Rowing: Sebastiaan Peeters, the senior and lightweight men's convenor for Irish rowing, was yesterday named as Philips Sports-Manager-of-the-Month for July. This follows the achievement of the men's lightweight four in qualifying for the Sydney Olympics next month.

The team comprises Neal Byrne, Gearoid Towey, Neville Maxwell and Tony O'Connor. They are currently training 30 hours a week in Nottingham in preparation for the Olympics.

Golf: Padraig Harrington's participation at this week's USPGA championship is in doubt.

The Irish golfer has not yet recovered from a neck injury sustained in the Dutch Open.

Meanwhile, Jack Nicklaus will have one of the best possible views when Tiger Woods begins his attempt to win a third successive major victory. For the final Major of the season the winners of the first three are traditionally grouped together. But Woods is the holder of both the US Open and Open titles and so the organisers have put Nicklaus alongside Woods and Masters champion Vijay Singh.

Cricket: Andy White, who scored 24 runs and took 3 for 30 in the Northern Cricket Union's defeat of Leinster at Rathmines last Saturday, has cried off the Ireland team to play Scotland at Ayr in the annual three-day match next weekend because of a fractured thumb.

He has been replaced by his North Down club colleague Ryan Haire. Dominic Joyce has also dropped out because of injury, his place going to Peter Shields of North Down.

Meanwhile, the Midland Conference team, drawn from top club cricketers in the Birmingham area, will play five matches against representative Irish sides next week.

Croquet: Ireland beat England by 7 matches to 2 in their croquet international at Carrickmines yesterday.