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Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Amy Hunter takes centre stage with fine century as Dragons storm past Typhoons
The Belfast teenager was at her inventive best, displaying her full repertoire of shots in a wonderful 106 from 96 balls that included 10 boundaries. Hunter shared a third wicket stand of 102 in 18 overs with fellow international Arlene Kelly – who hit five fours in a breezy 41 – and a further 82 for the fifth wicket with Bready all-rounder Alana Dalzell (33) in a Dragons total of 233 for six in 39 overs. Further rain meant the target was adjusted twice, leaving the visitors a challenging 198 in 26 overs. Former Ireland captain Laura Delany top-scored with 48 in the chase, while there were runs too for opener Annabel Squires (46) and Leah Paul (22). However, the required rate kept climbing, and two wickets for New Zealander Bella Armstrong ensured the Typhoons fell 19 runs short. The win takes the predominantly Ulster-based Dragons to the top of the table ahead of the Scorchers and Typhoons, who meet next up in Co Wicklow. Meanwhile, in the NCU Women's Premiership, Holywood remain unbeaten after a 65-run DLS victory against CSNI at Seapark. Lara Maritz made it two centuries in seven days as the currently out-of-favour Irish international sent yet another message to the selectors with a brilliant unbeaten 101 from just 68 deliveries – 17 fours and one maximum. She dominated a third wicket partnership of 124 in just 10 overs with Erin Bond (23no) as the Seapark side racked up 192 in 20 overs. CSNI were never in contention, struggling to 74 for five in 15 overs – captain Jemma Gillan top-scoring with 20 – before heavy rain forced the players from the field. Alexandra Atkinson with two wickets was the pick of the Holywood attack. Waringstown are top after they made it four wins from four with a thumping 174-run victory against Muckamore. Amy Caulfield (33) and Sophie Hinds (29) shared an opening stand of 71 to lay the perfect platform for Charlotte Lyons and Abigaile Gerken. The pair scored half-centuries in a third wicket stand of 119 in 11.2 overs to take them to a daunting 200 for three. Penny Speer then took four wickets as Muckamore were rolled over for just 26 – two wickets apiece for Lyons and Naomi Matthews. There was no play in the Lisburn versus North Down game scheduled for Wallace Park.
Belfast Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Scorchers burned as record partnership roars Dragons over line in convincing inter-pro victory
Bella Armstrong and Rebecca Lowe's record partnership led the Dragons to a seven-wicket win in the Super Series50 inter-pro at Lisburn. The pair shared a third wicket stand of 221 as they easily chased down what looked like a challenging 275 target set by the Scorchers. Armstrong top-scored with a 120-ball 154 that included 22 fours and two maximums, while Irish Under-19 international Lowe, playing at her home club, hit nine fours in a splendid 88. Earlier, Louise Little made 106 while Ireland captain Gaby Lewis scored 63, but they fell away, losing four wickets for 10 runs with Waringstown leg-spinner Cara Murray taking a five-wicket haul. In the NCU Women's Premiership, Holywood top the table after they won by 55 runs at North Down in a high-scoring game. Lara Maritz thumped 12 fours and cleared the ropes nine times in a hard-hit 52-ball 121 before retiring. The former Irish international added 166 with overseas player Madison Landsman, who made a similarly boundary-laden unbeaten 82 from 41 balls (12 fours, three sixes) in a Holywood total of 223 for one. Kiara Fisher made a spirited 96 not out in the chase, hitting 14 fours and one maximum in her 60-ball innings, but received little support as the Comber side ended on 168 for seven – three wickets for Erin Bond. Waringstown are still unbeaten in second place after they beat CSNI by eight wickets at Stormont. Skipper Jemma Gillan made 41 in a home total of 109 for nine – two wickets apiece for Penny Speer, Rachel Harrison, Abigaile Gerkin and Amy Caulfield. Gillan struck twice in the first over of the chase, but Caulfield (39no) and Sophie Hinds (37*) shared an unbroken third wicket partnership of 104 to seal victory in the 17th over. Muckamore were also eight-wicket winners at home to Lisburn. Joanne Logan took three wickets to restrict Lisburn to 94 for seven, then a run-a-ball unbeaten 30 from Beth McCrea eased them home in the 12th over.
