Michael Hoey is confident he’s finally shaken flu symptoms brought on by overdoing the celebration at the recent Heineken Cup final.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in devastating form today as he crushed Joe Perry to stride into the PartyPoker.net German Masters quarter-finals.

Judd Trump is optimistic his safety-second approach can continue to pay rich dividends as he heads to the BGC Masters at Alexandra Palace.

NORTHERN Ireland’s Mark Allen added his voice to the growing number of frustrated players in snooker echoing Ronnie O’Sullivan’s sentiments last week that most of the PTC events are “pointless” at the moment.

Darren Clarke has won his first Major - the British Open - at the age of 42.

Golf star Rory McIlroy is backing his fellow Northern Irishman Mark Allen to build on his thrilling opening win at the Betfred.com World Championship.

Ronnie O'Sullivan cast fresh doubt over his snooker future after another dismal defeat at the Bank of Beijing China Open.

Mark Selby gained a measure of revenge for his defeat to Mark Williams in last month's German Masters final as he knocked the Welshman out of the Partycasino.com Players Tour Championship Grand Finals in Dublin last night.

Mark Selby powered past Ding Junhui to set up a semi-final this evening against Graeme Dott at the German Masters.

World number one John Higgins has withdrawn from the German Masters in Berlin following the death of his father.

Robert Karlsson was struggling in his bid to record his third successive European Tour victory in the Oceanico Portuguese Masters at the Victoria Club in Vilamoura today.

Lee Westwood might be unable to play on the European Tour next week, even though that is where he wants to complete his build-up to the Ryder Cup.

Playing partner Colin Montgomerie was the one to make the sparkling start, but a dazzling finish by Darren Clarke has taken him into the halfway lead in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

Ernie Els was forced to work hard to preserve his record of not missing a halfway cut in a European tour event since 1999, 76 events ago.

Colin Montgomerie missed a second-successive cut today when he crashed to a second-round 74 in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.

THE formal ratification of Robert Splaine as chef d’equipe to the senior show jumping team may not take place until January, as the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) has not scheduled an executive meeting until the New Year.

PAUL McGINLEY lavished praise on former Formula One boss Eddie Jordan after his victory in the Volvo Masters.

Paul Casey, who five months ago would have shuddered at the thought of trying to take on Valderrama, needed just 31 shots to reach the turn on one of Europe’s toughest tests today.

Colin Montgomerie has won the European Tour’s RBS Shot of the Month for September.

One week after his joint best performance of the year Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam was forced to pull out of the Mallorca Classic first round at Pula today.

THIS is a huge week for golf in Ireland and Britain with at least four major tournaments down for decision.

Nick Dougherty recovered from his personal form of water torture to share the lead in the £2.2m (€3.2m) Linde German Masters.

Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, a partnership America can expect to face again next September, have the chance this week to set the pace when Europe’s Ryder Cup qualifying starts.

Padraig Harrington

Ernie Els kept his hopes of a record-equalling fourth straight Heineken Classic alive today as Colin Montgomerie crashed out of contention.

LAID up as he currently is after an operation on his left knee, Paul McGinley has plenty of time to reflect on 2004.

THE world’s number six golfer yesterday announced the launch of the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation and the staging of a unique indoor charity golf show at City West Hotel on Friday, January 21.

Padraig Harrington tries to do something this week he has yet to achieve in his career – successfully defend a title.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON arrived in Korea yesterday to receive some very good news.

THE STATURE enjoyed by Irish golfers on the European Tour is graphically demonstrated by the draw for today’s first round of the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Padraig Harrington, famous for the number of second places he has had in his career, will happily settle for another this week.

THE THUMB injury sustained by Pádraig Harrington in the World Matchplay has almost fully healed and he is in good shape going into this week's Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Former Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst moved into the lead at the Madrid Open today – but had Graeme McDowell, surely a Ryder Cup player of the future, breathing down his neck.

Bernhard Langer picked up the European Tour’s Golfer of the Month award today - as he prepared to take on world number one Vijay Singh at Wentworth.

Their exploits in the Ryder Cup ensured 2004 will always be remembered as a great year for Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON sits down at the beginning of each season and lays out his goals for the following 12 months.

He was not at the Ryder Cup and he has yet to figure prominently at a major, but Graeme McDowell is starting to become a real force in European golf.

IRELAND'S Graeme McDowell is the joint leader of the Heritage at Woburn along with 2002 Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price from Wales.

And so there were two. Padraig Harrington and David Howell are the only Ryder Cup men left in The Heritage at Woburn.

Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie looked certain to crash out of The Heritage tournament today after slumping to a second-round 77.

Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who blew the German Masters from five clear with 17 to play, moved to six under and a one-stroke lead in the Heritage today.

GRAEME MCDOWELL'S first round 67 left him joint leader in The Heritage at Woburn with Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and Australia's Nick O'Hern.

One of Britain’s brightest golfing prospects today spoke about the damage done to his career by enjoying too much of the good life.