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, on June 28 live on DAZN PPV. He said: "Chavez and I have been going back and forth for a long time and he's always been a great opponent on the list of someone that I wanted to fight. "And now it made perfect sense to go up against him as a former world champion and just continuing to further my resume and get more time under the lights." 5 Jake Paul returns against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr Credit: Reuters