20 METROSPORT Monday, November 2, 2009 D Poulter takes big step in Ryder Cup chase Ian Poulter made the perfect start to his bid to secure a third ryder Cup appearance with a battling one-stroke victory in the Singapore open yesterday. after a six-week break, Poulter has started a seven-week stretch of lucrative events, including Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai, which could go a long way to securing a place on Colin Montgomeries team at Celtic Manor. and after posting a second consecutive one-over-par 72 to complete a start-to- finish victory by edging out Chinas liang Wen- chong, Poulter has moved up to fourth in the ryder Cup standings. the 33-year-old will also move into the top 15 in the race to Dubai and now has his sights set on leaders lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and rory McIlroy. Its great to win but there is more to winning right now, Poulter said. It is the right time to win as the ryder Cup points have started and I wanted to come out over the next seven weeks and put as much money on the board as I possibly could. I would like to think I have a chance to push rory or lee all the way. I have better things to come over the next three weeks, I am only going to get better. I had six weeks off and removed some cobwebs this week. australian adam Scott shared third with compatriot Scott Hend. Graeme McDowell, Dane anders Hansen and South african Charl Schwartzel were fifth. Peter lawrie dropped three shots in his final four holes to shoot 74 and drop to three under and a share of 24th place, while fellow Dubliner Padraig Harrington moved up to 38th place on level par after a two- under 69.In the pink: Poulter singapore open Kim meets his match in marathon man FisherEnglands Ross Fisher completed a memorable marathon effort by beating american Ryder Cup star anthony Kim to becomeWorld Match Play champion in spain yesterday. The 28-year-old, with high hopes of making his own Ryder Cup debut in Wales next October, won the final 4&3 after playing an amazing 126 holes in four days at the Finca Cortesin golf course. Fishers success stopped Kim, 24, eclipsing seve Ballesteros as the events youngest-ever winner. One up after the morning session, Fishers putting prowess proved too good for an erratic Kim, Earning a cheque for 750,000 also takes last years European Open champion to fourth on this seasons Order of Merit and he could go top by winning the HsBC Champions in shanghai next sunday. Im absolutely ecstatic, said Fisher, who will move up to 17th in the world. Its been a long, gruelling week, but obviously very worthwhile. This course was very physically demanding and I am not the fittest of blokes. The only thing thats been missing this year was a win. I feel Ive been very consistent and to be the leading guy in the majors [in terms of shots taken] shows my golf has been very good. after coming close to winning the Us Open and then leading The Open on the final day, Fisher became a father for the first time just one week later. That may well have had something to do with him being slow off the blocks in the Ryder Cup qualifying race but that has all changed now. He has charged from 107th to fifth. The best golf of the day actually came in the 18-hole third-place play- off, where Robert allenby beat angel Cabrera at the first extra hole. allenby holed in one with a five wood to the 230-yard sixth, birdied the par-five last and then made an 18- footer for eagle in sudden death. Fisher king: Match play success By Peter regan goLF world Match Play chaMPIonshIPs gaa Paul ryan hit 1-11 to secure a dream double of dublin club titles for Ballyboden st endas with a 1-16 to 0-12 win over craobh chiarain at Parnell Park in yesterdays hurling final. Ballyboden led by two at half-time, with allstar alan Mccrabbe powering chiarains challenge, but 1-7 after the break, including ryans goal, secured their third county title in a row. after the footballers success, it was the first dublin double in 28 years. chiarain lost Johnny Mcguirk to a second-half red card while star man Mccrabbe also missed a late penalty. Ballyboden face Ballyhale shamrocks in the leinster club shc on november 15 after the Kilkenny sides 2-20 to 1-21 extra-time win over wexfords oulart the Ballagh. Boden complete double Picture: Sportsfile threes up: Ballybodens hurlers celebrate their third dublin title in a row Fixtures pile up as Meath final is drawn BRIan sHERIdan kicked a dramatic extra-time equaliser for seneschalstown to send the Meath sFC final to a replay in navan this Thursday night. The Meath panellist converted a controversial 83rd-minute free won by brother damien to force a 1-13 to 1-13 draw at Pirc Tailteann yesterday. The stalemate left fixture chiefs with a big headache as the winners are due to play Portlaoise in the leinster club sFC next sunday. The extra date should favour 2007 champions seneschalstown as 2006 winners Tones already required a fatiguing replay in the semi-final. The sides were level at 1-9 apiece after normal time with Cian Ward kicking the leveller. The Meath ace put Tones ahead with another free in the 82nd minute, taking his tally to 1-6, but sheridans score secured a replay. Heavy rain forced the postponement of all four Ulster club sFC games but declan Osullivan kicked south Kerry to a 1-8 to 0-10 county final win over Colm Coopers dr Crokes. try scorer: horgan rugby magners League Tigers close in on Tuqiri EnglIsH champions leicester are set to announce the signing of australia Test wing lote Tuqiri this week. The former Brisbane Broncos rugby league star switched codes in 2002, winning 67 caps for australia and scoring 31 tries. But Tigers head coach Richard Cockerill refused to give anything away about the 30-year-old after saturdays 29-15 Premiership victory against northampton. saying: If there are stories saying he has signed, then I am delighted, but I havent seen him yet. Ireland wait for news on DArcy injury DeClan KIDney and his Ireland management team will be anxiously awaiting news of Gordon Darcy after the leinster centre limped off during Saturday nights 23-6 victory over a weakened Cardiff Blues side at the rDS. Darcy went off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem just before half-time in the final Magners league game before the Ireland squad assembles ahead of this months internationals against australia, Fiji and South africa. Despite the victory, courtesy of tries from Shane Horgan and Stephen Keogh and 13 points from fly-half Jonathan Sexton, taking the european champions back to the top of the league table, Michael Cheika was somewhat relieved with the result. Blues kicker Ben Blairs erratic boot missed three of five kicks at goal as the visitors did their best to combat the loss of ten internationals in preparation for Waless november tests. the leinster head coach said: I think that there was some poor parts to our game, in particular around the ruck with the ball placement. We actually made some good breaks, but we werent able to secure the next phase well enough to get that into our set up. We were lucky that Blair wasnt a bit more accurate, we would have been under a bit more pressure. I think its representative of where we are at this part of the season. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html