The golfers ranked second and third in the world were lying second and first respectively after Vijay Singh made the perfect start to his second round in the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

Ernie Els instantly reaped the benefits of a new approach to the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth today, equalling the course record with an eight-under-par 64.

Paul Casey went from furious to delighted in the space of an hour and led the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth today.

For the second time in three weeks Colin Montgomerie was given a day’s leave on the European Tour today.

CAPTAIN Bernhard Langer yesterday discovered a possible loophole that might keep Jesper Parnevik and Luke Donald in Ryder Cup contention.

NICK PRICE, one of golf’s most respected figures, admits he is baffled by Europe’s latest Ryder Cup controversy.

Wanted: a top caddie to travel the world with Padraig Harrington, one of golf’s top players.

South African Trevor Immelman provided the greatest possible advert for the belly putter today when he sentenced Padraig Harrington to the 22nd runners-up finish of the Irishman’s career.

Padraig Harrington, reported to be replacing caddie Dave McNeilly after the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg today, drew level with leader Gregory Havret when the final round began.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington, yet to retain a title in his professional career, has given himself the chance to correct that at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg tomorrow.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington suddenly burst into life at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg today.

Ian Poulter was missing when the third round of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open began in Heidelberg today – but it was for the best possible reason.

Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer will be a happy and relieved man tomorrow night if his fellow German Alex Cejka wins only his second European tour title in nine years.

Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo, former Ryder Cup partners and two of British golf’s biggest names, could not stop the rot at St Leon-Rot today.

Colin Montgomerie’s obvious misery was a world away from the golf produced by German Alex Cejka in Heidelberg today.

Mark Roe, famous for seeing his dream of winning the Open dashed by a rules blunder last year, was disqualified again in Heidelberg today.

If the start was a sign of things to come, Colin Montgomerie was in for a long, tiring and instantly forgettable time today.

Twice Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal is not into begging – and he will not do it now he finds himself struggling for a place in next month’s US Open.

NICK FALDO saw golf in a new light yesterday but it did not make him play any better. Wearing glasses in a tournament for the first time in his life, he managed only a three over par 75 at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg.

Colin Montgomerie is a step nearer having to qualify for the Open at his home club Royal Troon in July.

Nick Faldo saw golf in a new light today – but it did not make him play any better.

Ernie Els has called for belly putters to be banned – on the day that recent convert South African Trevor Immelman took the lead in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Germany.

Barry Lane found himself in the company of stars today when he became just the 10th player in European tour history to clock up 500 events.

Adam Scott, who came down to earth with a bump after his fabulous victory in golf’s unofficial fifth Major in March, returned from a five-week break in Germany today.

Padraig Harrington is hoping a chest infection and cold do not hinder his chances when he begins the defence of one of the European tour’s richest titles tomorrow.

The European golf tour has returned to the St Leon Rot club in Heidelberg this week – but the man who has triumphed in the three previous tour events there has not.

SERGIO GARCIA’S play-off victory in America has lifted him all the way up to third in the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer is out of not only this week’s Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg, but also next week’s Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer is out of not only this week’s Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg, but also next week’s Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

A month after partnering golden oldies Tommy Aaron and Charles Coody in the Masters Sandy Lyle had somewhat different company at the Forest of Arden in England today.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE will be notable by his absence when the eve-of-tournament pro-am for the British Masters takes place at the Forest of Arden near Coventry today.

The presence of Tiger Woods and Ernie Els has made the Dubai Desert Classic an important event in the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

Tiger Woods was out and about in Dubai today, doing the sort of things that the world’s most famous sportsmen are asked to do, much though he might have liked a day to recover from a marathon journey across 12 time zones,

New Zealander Michael Campbell came out of the golfing wilderness with a play-off win in the Nissan Irish Open at Portmarnock tonight.

Michael Campbell will try to put a nightmare season in America behind him when defends his title in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club tomorrow.

THOMAS Bjorn yesterday spoke of his determination not only to get back among golf’s elite, but also to get back to beating them.

Thomas Bjorn today spoke of his determination not only to get back among golf’s elite, but also to get back to beating them.

Thomas Bjorn today spoke of his determination not only to get back to being counted among golf’s elite, but also to get back to beating them.

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn stamped his class on the French Open today with six birdies in the first 12 holes of his second round.

BOTH Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo have expressed their surprise at Pádraig Harrington’s decision not to contest this week’s Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

Both Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo have expressed their surprise at Padraig Harrington’s decision not to contest this week’s Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

SATISFACTION was written all over Pádraig Harrington's face here yesterday as he clutched a cheque for stg£322,474 and held aloft a trophy that meant even more.

Padraig Harrington beat Ryder Cup team-mate Thomas Bjorn at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Hamburg today.

Tiger Woods was still only in 28th place with nine holes to play in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Germany today.