Irish Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy prize money as Scottie Scheffler wins US PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler won the US PGA Championship on Sunday as he cruised to a third major title. Weeks after Rory McIlroy became just the sixth man to complete a career grand slam, world number one Scheffler won the second leg of it after his two Masters victories in 2022 and 2024. The American managed to recover from an early hiccup, carding a final round of 71 to finish on 11 under par, a clear five shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Davis Riley. The world's top-ranked golfer is the 10th consecutive American victor of the US PGA and joins the late Seve Ballesteros as the only players since 1906 to win each of their first three majors by three or more shots. Jon Rahm was in contention for the lead with seven holes remaining, but the former Masters and US Open champion dropped five shots over the last three holes, resulting in a nine-way tie for eighth place – which included England's Matt Fitzpatrick – seven shots adrift of Scheffler. The Spaniard had managed to erase his five-shot overnight deficit with a combination of three birdies in his first 11 holes and a front nine of 37 from Scheffler, only to run out of steam – and a bit of luck – in the closing stages. Rahm, who has largely struggled in the game's biggest events since his surprising switch to LIV Golf, saw his birdie attempt on the 13th hole lip out before failing to capitalise on the driveable 14th after his tee shot took an unfortunate bounce into a greenside bunker. Rahm then three-putted the 15th for par from just off the green and knew his challenge was likely over following a pulled drive on the next, the first hole of the so-called 'Green Mile'. Rahm's challenge for the title unravelled in dramatic fashion as he hurled his ball into the rough on the 13th, prompting a furious outburst. "That's f*****," Rahm exclaimed, and his woes continued with a bogey, while Scheffler seized the initiative with a birdie on the 14th to gain some breathing space. Scheffler further extended his lead with a birdie on the par-five 15th, where Rahm had earlier three-putted from the same spot. Rahm's tee shots on the 17th and 18th then found the water, all but ending his hopes. Earlier, Scheffler had taken a three-shot lead into the final round, but saw that advantage grow to five strokes when Alex Noren dropped shots on the first and fourth. However, bogeys on the sixth and ninth allowed Rahm to draw level on nine under par, before Scheffler edged ahead once more with a birdie on the 10th, a lead he would hold onto. Scheffler picked up a cheque for $3,420,000 for winning the tournament, while McIlroy took home $49,190 after finishing in a tie for 47th on three over par. Fellow Holywood man Tom McKibbin picked up $40,674 as he finished one shot further behind McIlroy.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll's new neighbours in leafy Surrey: Inside the star-studded community golf icon is set to call home... but GHOSTS haunt 'millionaires row'
Rory McIlroy completed his long-awaited career Grand Slam when he clinched Masters glory at Augusta last month, while the finishing touches were also being put to another of the Northern Irishman's projects. Having received his Green Jacket and celebrated with his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy at Augusta, McIlroy jetted back to the UK with his family. He revealed last week that one of his first stops had been to Wentworth, home of the famous private golf club in Surrey, where it costs £200,000 to be a member. The club is surrounded by the Wentworth Estate, which has become the home of several of the games top golfers, celebrities, politicians and billionaires. McIlroy, speaking to the Telegraph, the Northern Irishman confirmed he had visited ahead of moving into a new home on the exclusive estate, before travelling to his parents in Holywood. 'Straight after Augusta we travelled over to see the house as it was going through the finishing touches,' McIlroy said. 'It was fun to see and we could have stayed in it, but we wanted to get over to Holywood.' McIlroy reportedly purchased the sprawling estate in 2023 and was claimed to have spent up to £9million in developing the family home. The development had continued despite McIlroy filing for divorce from Stoll last year, seven years after the couple had tied the knot. The golf star later U-turned in his decision, stating they had 'resolved their differences' and were looking forward to a 'new beginning'. The reversal came just ahead of the US Open last June, a month after the divorce papers were initially filed. After this year's tournament, the McIlroy family are expected to make major step of relocating to their new Wentworth home. McIlroy and Stoll have been living in a £16.5m mansion in Jupiter, Florida, since buying the property from fellow golfer Ernie Els back in 2017. The home resides on 2.4 acres of highly desired land and is believed to have 10 bathrooms in addition to the nine bedrooms across the property. The South Florida residence boasts a luxury infinity pool, as well as a games room, tennis court, home theatre, recording studio and state-of-the-art gym. The 13,000-square-foot home also has a six-car garage. McIlroy's decision to relocate comes after he admitted in the Netflix documentary Full Swing that Stoll favours a cooler climate than the heat of Florida. 