Jose Maria Olazabal sought to end a continuing Ryder Cup row by bluntly declaring suggestions of a rift between himself and triple Major winner Padraig Harrington as bullshit.

Despite an impressive first round 64, Jose Maria Olazabal declared Pádraig Harrington has to “at least win” the Barclays Championship to be even considered for a Ryder Cup wildcard pick.

PAUL McGinley was sitting with his family at the London Olympic Stadium enjoying the closing ceremony when he received a phone call from Jose Maria Olazabal offering him a vice-captaincy role at next month’s Ryder Cup.

It is a telephone call that has been described as “evil” and it could be Pádraig Harrington on the receiving end later this week.

Des Smyth believes Pádraig Harrington can consider himself ‘unlucky’ if not afforded a ‘wildcard’ pick for next month’s Ryder Cup at Medinah.

Pádraig Harrington has his last chance of making the European Ryder Cup team when he travels to Kiawah Island this week in search of a second US PGA Championship.

CAROLINE Harrington was the toast of the Harrington family on Sunday evening after her husband qualified in incredible fashion for the lucrative FedEx Cup play-off on the PGA US Tour.

KEEGAN BRADLEY’S victory in the US PGA Championship on Sunday was cause for celebration in Kenmare in the early hours of Monday but otherwise the week in Atlanta was a bitter disappointment for Ireland’s best.

THERE is some confusion resulting from Rory McIlroy’s decision to quit the US Tour.

THE Ryder Cup selection of the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, is the latest chapter in the incredible development of Italian golf.

AT much the same time as Colin Montgomerie was announcing Pádraig Harrington as one of his Ryder Cup wild card choices on Sunday, the Irishman was sitting promisingly among the top 10 in the Barclays Championship in New Jersey.

RYDER CUP captain Colin Montgomerie yesterday spoke of his admiration for wild card wannabe Pádraig Harrington ahead of tomorrow evening’s European team announcement.

IT IS little wonder that Colin Montgomerie’s concentration levels suffer now and then, given all the rumours and reports concerning his private life. He was at it again yesterday, when stating Edoardo Molinari would be next in line for a Ryder Cup place should Lee Westwood have to withdraw because of a leg injury.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE last night insisted that he hasn’t made up his mind on which of the contenders battering down his door for Ryder Cup places would gain the three wild card picks.

PAUL McGINLEY admits that the failure of the “Fed-Ex Four” — Pádraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose — to play in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week could have a negative effect on Europe’s prospects of regaining the Ryder Cup in October at Celtic Manor.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON admitted last month that he would be “devastated to miss the Ryder Cup.”

US RYDER CUP captain Corey Pavin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after surveying the leaderboard at the end of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron.

IT’S ironic that after all the predictions of a sub-60 round at the 3 Irish Open, the feat was achieved at the weekend – but not in Killarney.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON last night declared he will be “gutted” if he fails to gain a place on this year’s European Ryder Cup team.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON’S bank manager and his many commercial sponsors are all smiling broadly again.

PADRAIG Harrington remains very much in contention for another big finish in the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, Chicago, and a chance at the $10 million jackpot on offer at the end of the US Tour’s FedEx Series in two weeks time.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON remains the ninth best golfer in the world and has soared up to eighth in the US PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup series after tying for fourth in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston on Monday.

Padraig Harrington has resolved to stop fiddling with his game and concentrate on playing his best at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington is back in action at the Barclays Championship in the US today.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON returns to competitive golf this week at the Barclays Championship, the first of four events in the lucrative, season-ending Fed-Ex Cup series on the US Tour.

Sergio Garcia has admitted his confidence has taken a battering after a third narrow defeat in the space of seven weeks.

Colombian Camilo Villegas stormed from five strokes behind in the final round before beating Sergio Garcia in a play-off for the Tour Championship last night.

Fiji’s Vijay Singh used a hot putter to storm to an emphatic five-stroke victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

If Nick Faldo is still pondering his two captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team, the first round at the Deutsche Bank Championship today did little to clarify the matter.

Paul Casey and Ian Poulter did nothing to harm their Ryder Cup chances during the opening round of the Deutsche Bank Championship today.