Sandy And Rich Take Their Balls Home

Golf's the game on Thursday (July 17) with what Gary Lineker kindly informs me is the 137th Open Championship teeing off at Royal Birkdale.

It's amazing what you can get into when you have little else to do. I'm not normally a golf man but it's compelling viewing. Scottish Open champion Graham McDowell's good form continues as he ends the day in a three way tie for the lead with Robert Allenby and US Open runner-up Rocco Mediate. The trio card a first round 69, but the day will probably be best remembered for the actions of Sandy Lyle and Rich Beem.

Struggling with the wet and windy conditions both took it upon themselves to walk off the course before completing their opening rounds. All of which was met with widespread condemnation, and rightly so given the offensive amounts of money earned by even the most mediocre golfers these days.

After yesterday's ludicrous league structure announcements, cricket takes another knee in the nuts when Lancashire's Pro40 match with Gloucestershire at Old Trafford is rained off. With no play to disract him, England captain Michael Vaughan chooses the moment to not only confirm that Andrew Flintoff will start the second test against South Africa at Headingly starting on Friday (July 18), but also that he will bat at number seven. That leaves Tim Ambrose to bat at number six, and raises concerns about the strength of England's batting order in general.

Why are they announcing this the day before the game anyway? To make these statements, particularly about what position Flintoff will bat, seems unnecessary and smacks of a lame attempt to worry the South Africans. Maybe they will be a little apprehensive about facing the fast-bowling of Flintoff, but I'd be surprised if they weren't whooping with delight at the prospect of Ambrose coming in at six.

The big transfer news in football is that Gilberto Silva has left Arsenal to join Panathinaikos. The Brazilian moves to Athens for £1million, having conned the Greeks into giving him a three-year contract at the age of 31. With Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini also gone, the pressure is surely on Arsene Wenger to add to his midfield options before the season begins. For that reason he is linked with a move for Gareth Barry, although the England man still insists that he wants to go to Liverpool to be with his mate Stevie la.