'If it was up to her [Erica], she wouldn't move to England straightaway, but she definitely wants to spend more time there,' McIlroy said. German golfer Martin Kaymer, in conversation with McIlroy, revealed how Erica once told him during a chance meeting in a local Starbucks 'I really don't like the sun' - Kaymer revealed that he joked back: '"Your state's called the Sunshine State, right?"' And another fellow player, JJ Spaun, also hinted at the fact that Rory and Erica could move to the UK. Speaking on the Fore Play podcast, US golfer Spaun said after he had been defeated by Rory in the Players Championship, the golfing great had hinted at a permanent London base as he and Erica continue to try and re-find the spark in their relationship. Spaun said: 'He's super cool. We were talking about the UK. I know he's Northern Irish, but I asked him if he ever hangs out in London. Because my wife has got a really good friend that lives out there and loves going there.' He continued: 'I asked him about that, and he said, "Oh yeah, I'm building a house out there". He kept it really friendly and light, and then we chatted a lot until the back nine, and that was it.' McIlroy is expected to keep his Florida home despite the move, with the star reportedly also owning apartments in New York and Dubai. The Wentworth mansion has been described in planning documents as a 'large, detached dwelling sited centrally within a substantive plot'. Last month, McIlroy was granted 'very special' permission to install a heat pump for a huge outdoor swimming pool after a heated planning battle. He had previously been granted planning permission for a dining and utility room extension, a new roof and internal alterations, as well as an outdoor pool, play centre and 5ft-high water feature wall. McIlroy looks set to join an exclusive club to have lived on the 1,750 acres Wentworth Estate. Among the current residents include fellow golfers Thomas Bjorn and Els, with the latter having served as the long-time world-wide touring professional of the Wentworth Club and has overseen redesigns of the course. The eye-catching list of former residents includes Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with Queen Elizabeth having gifted the couple a residence following their marriage. The couple had moved in back in 1990, but the property was later sold to Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev back in 2007 for £15million. The late Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky was a former resident, before selling his home in 2012, while the former King of Thailand Prajadhipok and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet were among those to have owned properties. Pinochet was famously placed under house arrest at his Wentworth residence for almost 18 months, with armed guards required to protect him and his wife as crowds supported victims over his brutal regime. Pinochet was famously held under house arrest for 18 months and required heavy security Wentworth has proved attractive to stars from the world of entertainment with Sir Elton John and Bruce Forsyth among those to have called the neighbourhood home. Current residents reportedly range from the Sultan of Brunei to Gary Numan, to former sporting stats including cricketer Kevin Pietersen and ex-Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko. Numan, during an interview in 2019, admitted he had been convinced his property was haunted and was 'freaked out' by the experience. 'I had a big neo-Georgian house on Wentworth golf course, but I was convinced it was haunted,' the musician said. 'Some weird s*** had been going on – I'd come home and the house was in darkness when I was convinced I'd left the lights on. 'So one day, I made a point of turning on every single light in the house. I got back from the studio and – f*** me – the house was in total darkness. It freaked me out completely.' While Numan expressed concerns over his own home being haunted, local residents have long complained about the number of 'ghost' properties on the exclusive estate. Numerous residences have reportedly remained dormant and unused with their wealthy residents living elsewhere. Neighbours claimed to MailOnline last year the property where Forsyth spent his final years had fallen into a sorry state after it was sold by his widow Wilnelia for £5.7 million in April 2020. The main gates had reportedly remained closed while moss and weeds have grown over the tennis court and surrounding lawns, a far cry from the days when Forsyth, a keen tennis fan, would be out enjoying his favourite pastime. The house features a ten-seater cinema room, ten reception rooms and bedrooms, library, gymnasium and swimming pool, spa area and a wine cellar. Wilinela sold it to a Bermuda-based businesswoman and decided to move to a smaller property nearby. She revealed at the time: 'It was hard to leave a place with so many happy memories for me and my family, but I think they all understand. It was sometimes sad to be in such a home without Bruce.' Similarly, England captain Harry Kane purchased a six-bedroom mansion for £6.6m in September 2021, starting a major project to renovate it for his family. But before it was completed, Kane moved to Bayern Munich, meaning it has remained locked up and empty with the striker, his wife Katie and their four children unable to enjoy the luxurious property, which comes with a swimming pool, spa area, tennis court and is set across two acres. The nearby Lily Manor, which is located on a three-acre plot, features six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and comes with an outdoor heated swimming pool, tennis court, triple garage and a two-storey annex. It was sold to the head of a major international investment fund for £19.5 million in October 2022. Neighbours have claimed that the main gates have remained closed while moss and weeds have grown over the tennis court and surrounding lawns The mansion has four reception rooms, five en-suite bedrooms, an indoor leisure complex, including a swimming pool, plus a cinema and entertainment lounge. It comes with a garage for five cars, landscaped gardens and accommodation for live-in staff while the interior also has a lift that can take up to six people. Residents have also claimed its black gates have remained mainly locked with nearby residents claiming that the new owners have rarely been seen. One local told MailOnline last year: 'This is just one of many empty homes on the Wentworth estate, which is a real pity because this is a fantastic place to live in. 'It seems that a lot of people have just bought them for investment purposes or are having second thoughts about living in the UK. It just goes to show how rich they must be if they can have such a large property and choose not to live in it.' While reports claim McIlroy is set to move his family permanently back to the UK and take residence at Wentworth, it remains to be seen how often the superstar is at the property. The nature of the golf circuit will likely keep McIlroy on the move for long periods of time throughout the year, but the star and Stoll are poised to make the significant step by joining Wentworth's famous residents.
