As Rory McIlroy climbed the hill to the 18th tee at Bethpage Black, he turned to caddie Harry Diamond and said, "I can't remember the last time I played a round of golf without a birdie. I was like, I better birdie this last hole."

Do you remember these Ryder Cup moments?

Over the first couple of days of the 39th Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club four years ago, everything was going perfectly to plan for then US captain Davis Love III.

Rory McIlroy will be judged by his major wins but some victories are more significant than others and Monday’s comeback triumph in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston may well go down as a watershed in the Co Down man’s career.

Few people have putted those Daliesque greens better than Ben Crenshaw, the two-time Masters champion who bade an emotional farewell into Augusta National last Friday.

Short-game guru Dave Stockton believes he’s become more of an adviser than an instructor to triple Major winning Rory McIlroy.

As Martin Kaymer walked to the first tee box last night to fulfil his date with destiny, his great rival Rory McIlroy had completed nine holes.

There are two sets of names that will bear down on Phil Mickelson at Pinehurst No. 2 tomorrow as he tees off in a US Open for the 24th time.

Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher was delighted to make the cut on his Masters debut after a second round played in testing conditions at Augusta National.

It was almost a year ago that Adam Scott, fresh from his dramatic Masters victory, responded to a congratulatory text message from his friend Justin Rose.

Rory McIlroy is in a “really good place” as he counts down to the Masters, according to his assistant coach Dave Stockton.

Rory McIlroy raised question marks over the redesigned Blue Monster — and his own resolve when facing taxing courses — when he suggested he might skip Trump National Doral were it not a World Golf Championship venue.

Rory McIlroy walked off last year but the 2014 Honda Classic was threatening to become a stroll in the park for the former world No 1.

Rory McIlroy might have won a major in his sensational five-win season in 2012 but he reckons he can do even better than that and the WGC-Accenture Match Play is as good a place as any to kickstart 2014 with a win.

Preparation is everything at elite level but if you’re wondering why Rory McIlroy is not firing on all cylinders heading into his defence of the US PGA at Oak Hill, just ask his putting coach, Dave Stockton.

At the press conference to announce his multi-million pound deal with Nike in January, Rory McIlroy was keen to stress major titles mattered more to him than money.

Rory McIlroy believes returning to his Holywood roots and playing a social round of golf in the company of his best mates could lead to him finally breaking loose from a disappointing first half of the season.

Two weeks after describing his own golf as “brain dead”, Rory McIlroy today admitted he needed to be less emotionally involved in his game.

Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood are two of Europe’s greatest golfers of all time.

Rory McIlroy now admits he mismanaged his early season schedule and should have played the Omega Dubai Desert Classic after finishing well down the board in the Shell Houston Open.

The two people that know Rory McIlroy best, long-time coach Michael Bannon and Dave Stockton feel the 23-year-old is in flying form ahead of next month’s Masters.

Rory McIlroy believes last week’s controversial withdrawal from the Honda Classic could prove a blessing in disguise as he looks to play golf with a smile on his face once more.

Rory McIlroy is as adaptable with golf clubs as Floyd Mayweather is with boxing gloves. Both have the greatest technique in the world, the equipment just facilitates it.

It was a comeback that has already established itself among the most astonishing in the annals of sport and must have come as a relief to victorious European captain Jose-Maria Olazabal, who would have serious questions to address had his side have been wiped.

Rory McIlroy certainly stirred the 94th PGA Championship final round by electing to wear a bright red shirt throughout his Ocean Course winning cruise.

As Rory McIlroy walked to the tenth tee box yesterday, bidding to win his second major championship in as many years, he could have been forgiven for offering two fingers at many of the journalists (myself included) who would have openly questioned his commitment to the game over the past number of months.

Rory McIlroy is expecting a tough test at the USPGA Championship today despite being just one shot off the lead at Kiawah Island.

While spectators cooled off in the nearby Atlantic Ocean, Rory McIlroy quickly warmed to a second Major success with a five under par 67 on day one of the 94th PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

IF there is one thing we seem to be very good at these days, it’s not letting go.

After spending two weeks relaxing on the sun-splashed shores of the Bahamas, Darren Clarke now faces a PGA Championship reality check along the shores of the Kiawah Island.

Rory McIlroy embarks on a quest to banish his Masters demons today, confident he is better equipped, both mentally and technically, to hold off Tiger Woods and a host of other likely rivals and conquer Augusta National.

We’ll hear it all week, hopefully in the ceremony in the log cabin afterwards too: he learned.

Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell have no doubt Rory McIlroy’s rise to world No 1 will mark a new era of golfing dominance by the Holywood hotshot.

Rory McIlroy’s victory in the Honda Classic on Sunday will be recorded in the history books as the day he was officially crowned the world’s No 1 golfer.

IF THE opening moments of his pre-tournament press conference are anything to go by, Lee Westwood may be taking his plan of not trying too hard to finally land his first major, a little too far.

FINDING your putting touch and a dollop of confidence is vital for anyone with major ambitions.

IF A golfer’s career can read like a novel, McIlroy has just whizzed through the first couple of chapters.

Among the many spin-offs from Rory McIlroy’s amazing US Open victory is a five-year exemption onto the PGA Tour in America.

WHEN Pádraig Harrington added the 2008 US PGA Championship to the British Opens of ‘07 and ‘08 many felt a wonderful era for Irish golf had reached its zenith.

RORY McILROY’s bid to move on from his Masters disappointment continued at Wentworth yesterday as he spent more time with short-game expert Dave Stockton ahead of today’s BMW PGA Championship opening round.

ANTHONY WALL hailed the influence of an unusual piece of golfing technology after surging to the lead at the Sicilian Open.

Tiger Woods will be happy to be an early starter at today’s US Open second round after experiencing a bumpy ride on the Pebble Beach greens last night.

AUSTRALIAN Adam Scott, left, ended a two-year title drought by shooting rounds of 66 and 67 on Sunday to win the rain-hit Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.

PHIL MICKELSON might be Tiger Woods’ biggest rival but the flamboyant left-hander was generous to the fallen world No 1 as he prepared to chase his third green jacket at Augusta National.

IT is a good thing for American golf that Paul Azinger likes to settle in for an evening in front of his flat panel television and watch documentaries on military strategy.

American Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger teased opposite number Nick Faldo today over the resignation of his assistant Paul McGinley.

AMERICAN Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger teased opposite number Nick Faldo yesterday over the resignation of his assistant Paul McGinley.

American Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger teased opposite number Nick Faldo today over the resignation of his assistant Paul McGinley.

Nick Faldo made a slow start but was soon into his stride on his debut at the Senior British Open this morning.

For Seve Ballesteros, the golf course, in competition, is where he is meant to be. Simon Lewis found him loving his new challenge.