Greg Owen, like Jean Van de Velde more famous for losing a tournament than winning one, and Ian Poulter saw their dreams of playing in this year’s Masters fade away today.

Sergio Garcia, the star who craves a major golf title so much, could achieve the next best thing tomorrow.

The most eventful week of Greg Owen’s golf career continued when a quadruple-bogey eight sent him tumbling off the leaderboard at the Players Championship in Florida.

David Howell was among those to suffer badly as a swirling wind and really slick greens made life difficult at the Players Championship in Florida.

Darren Clarke jumped 26 places in just two holes today with a flying start to his third round at the Players Championship in Florida.

A bad start today left Greg Owen needing to pull out all the stops to achieve his dream of a Masters debut in a fortnight’s time.

Paul Lawrie heads into the second round of the Madeira Island Open on the shoulder of overnight leader Jarmo Sandelin and in good heart.

The richest event in golf failed to bring the best out of Ian Poulter and Colin Montgomerie in rainy Florida today.

American Rocco Mediate made a dream start to the £5m (€7.3m) Players Championship in Florida today.

DARREN CLARKE is determined to cement his place in the Ryder Cup starting with this week’s Players Championship.

LUKE DONALD sees no reason to lower his sights for the start of the Players Championship - golf's unofficial fifth major - in Florida today.

Paul Lawrie believes a spot of warm-weather practice has put him in good shape for the Madeira Open.

There will be no hiding place for Darren Clarke when the £5m (€7.3m) Players Championship starts in Florida on Thursday. He has been paired with Tiger Woods.

GREG OWEN accepts it was just plain stupidity that has left him still searching for a US Tour victory — and a place in the Masters.

Greg Owen’s double bogey, bogey finish to lose the Bay Hill Invitational by one has left him tantalisingly short of the world top 50 spot he needs to qualify for the US Masters in a fortnight.

Darren Clarke, the only player to score 60 in Europe twice, now has two rounds of 63 to his name on the US Tour.

Darren Clarke produced his best form of the year so far in the third round of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando today.

Ian Poulter’s hopes of playing the Masters in three weeks’ time were left hanging by a thread when he slumped to an 82 and crashed out of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando.

Ian Poulter’s hopes of playing the Masters in three weeks’ time were left hanging by a thread today when he slumped to an 82 and crashed out of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando.

Ernie Els describes himself as “very happy where I am right now” – not just on the leaderboard at the Bay Hill Invitational, but also in his build-up to the Masters.

Ben Curtis was back on a leaderboard on the opening day of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando today.

Ben Curtis forced himself onto a star-studded leaderboard on the opening day of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando today.

Vijay Singh, who this time last year was battling with Tiger Woods for the world number one spot, is out to prove that at 43 he is not yet a fading force.

GRAEME McDOWELL'S season has gone from bad to worse after being forced to sit out this week's Bay Hill Invitational in Florida, in which he finished runner-up a year ago.

Graeme McDowell’s season has gone from bad to worse after being forced to sit out this week’s Bay Hill Invitational in Florida – the event in which he finished runner-up a year ago.

Luke Donald has finally broken into golf’s top 10 after capturing the Honda Classic in magnificent fashion in Florida.

Two weeks ago there was no doubt in Ian Poulter’s mind. “I will be in Augusta,” he said.

There is a rapidly-reducing list of things Tiger Woods still has to do in golf - but one is win the Nissan Open in Los Angeles and another is start a season with three successive victories.

En route to his first win since his 1990 rookie campaign, Robert Gamez birdied his first three holes and never looked back, posting a three-shot victory at the Valero Texas Open.

Irish Ryder Cup stars Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley will all be trying to bridge a 23-year gap this week.

RYDER CUP players Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lee Westwood, double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and Angel Cabrera, Graeme McDowell and Nick O’Hern are the latest players to confirm their participation in the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House Golf Club, Maynooth, from May 19-22.

Luke Donald saw his hopes of Masters glory nosedive horribly oday when he fell from joint leader to 11 behind.

GRAEME McDOWELL had little reason to stroll around in the glorious sunshine at Augusta National yesterday with the confidence of a man attempting to win the Masters green jacket at the first attempt.

It was going to be a long day – a really long day – but it began brilliantly for England’s Luke Donald.

Ryder Cup team-mates Luke Donald and Lee Westwood had hoped to be taking a well-earned rest today – Westwood back in Britain, Donald in Atlanta.

FOR the third time in six years golf’s richest event, the £4.5million Players Championship, needs an extra day to find a winner.

For the third time in six years golf’s richest event, the £4.5million Players Championship, needs an extra day to find a winner.

For the third time in six years golf’s richest event, the £4.5million Players Championship, needs an extra day to find a winner.

Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald were all battling for the lead in the £4.5million Players Championship at Sawgrass in Florida today after further weather delays.

Lee Westwood overcame a double bogey to regain the outright lead when golf’s richest event, the £4.5million Players Championship in Florida, resumed briefly today.

The perfect combination of great shots and two extremely lucky ones enabled Luke Donald to get off to a flying start in the €6.5m Players Championship - golf’s richest event – at Sawgrass in Florida today.

Kenny Perry upstaged golf’s big names to take a one-stroke lead during the third round of the Bay Hill Invitational in Florida.

Charles Howell and Stephen Ames were tied for the clubhouse lead when play was suspended during the second round of the Bay Hill Invitational in Florida.

ERNIE ELS followed up his dramatic victory in the Dubai Desert Classic with another remarkable success in the Middle East yesterday.