After the opening round of Carton House, Spain’s Blanca Fernandez and Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini shared the Women’s Irish Open lead.
A group that includes English trio Lottie Woad, Mimi Rhodes, and Hannah Screen is one shot back, but home favorite Leona Maguire is five points clear.
Fernandez and Tamburlini made the most of the challenging circumstances, which included a swirling wind and a few showers.
Both golfers recorded seven birdies and one bogey during the round, with Tamburlini chipping in once on three of the final four holes.
World number one amateur Woad and Screen on five under, along with world number one amateur Alexandra Swayne, Madelene Sagstroem, and Lisa Patterson, who represents the United States Virgin Islands, were joined by Order of Merit leader Rhodes. The sextet is only one shot off the pace in a crowded leaderboard.
Indeed, only two strokes separate the top 19 players from Emma Fleming, who won the Victorian Amateur Championship last month, with 11 more a shot back.
Maguire finished day one with a 72, which put her and three other Irish players on one-under-par despite a frustrating day on the greens.
Sagstrom scored the best round of the five, while England’s Charley Hull (-3) and Georgia Hall (-2) are in good shape heading into day two, which means a number of Maguire’s Solheim Cup team-mates had a strong start.
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Jonathan Jurejko
Wimbledon news correspondent for BBC Sport tennis
British no. 1 Jack Draper insists a subpar performance was not due to increased pressure at this year’s tournament, but that he was not “good enough” in a shocking second-round exit to the Wimbledon.
Draper fell to 36-year-old Marin Cilic, who was seeded fourth at the All England Club, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
The 23-year-old was the highest-ranked home player since Andy Murray won the men’s title in 2017 and was the highest seeded player there.
Murray won Wimbledon for the first time in 77 years in 2013, and he added his second title three years later. He retired last year.
“It makes me believe that Andy’s success in winning here twice was just unbelievable,” Draper said.
“It’s not the pressure,” he said. I didn’t intend to go out there because I felt a lot of pressure. You [journalists] frequently mention it.
Draper now looks like a real Wimbledon contender thanks to his incredible rise over the past year.
The Englishman has reached two additional ATP Tour finals, the semi-finals of the US Open, and the prestigious Indian Wells title in a year.
Many experts believed his game could be transferred to the Wimbledon grass after winning a title on the Stuttgart grass last year and making it to the Queen’s semi-finals last month despite being ill.
In all truth, Draper said, “I’ve been really disappointed with the way my game’s been on the grass this year.
On the grass, I really struggled. On the hard courts and the clay, I had a great time.
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The left-hander’s serve and forehand were praised as the key positions, but Cilic, who finished second overall in 2017, pushed him too far in the court, causing his veteran to lose his game as he regressed through the years.
“I think the hole in my forehand definitely appeared,” Draper said.
“I couldn’t handle the ball he threw into my forehand.” I was overspinning a lot.
I believe that because I can create the speed and spin I want, and the effectiveness of that, a lot of my success this year with my forehand comes from having more time.
Strange comparison to Draper-analysis
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Todd Woodbridge, a 1997 Wimbledon singles semi-finalist and nine-time champion, appeared on BBC TV.
I didn’t believe Jack Draper had any nerves; instead, I felt good about his actions.
Just as I expected, I didn’t like how things turned out for him. Because Cilic’s beautiful ball-striking return was impacted by the left-handed serve, the matchup was awkward.
Cilic then used his forehand to dictate when he returned the ball in a deep direction. He dispensed all of Draper’s weapons, and he [Draper] never actually had the freedom to dictate play.
Draper didn’t return well enough if you went over all the statistics.
Although I thought he received a lot of balls, Cilic had the ball to dictate. Cilic had to dominate him in that area when Cilic was serving second.
Draper’s backhand was used far too frequently, and that wasn’t his weapon.
According to local authorities, an Israeli drone attacked a car near Beirut on Thursday during rush hour, killing at least one person and injuring three others. Zeina Khodr, a journalist for Al Jazeera, was present when authorities examined the wreckage.
Oasis will play their first show in 16 years tomorrow at the sold-out Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with John Power of Cast making an announcement about supporting them.
Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor, Daniel Bird
John Power, a cast member, has provided an update on the Oasis reunion tour that will debut tomorrow. In front of a sold-out crowd as they begin the tour, The Liverpudlian and his bandmates will take to the stage at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday night.
Almost 15 years to the day after fans last saw Noel and Liam Gallagher on stage, the brothers announced last August that they had put their differences aside and would be joining forces again. Now, almost 12 months after that euphoric announcement, the wait is almost over.
Fans would have never anticipated a concert on which they will take to the stage tomorrow to perform some of their biggest hits for the first time in 16 years. The band will perform alongside Richard Ashcroft and Cast throughout Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, London, and Dublin.
READ MORE: Oasis have released new tickets for UK tour – how to buy yours if you missed out
John Power has opened up about supporting Oasis(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Given that he and his bandmates will be the first performers on the tour, John, 57, has shared his excitement just before the doors open. He declared, “Opening for the Oasis, it’s going to be amazing,” in a statement from Virgin Radio UK. I’m going to hit the first chord of this tour.
“I’m just getting excited right now. The truth is that I sort of take each day as it comes and don’t try to look too far ahead in terms of how I live my life and look at things. Now that Friday is upon us, and the first chord of this tour will be one I hit, there is no doubt about it, though, as you may well know.
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The first chord fans will hear, will be played by John(Image: Redferns)
For live coverage of the Oasis tour from the Mirror, click here.
“I think it’s going to be quite a moment,” he said, “because Cardiff, Principality Stadium, you know, is a quite place.” The band opened for Liam last year on his Definitely Maybe tour, which marked the 30-year anniversary of Oasis’ debut album of the same name. Cast’s inclusion on the bill comes as a surprise.
Noel had previously claimed that playing the band was similar to a “religious experience.” John mentioned the tour to NME last year, saying, “We’re blown away by it.
We nodded and were waiting for the official announcement. We can now enjoy it. Our peers give us a stamp of approval, which I really appreciate.
Liam and Noel will finally be back on stage together tomorrow night(Image: Mirrorpix)
He continued, “It kind of confirms our legacy and authenticates the journey we’ve taken as a band.” Now, Richard Ashcroft and Oasis discuss Northern Soul! That lineup is some. “John’s relationship with Oasis dates back many years, having first met him when he was just 16.”
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A rebellious Mancuian teen approached him while he was outside smoking and asking for a cigarette while his former band, The Las’s, was playing in Manchester. He said he was having a moment, and he declined. When Oasis released their debut single Supersonic three years later, John went to see them live. He told Mojo, “I went see them.” He continued, “And Liam immediately addressed me and said, “You told me to f**k off!” He must have been around 16 at the time.
The pair continued to laugh at the circumstances, and they have since become close friends.
