After an eventful start to the Dubai Desert Classic Sandy Lyle spoke today about the disappointment of missing out on the Ryder Cup captaincy again.

Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee put a dampener on Thomas Bjorn’s birthday celebrations in the second round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open today.

Just one shot separates players at the head of the leaderboard in the Holden New Zealand Open.

GRAEME McDOWELL is travelling across the Pacific Ocean to California for a first serious assault on the US Tour.

Australia’s Craig Parry today defeated compatriot Nick O’Hern in a thrilling play-off to win the Heineken Classic in Melbourne.

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

Ernie Els moved back into contention after the second round of the Heineken Classic as a rejuvenated Colin Montgomerie claimed a share of the lead.

A rejuvenated Colin Montgomerie today carded a flawless 65 to claim a share of the clubhouse lead in the second round of the €633,000 Heineken Classic.

Nick Faldo claims he has “no idea” whether he or Ian Woosnam will be picked to captain Europe’s Ryder Cup team in 2006.

Ernie Els’ bid for a record-equalling fourth straight Heineken Classic title got off to a faltering start today.

Former world number one Greg Norman will be wired for sound at this week’s Heineken Classic in Melbourne.

Greg Norman is looking forward to competing on the seniors circuit after a “dead period” in his career.

Ernie Els will skip the $7.5m (€5.8m) Accenture Match Play for the second year in succession as he dedicates himself to Major glory.

Australia’s Stuart Appleby feels a magical 59 could be on the cards in this week’s Heineken Classic.

Tiger Woods will never be the dominant force he once was according to Ernie Els, one of his chief rivals.

AUGUSTA National have left themselves open to criticism on many fronts over the years, most recently in 2003 when becoming involved in an infamous row over their discrimination against women.

IRELAND’S Peter Lawrie began the New Year is rousing style with what he described as the best he has ever played to record a closing 66 for a share of fifth place in the Caltex Masters in Singapore.

Overnight leader Nick Dougherty held off the early challenge of defending champion Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn to hold a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the third round of the Caltex Masters in Singapore.

Colin Montgomerie begins the defence of his Caltex Masters in Singapore tomorrow but he has set his sights this year on making a bigger impact around the world.

Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie will be chasing his first win in almost a year when he lines up in the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne from February 3-6.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON was left with yet another runners-up finish to his name yesterday as Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez pipped him to the Omega Hong Kong Open title.

TIGER WOODS yesterday reminded golf spectators the world over that heckling has no place in the sport.

Tiger Woods today reminded golf spectators the world over that heckling has no place in the sport.

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,

Brian Davis was finally able to accept he had done the right thing in taking two months off at the end of last season after yesterday’s dramatic victory at the ANZ Championship boosted his Ryder Cup chances.

England’s Steve Webster had Ian Woosnam to thank for a remarkable change in fortunes after he stormed into the clubhouse lead at the halfway stage of the ANZ Championship.

LAURA DAVIES, who was so racked with nerves she hardly slept a wink, overcame debilitating pressures to make a credible debut on the European Tour at the ANZ Championship in Australia yesterday.

Laura Davies may have won four majors and 56 women’s tournaments, but nothing prepared her for the pressures of being the first woman to tee off in a European Tour event.

Nick Flanagan was inspired by Tiger Woods’ sensational performance at the 1997 Masters to take up golf himself.

ERNIE ELS admitted to not being quite sure how he managed to pull his third consecutive Heineken Classic victory out of the bag yesterday after an astonishing slump at Royal Melbourne.

Ernie Els could not believe how he managed to claim his third consecutive Heineken Classic victory after an astonishing collapse at Royal Melbourne.

Ernie Els dropped six shots in nine holes at the Heineken Classic to throw away his eight-shot overnight lead in astonishing fashion.

Ernie Els extended his commanding lead at the Heineken Classic to eight shots as he continued his stride towards a third consecutive title at Royal Melbourne.

Ernie Els was in the record books again today after stretching his lead at the Heineken Classic to seven shots with a bogey-free six-under-par round of 66.

EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer will definitely not be attempting to play his way on to this year’s team, according to his manager and brother Erwin.

The sign-writer, on standby in case of a dramatic feat at the Heineken Classic, was pressed into action yesterday as Ernie Els shredded Royal Melbourne to shoot an historic round of 60.

Ernie Els today shot a remarkable 12-under-par round of 60 to open the defence of his title at the Heineken Classic in superb fashion.

Defending champion Ernie Els was on course for a sensational opening round at the Heineken Classic in Melbourne today after scorching to 11 under par from just 13 holes.

Greg Norman today urged golf’s administrators to find a way of outlawing the increasingly popular practice of leading female players taking sponsors’ invitations to compete on the men’s tours.

Nick Faldo is concentrating on playing his way back into Europe’s Ryder Cup team despite the remote possibility the captaincy might become available again.

Ernie Els goes looking for the 50th individual victory of his professional career in Bangkok this week.

TREVOR IMMELMAN made use of immense local knowledge to capture his second consecutive South African Airways Open title at the Erinvale Course yesterday.

Ian Woosnam has become the latest entrant in February’s Heineken Classic in Australia, where he will take on the likes of Ernie Els and Greg Norman in a strong field.

England’s Paul Casey quickly added yet another birdie this morning to take a four-stroke lead into the third round of the Telefonica Madrid Open.