GOLF

Padraig Harrington will be among the early starters this morning as he looks to hold onto the top spot in the leaderboard at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

The three-time Major winner holds a share of the overnight lead after carding a 4-under par 67 at Royal County Down yesterday, despite squally conditions that reduced World No 1 Rory McIlroy to a disastrous round of 80.

Germany's Max Kieffer is level with Harrington at the top of the standings.

Harrington tees-off this morning at 7.50am, while McIlroy will start his bid to make the weekend field this afternoon when he will return to the course at 1pm, knowing that he will need an exceptional round to have any chance of getting inside the cut.

RUGBY

Munster and Glasgow are set to announce their starting teams today ahead of this weekend's Guinness Pro12 Grand Final.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley will be hoping that Peter O'Mahony and Simon Zebo can prove their fitness ahead of the trip to Belfast, while he could also deliver an update on the knee ligament injury suffered by Conor Murray during the semi-final win over the Ospreys.

SOCCER

The meeting of St Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers is the pick of the matches tonight in the second round of the FAI Cup.

The Dublin derby at Richmond Park is one of nine games tonight.

Premier Division leaders Dundalk will host Shelbourne while the only other meeting between two teams in the top-flight is at the Carlisle Grounds where Bray Wanderers host Limerick.

TENNIS

Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are among the big names in action today at the French Open.

After watching so many of the top seeds in the women's draw crash out during the opening week, Sharapova will be hoping to avoid a potential banana skin today at Roland Garros when she goes up against 2010 runner-up, Sam Stosur.

RACING

There is racing this evening at Down Royal and Tramore.

Organisers in Co. Down will be hoping to attract some punters from the Irish Open as they stage a seven-race card that gets going at 5.40pm.

In Waterford, the action gets going just after that, with seven races in all with the first off at 5.50pm