The Journal
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
McIlroy makes PGA cut despite bogey-bogey finish but Lowry, Harrington and Power all going home early
The 42 reports from Quail Hollow Golf Club RORY MCILROY SNUCK inside the cut line at the 2025 PGA Championship despite a bogey-bogey finish at Quail Hollow on Friday, but all of Shane Lowry, Seamus Power, and Pádraig Harrington missed the cut. McIlroy made the cut on the number at one-over par, with Lowry and Harrington agonisingly missing out on two-over par. Power finished further back on four-over. Making the cut along with McIlroy is his Holywood clubmate Tom McKibbin, who followed yesterday's round of one-under with an even par round of 71. Starting the day at three-over par, McIlroy played a greatly improved front nine, birdieing holes two, seven and eight, making the turn at three-under for his round, and one-under for the tournament. He picked up another birdie on 10 before making his first significant errors on 11 and 12, bogeying both. McIlroy three-putted 11 and then went left and out of position off the 12th tee, the error that dogged his poor opening round yesterday. McIlroy nonetheless bounced back with birdies at 14 and 15, and was one-under for the tournament and harbouring thoughts of making a weekend dash for the title when he foundered on the closing two holes. He lost concentration on the 17th green, missing from three feet having already watched playing partner Scottie Scheffler inexplicably lip out from the same position. That left McIlroy needing to make no worse than bogey on the fiendish closing hole to make the cut, and the omens were malign when he blew his tee shot miles left, to the point it kicked off a grandstand but fell into the bank of the creek, rather than getting wet. McIlroy could thus reach the green without needing a penalty drop, and managed to get down for bogey to sign for a 69 that ought to have been much better. It will leave him with an early tee time on Saturday morning and nine shots off leader Jhonattan Vegas. Remarkably, McIlroy ranked 152nd of 154 players in the field for driving accuracy over the first two days of the tournament. McIlroy at least made the weekend, with Lowry cut at a major championship for the first time since the 2023 Open. He ultimately signed for an even-par 71, his early momentum stalled by a brutal break on the eighth hole when his ball found the fairway before kicking into a separate pitch mark. Lowry was thus denied a free drop, and had to gouge his embedded ball out of the fairway. He made a maddening bogey, flipping a middle finger at his ball as he walked off the green, having already exclaimed, 'fuck this place.' Lowry birdied the 12th but made bogey on 16, and while he endured the tough closing pair of holes in even par, it wasn't enough to make the weekend. Lowry was within the cut mark when he was playing the final hole, and thus felt comfortable making par, but the line had moved to exclude him by the time he was walking back to the clubhouse. Advertisement 'I got nothing today. I felt I played alright but that's everyday I play this golf course, it's one of the only venues I've never played well at', said Lowry. 'Fourteen and 15 are key, you have to pick up at least one [shot] on those holes. I was in position both times and didn't do it. You're going into the last three holes fighting, I hit a poor tee shot on 16, and I felt I played the last two holes beautifully, gave myself two lovely chances. To be honest I didn't feel I had to make birdie at the last, I thought two-over was going to be enough.' Harrington also finished at two-over for the tournament, but birdied two of his final three holes to give himself a chance of making the weekend. 'It's amazing how hard we play for an early tee time on a Saturday morning', said Harrington. 'I was struggling to make birdies out there, I am not really holing my putts. 'The ball went miles on the range but I struggled on the golf course. I underclubbed on 12 and made a bogey, then you're adjusting and I overclubbed. I really didn't have a great day with clubbing, and with the greens being firm, that's where I left a few shots out there. 'I said standing on the seventh hole, let's do a Rory McIlroy here', added Harrington, in reference to McIlroy's victory at this venue in 2010, when he finished eagle-par-birdie across holes seven, eight and nine to make the cut on the number before going on to win the tournament with a supersonic weekend. For Harrington, it wasn't to be, though it is an omen to which McIlroy can cling overnight. McIlroy was nine shots off the lead at one-over par back in 2010, the same position as he finds himself now. McIlroy also declined media requests after his round. Power, meanwhile, posted a three-over 74, his challenge foundering with a double-bogey on the par-five seventh. Several other big names missed the cut, including Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Cam Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson. Hideki Matsyuama also missed out, which ended his run of 19-straight made cuts at majors, the longest active streak in the game prior to this week. Overnight leader Vegas remains two shots clear at the top, though his lead was halved with a double-bogey six on the final hole. Matthieu Pavon, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Si Woo Kim are in a tie for second place, with the latter holing out on six for a hole-in-one from 252 yards, the longest hole-in-one ever made in a major championship. Scottie Scheffler is a shot further back after a round of 68, and is tied at five-under with Max Homa, who matched See Woo Kim by posting a seven-under 64. Written by Gavin Cooney and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
