In spite of his disappointing performance at Wentworth last week, Rory McIlroy will inevitably be very much the focus of attention at Royal County Down this week. Even so, the fans and television viewers will also keep more than one eye on several other Irishmen, and most especially Darren Clarke, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington.

The R&A insists its decision to hand live television rights of the Open Championship to Sky Sports is “the best result for golf as a whole”.

The Open Championship deal between the R&A and Sky Sports has been welcomed by the Golfing Union of Ireland. 

England’s Oliver Wilson will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but world number one Rory McIlroy is one of the Englishman’s nearest challengers.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry set the clubhouse target on a difficult second day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Friday.

The predicted thunderstorms failed to materialise, but Rory McIlroy provided the fireworks to take a stranglehold on the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Rory McIlroy exorcised his Friday demons in style as Tiger Woods almost paid the ultimate price for abandoning the tactics which previously brought him victory at Royal Liverpool in the second round of the 143rd Open Championship.

The Open Championship enjoyed a case of deja vu today with glorious weather at Royal Liverpool and a certain Tiger Woods high on the leaderboard in the opening round.

Rory McIlroy feels as prepared as he ever has going into an Open Championship but it will be how he readies himself mentally for Friday’s second round that will determine whether he lifts the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool on Sunday.

There cannot be many upsides to finishing 36 holes six shots worse behind one’s playing partner, but after two days of watching Tiger Woods give a links masterclass at Muirfield, Graeme McDowell can stop admiring the world number one and start playing some golf of his own.

Two-time Muirfield winner Nick Faldo has told Rory McIlroy he must not be distracted by non-golfing issues if he wishes to rediscover his form this and become Open champion.

When you see an evening out at the golf club entitled “Five Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing” it is usually enough to make any handicapper put down his remote control and go out into the night in search of a ticket.

Former paratrooper Thongchai Jaidee jumped into a three-stroke lead over Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen when the Volvo Champions began at a wet and windy Durban Country Club today.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods may have angered officials by not participating in the HSBC Champions, but Lee Westwood more than made up for their absence on a thrilling third day at Mission Hill.

Rory McIlroy survived a late scare to win the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston and move into pole position to snatch the $10m (€7.94m) FedEx Cup bonus.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to the 156 golfers whose ambition today is to become British Open champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Sunday evening — play it straight or you are in trouble.

Pádraig Harrington’s bid for a third British Open Championship victory will get off to a late start on Thursday following yesterday’s draw at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Tiger Woods strode The Olympic Club like a colossus as Pádraig Harrington again struggled with his putter in the opening round of the US Open.

As two-horse races go this was quite the contest.

Rory McIlroy is now just two shots behind the leaders after holing two birdies in his opening five holes in The Masters at Augusta today.

Two double bogeys in the first group on the first hole gave an early warning that the second round of The Masters was going to be another tough test today.

Lee Westwood aimed to make his actions speak louder than his words again as he took a one-stroke lead into the second round of The Masters.

Lee Westwood made the perfect start to his 56th attempt to win a major title today.

It has taken a while but Graeme McDowell will tee it up in the 2012 Masters tomorrow finally feeling comfortable at Augusta National.

European captain Jose Maria Olazabal still has a chance to kick off Ryder Cup year with his first win for seven years - from the depths of 596th in the world.

A brilliant 11-under-par 62 lifted home favourite Louis Oosthuizen into the clubhouse lead on the second day of the Africa Open in East London today.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN believes he will not be distracted by the imminent arrival of his second child when he defends his Africa Open title this week.

James Morrison held the clubhouse lead on 12 under par at the Singapore Open after following up yesterday’s 62 with a second-round 68 to pull two strokes clear at Sentosa Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy gave a clear demonstration today that his Masters heartache would not hang over him as he fired an eight-under-par round of 64 to join Alexander Noren at the top of the leaderboard at the Maybank Malaysia Open.

Rory McIlroy made a solid return to action after his Masters heartache but it is Sweden’s Alexander Noren who leads the way after the opening round of the Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

GRAEME McDOWELL’S crucial birdie putt at the 16th hole on the final day of the Ryder Cup has been voted European Tour Shot of the Year.

KERRY is set to capitalise on the huge international publicity given to the 3 Irish Open Golf Championship, held in Killarney.

KILLARNEY, which has just successfully hosted the 3 Irish Open golf championship, may be the venue again next year.

Tiger Woods has lost some of his aura of invincibility after a series of problems in his personal life, according to European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

Tom Watson will be able to go on playing in The Open beyond next year’s championship at St Andrews.