1. #RORY’S GLORY Two months short of his 23rd birthday, Rory McIlroy officially became the world’s number one golfer last night.
McIlroy held off Tom Gillis and a superb final-day surge from Tiger Woods to win the Honda Classic by two shots and leapfrog Luke Donald at the top of the rankings charts. He is just the 16th golfer to make it to number one since official rankings were introduced in 1986, and the second-youngest player ever to hold the title.
2. #FORGET PARIS Both Ireland and France left the Stade de France with a feeling of defeat at the end of a 17-17 draw in their rescheduled Six Nations match yesterday.
Two tries from Tommy Bowe gave Ireland an unexpected 17-6 lead heading into the break, and although France closed the gap with a try from Wesley Fofana and the boot of Morgan Parra after the break, they couldn’t get that final score to keep their Grand Slam dreams alive.
Next up for Ireland are Scotland on Saturday.
3. #PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester United virtually ended Tottenham Hotspur’s title charge and kept the pressure on Manchester City with a hard-fought 3-1 win at White Hart Lane yesterday afternoon. Wayne Rooney and a double from Ashley Young gave United all three points, with Spurs’ goal coming late on through Jermaine Defoe.
Elsewhere, Wolves dropped into the relegation zone with a 5-0 loss to Fulham while the Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle and Sunderland ended in a frantic 1-1 draw at St James’s Park.
4. #GAA Cork’s frustrating start to the National Football League season continued yesterday as Conor Counihan’s men lost 1-7 to 0-6 against Donegal.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Kerry against Down, Westmeath against Galway, and Tyrone against Louth. In the final of the M. Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling Series, Joe Dooley’s Leinster beat Connacht 2-19 to 1-15 in Nowlan Park.
5. #AVB, WTF? Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the League Manager’s Association, has described Chelsea’s decision to sack Andre Villas-Boas as “a serious embarrassment”.
Villas-Boas, 34, was dismissed by Chelsea yesterday after less than nine months in the job. Roberto di Matteo has been appointed as his replacement on an interim basis.
6. #LONDON 2012 Tori Pena yesterday became Ireland’s 14th track and field qualifier for the London 2012 Olympics. Pena cleared 4.50m to win the pole vault event at the Beach Track and Field Classic at Cerritos College in America yesterday.
