Dai Sport

Oliver Farr achieved his best finish on the European Tour - and biggest pay day - with a tie for third place at the Hero Open at the Forest of Arden Golf Club, near Coventry. The Welsh golfer, who spent time growing up in the Midlands, enjoyed his most impressive performance on the tour so far at the age of 32 and took home prize money of £47,000. Farr’s third placing alongside Chris Paisley from England and Swede Alexander Bjork came after a consistent display at the tournament which was won on Sunday by England’s Sam Horsfield.

Cardiff City have paid tribute to their former Wales defender Keith Pontin, who has died aged 64. Pontin, who made his Bluebirds debut on the opening day of the 1976-77 season and won two senior caps for his country in 1980, was diagnosed with dementia when he was 59. Cardiff posted on Twitter on Sunday afternoon: “It's with great sadness that the club has learned of the passing of former Bluebird, Keith Pontin.

Ieuan Evans and Nigel Davies are both fighting to join the Welsh Rugby Union council again – despite losing out earlier this summer. The former Wales internationals have both chosen to stand for election, with nominations due to close today. Neither man’s interest in helping shape the game’s future in Wales has been undermined by their defeat to John Manders for a vacant national council seat in July.

Former Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock is backing his old club, Notts County, to play-off success at Wembley Stadium - where one former Bluebird and one current loanee are set to play their part. Warnock twice led County to promotion via the play-offs three decades ago and now they take on Harrogate Town in the Vanarama National League final. The winners will earn a place in the Football League, joining National League champions Barrow as well as Newport County in the fourth tier.

Andy Haden – who died earlier this week after a long illness - was more than just a rugby player good enough to become an All Black. Media pundit, after dinner speaker, and agent to many New Zealand stars – including super model Rachel Hunter, who paid an emotional tribute to him – Haden will always have a very different reputation in Wales, as Peter Jackson considers. Andy Haden would be faintly amused to learn that he has now headed the list of rugby outlaws wanted in Wales for more than 40 years, a sort of latter-day Jesse James. Many of the 50,000 at Cardiff Arms Park on Armistice Day 1978 claim to have witnessed a heist on a grander scale than any pulled off by the baddest man of the Wild West before he was shot in the back by one of his own gang, ‘the dirty little coward, Robert Ford’.

Mark Williams reeled off six unanswered frames to book his place in the last 16 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships, before dispelling once and for all any notion of hanging up his cue. Since claiming his third world crown two years ago, the 45-year-old from Cwm has regularly hinted at retiring from the sport he has graced for 28 years. But following his 10-5 win over Alan McManus, Williams confirmed that life since the start of the coronavirus pandemic had changed his perspective.

Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard is hoping he plays his joker to good effect when the county finally get their season up and running at Somerset today. Kiran Carlson became the county's youngest century-maker at 18 when he hit 119 against Essex at Chelmsford in September 2016. Since then, the 22-year-old batsman has been combining university studies in Cardiff with his cricket, but his form in warm-up games – and his personality – means Maynard is expecting him to be major player this season, having been promoted up the batting order to number three.

Mark Williams is hoping 23 years of experience can help him through to another World Snooker Championship final he strives to become king of the golden oldies. Wales’ three-time world champion trails Scotland’s Alan McManus 5-4 at The Crucible in Sheffield in the first round battle of the roaring Forties. Williams is encouraged by a renewed focus, however, as he leads a generation of ageless veterans into this year's tournament.

Oliver Farr may have to pinch himself when he looks at the exalted company he is keeping near the top of the leader board in the Hero Open at the Forest of Arden club. The 32-year-old Welshman was hot on the heels of the Spanish Armada – Sebastien Garcia Rodriguez, Pablo Larrazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez - in Birmingham after shooting a seven under par 65 in the opening round. That was one shot behind Jimenez, making his record 707th appearance in a European Tour event, and Larrazabal, and three behind the leader, Garcia Rodriguez, who shot a course record 62.