After giving up 33 rounds under par yesterday, Augusta National hit back with the aid of some wind and rain on the second day of the 77th Masters.

A year after claiming he was not good enough to win a Major and needed to "play for second or third place", Sergio Garcia claimed a share of the lead on the opening day of the 77th Masters.

Just over five years ago, no Irish golfer had won a major since Fred Daly in the 1947 Open, but how times have changed.

Padraig Harrington thinks major golf titles are like buses – “when you get one a few more arrive very quickly”.

AFTER six top-20 finishes in 19 attempts, Darren Clarke knows his way around British Open courses better than most. So when the Irishman predicts a tough week at Royal St George’s his fellow contenders better listen.

WITH Pádraig Harrington and Gareth Maybin on the way home prior to the weekend — and only Rory McIlroy threatening the top of the leaderboard — it was a disappointing Open Championship for the Irish.

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie should be a happy man today - for the first time ever, Europe has six players in the world’s top 10.

IRELAND’S top golfers have overwhelmingly come out in favour of the ‘3’ Irish Open moving next year to Killarney.

THERE was a time when Irish golf fans would have been dancing in the streets with three players finishing inside the top 10 in a major.

TIGER WOODS gave Padraig Harrington a ringing endorsement as the Dubliner backed up his incredible opening 64 with a 69 to ease his way into the clubhouse lead on seven under par in the $8.5 million the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.

Only one good thing can be said about Europe’s golfers in the majors so far this season. They have been getting closer.

FÁILTE Ireland’s new director of golf Michelle McCreevy wore one of the broadest smiles of the thousands at Turnberry after Stewart Cink’s victory in the Open Championship.

IT may sound daft for the bookmakers to make Rory McIlroy favourites for next week’s British Open at Turnberry. But that’s the kind of impression the 20-year-old has made on the golf world. He spoke to golf correspondent Charlie Mulqueen.

Rivals Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia will not be seeing much of each other on the opening two days of this week's Abu Dhabi Championship.

Golf star Padraig Harrington today shrugged off jokes that his career was in trouble after signing his biggest ever sponsorship deal with a company specialising in helping crisis-hit businesses.

Newly-crowned US PGA champion Padraig Harrington wants to add FedEx Cup success to his double major-winning season.

Justin Rose nearly won The Masters a year ago and now he feels his is fit and ready enough to finish the job this time around.

Rory McIlroy is embarking on his first full season on the European Tour but insists he will be in contention to win a major championship within 10 years.