As Paul McGinley predicted, when he met Darren Clarke, his one-time Ryder Cup team-mate turned captaincy rival on the first tee at Oak Hill yesterday, it was smiles as they shook hands.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has pledged to draw a line in the sand over any ill feeling with Darren Clarke over their rival candidacies to lead Europe against the USA at Gleneagles next year.

Rory McIlroy will launch the defence of his PGA Championship title today confident that his smooth swing can find a way back into his game and march in behind a renewed pep in his step.

Pádraig Harrington has us spoiled. After 60 years of little or no expectation of an Irish major victory, he came along and won three of them inside 13 months.