"A true paradise”.

Dermot McElroy made a superb start to the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School with a two-under 70 at El Saler, Spain.

Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from this week’s WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco for personal reasons, paving the way for Finland’s Mikko Ilonen to enter.

Golf: Mikko Ilonen hailed the best year of his career after becoming the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship with a hard-fought victory over top seed and good friend Henrik Stenson.

Mikko Ilonen became the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Sunday after a hard-fought victory over top seed Henrik Stenson at The London Club.

Patrick Reed gained a small measure of revenge for last month’s Ryder Cup defeat by knocking European hero Jamie Donaldson out of the Volvo World Match Play Championship yesterday.

Ryder Cup star Victor Dubuisson was the only player certain of a place in the quarter-finals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship ahead of Friday's final group matches at The London Club.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell suffered just his third ever defeat in the Volvo World Match Play Championship yesterday, as Ryder Cup team-mate Stephen Gallacher’s singles losing streak reached double figures.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell suffered just his third ever defeat in the Volvo World Match Play Championship against an inspired Mikko Ilonen on Thursday.

Welcome to your Thursday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

Graeme McDowell outlined a renewed commitment and some ambitious career targets after making an ideal start to the defence of his Volvo World Match Play Championship title.

Graeme McDowell believes the continuing fallout from Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Gleneagles will ensure a "fairly epic" contest in two years’ time.

Graeme McDowell was trying hard to focus on the positives as he left Augusta National for the 135-mile drive south to Hilton Head Island.

Denmark’s Anders Hansen found himself still at the top of the leaderboard after compatriot Thomas Bjorn suffered a poor finish to his second round of the Alstom Open de France.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari set the clubhouse target on a miserable day at Wentworth as Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald’s bid for a third successive BMW PGA Championship title came to a premature end.

Graeme McDowell today expressed his delight at becoming the first Irish winner of the Volvo World Match Play Championship as he joined an illustrious list of champions with a hard-fought victory over Thongchai Jaidee in Bulgaria.

Graeme McDowell believes Rory McIlroy’s poor form this season is behind the world number two’s decision to leave Horizon Sports Management to create his own management group.

Ian Poulter today labelled his performance as “disgusting, disgraceful and unacceptable” as he crashed out of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria.

Nicolas Colsaerts will defend his Volvo World Match Play Championship title as the European Tour breaks new ground in Bulgaria this week, but only after his father arrives on a hastily-chartered private jet with his clubs.

Team success in the Ryder Cup and individual glory in Major championships are not mutually exclusive, as the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam proved on many occasions.

Team success in the Ryder Cup and individual glory in major championships are not mutually exclusive, as the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam proved on many occasions.

As recession bites, enticing golf’s big names is a luxury Spain can no longer afford, says David Henry

Tiger Woods, fist pump and all, is back with a vengeance after his thrilling fifth victory in the Jack Nicklaus Memorial tournament in Ohio.

The big guns of Irish golf will contest this week’s BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship tournament, at Wentworth.

Graeme McDowell denied he became “rattled by the pressure” in his Volvo World Match Play Championship final defeat by Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts at Finca Cortesin yesterday.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell has win through to face Sergio Garcia at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today.

Graeme McDowell knew he was already through to the knock-out stages of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin yesterday ever before taking on South African Jbe Kruger.

Justin Rose piled on the agony for Darren Clarke with a 6&4 drubbing at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today.

Graeme McDowell is leading Robert Karlsson on the opening day of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain.

Ian Poulter has spoken of his excitement at playing this week's Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella.

Graeme McDowell goes into today’s first round contest against Sweden’s Robert Karlsson in the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Estepona in Southern Spain hopeful that a change from the regular diet of stroke play to head-to-head confrontations will provide the kick start that his career badly needs.

Open champion Darren Clarke has been drawn alongside England’s Justin Rose and Robert Rock in the group stages of this week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella this week.

Rory McIlroy has clung onto his spot at the summit of the world rankings despite missing the cut at The Players Championship on Friday night.

Ricardo Santos shot a spectacular closing 63 yesterday to give Portugal their first European Tour win for 20 years.

Next year’s European Tour will again include just one event Ireland, two in England, one in Wales and three in Scotland.

Next year’s European Tour has been confirmed with the Irish Open switching from late July to the end of June, but with a venue yet to be announced.

IAN POULTER secured a three-shot victory at the JBWere Masters in Melbourne yesterday.

NEGOTIATIONS about the future of the 2012 Irish Open are ongoing with a June 28 to July 1 date favourite to get the green light according to sources close to the European Tour.

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.

ONCE the slide begins, it is incredible how quickly even the greatest can fall from grace.

England’s Luke Donald was within touching distance of becoming world number one after beating German Martin Kaymer for the second time this year at the Volvo World Match Play Championship.

Graeme McDowell beat Rory McIlroy 3&2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today – and there was no hiding how annoyed the 22-year-old was.

IRELAND’S top two, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, clash at Finca Cortesin this morning in the plum match of the first knock-out round of the €3. 4 million Volvo World Match Play Championship.

World number one golfer Lee Westwood says he is giving serious thought to closing down his Twitter account because of abusive comments sent to him.

Ian Poulter qualified for the last 16 of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today without winning a game.

RORY MCILROY played the most impressive golf of the day and produced a barrage of birdies on the way to beating two-times US Open champion Retief Goosen in yesterday’s opening round of the €3.4 million Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin.

Rory McIlroy chipped in at the last on an unbeaten day for the eight members of last year's European Ryder Cup team at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain.

Rory McIlroy is confident he would know what to do if he finds himself four ahead with a round to go at the US Open next month.

GRAEME MCDOWELL last night dismissed his last round collapse in the US Players Championship as “a blip on the radar” and placed it a long way behind Rory McIlroy’s Masters meltdown last month.