Better start for Donald (From York Press) - The Press in York
Better start for Donald
5:13pm Friday 15th June 2012 in National Sport News © Press Association 2011
After an opening round of 79 which did not contain a single birdie world number one Luke Donald did at least make a better start when the US Open resumed in San Francisco today.
Donald, needing to make a huge climb from joint 140th into the top 60 just to survive the halfway cut, hit his approach to six feet at the 449-yard ninth.
Making the putt immediately improved things, but then came his 10th bogey of the week only two holes later. After pushing his drive into the rough the 34-year-old then found a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down.
Playing partner Lee Westwood birdied there from only three feet and at two over was only three shots off second place - no mean effort after starting yesterday with a double bogey.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy was the third member of the group and following his first day 77 he remained seven over and just outside the top 100 after three opening pars.
The 23-year-old Northern Irishman had chances at the ninth and 11th, but in between saved a four from sand.
Little-known American Michael Thompson, a qualifier ranked 107th in the world, had established a three-stroke lead with his sparkling 66.
He was among the later starters along with the star group of Tiger Woods (69), Phil Mickelson (76) and Masters champion Bubba Watson (78).
England's Justin Rose and 2010 champion Graeme McDowell resumed alongside Woods in a share of second, both having finished with two birdies last night.
Rose parred the difficult 520-yard par four first, while McDowell hit back from a bogey on the ninth - he drove into the left-hand rough - with a birdie at the next.
Tickets fly as benefactor makes Derry concert free - BBC News
All tickets for the Peace One Day concert in Ebrington Square in Londonderry have been snapped up.
The tickets were offered free on Friday after benefactor Michael Hamyln offered to pay for them.
People who had already paid for tickets will get their money back.
The film producer said he is delighted to have made the gesture.
The concert on 21 June marks the start of the London 2012 Festival.
It will be the first major event to be staged at the arts quarter, which was formerly a military barracks.
The line-up includes Pixie Lott, Dublin singer Imelda May, indie-rockers Guillamots, Derry's Wondervillains and Newton Faulkner.
Founder of Peace One Day Jeremy Gilley said: "It's incredible that someone has come forward to make the concert free.
"I'm delighted. This opens the doors to everyone. It'll be a wonderful show in a wonderful city."
The free tickets were made available at 10:00 BST on Friday morning and ran out in less than two hours.
The director of the London 2012 Festival, Ruth Mackenzie, said the concert will "highlight the key theme of how sport and culture can resolve conflict.
"We are really grateful that thousands of lucky people will now be able to join in the celebration for free."
The event also marks the three-month countdown to Global Truce, a campaign that promotes peace.
The culmination of the Global Truce campaign will be another Peace Once Day concert in London on 21 September, the day of Global Truce and World Peace Day.
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